Dunnock
Prunella modularis
Dunnock · Dungeness · 20 December 2025
A Dunnock in the scrub at Dungeness in December, easy to dismiss at a glance as just another brown bird. It is a bird of hedges, scrub and gardens across Europe, feeding on the ground under cover, and one of the commonest birds in Britain.
The slate-grey face and breast and the thin, insect-eating bill separate it cleanly from any sparrow once you look properly. An unusually complicated breeding system for a bird this drab: multiple males and females often mate within a single shared territory, and a male will peck at a female's rear before mating to eject a rival's sperm. The Victorians held it up as a model of modesty.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
Every photograph comes with notes on what it is.
Selected
Favourite shots. Filter by subject, or .
Places
Everything, by where it was taken.
Species
Larger catalogue of photos organized by species of animal or plant.
Catalogue
Every photograph, newest first. Narrow it by period, place or species; the three work together.
Updates
Coming soon. Sign up at the bottom of the page for updates.