Welcome to Birdfolk!

A new way to learn about the birds of the UK.

Hello, welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. I just want to take a moment to introduce myself and explain how Birdfolk came to be.

A bit about me

I’m Gem, and I was born and raised here in the UK. I have been a nature-lover since I was a kid, often spending my free time birdwatching alone, or with my dad (and sometimes with my mum, sister and brother, too). I have a Zoology degree, but this is really my first time putting it to good use. I also indulge in some amateur wildlife photography, which you’ll see in each newsletter.

A juvenile House Sparrow. You can tell it’s young by the downturned, yellow corner of its mouth.

Many of my early birdwatching memories are of species it is now much harder to see. The Turtle Dove at RSPB Fowlmere, the hordes of House Sparrows in our family garden and the flocks of Lapwings ascending from fields of poppies on my way to school – all of them are now endangered. All of them are absent from those places.

How to get into birdwatching

If you look closely, there’s still wonder to be found in every wild space. To get to know our local species isn’t easy though. You either need a mentor or a good bird guide and a lot of time/dedication. And a lot of learning requires you to have seen something first, which you now want to identify.

A male Stonechat – a great ‘entry-level’ bird as it often poses very obligingly on top of bushes.

What is Birdfolk?

Birdfolk turns learning about birds on its head. In each weekly newsletter, you get to meet a species of bird that is found in the UK. We start with the most common ones, and gradually move through the species. So you get to know one bird in detail: its habitat, what it eats, how the males and females differ in looks, their call – all the good stuff.

I’ll also share the features that help you to identify them most easily, and other species that they’re easy to get confused with. By doing this, you learn slowly but in a way that is both enjoyable and more likely to stick.

A Robin, one of our most iconic garden birds.

The photography I plan to use is mostly my own, which I like to think is good – but it’s not professional quality. Many professional photos show birds in their very best light: perfect plumage, posed beautifully. But what you see out in the field doesn’t always look like that!

In the community chat for paid subscribers, you can share your sightings, observations and photographs. We’ll help each other out with IDs. Non-paid subscribers will get all of the posts about bird watching, and previews of the posts about individual bird species too. Some of those posts will also be free.

Birdwatching should be for everyone

If you can’t afford the paid subscription due to life circumstances, please reach out. I’ll be providing one free subscription every month (maybe more as the platform grows). And there’s always my other Substack, Wild This Week, which will always be free.

An unusually brave Marsh Tit.

If this sounds like the place for you, then I’m delighted to have you here! Birdwatching is for everyone, regardless of what they already know, what resources they have access to, or anything else. If I can be any more inclusive or accessible, please let me know. I am doing my best, but I’m always willing to learn from thoughtful, constructive feedback.

Looking forward to meeting you!

Gem

P.S. If you like what you read, please do share this newsletter with other people you think might like it too. Thank you!