About

Male Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

Welcome to A Little White Dog & to the wildlife which can be found throughout the year on the western side of the Wirral Peninsula.

I’ve been obsessed by wildlife & the natural world since I can remember. Watching David Attenborough’s Life on Earth when I was five fueled a passion for everything connected to it from ecology through to biology & the wonder that is evolution by natural selection.

I spent much of my holidays on the Northwest Coast of Scotland in and around the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Growing up my dad was a huge influence on me with his love of the landscape, the processes which drove it to be what we see today & the amazing variety of life which inhabits it. He was also a keen photographer in the days of film, long before autofocus & post-processing. Many decades on I still find inspiration in the images he took & most important lesson of all – that time spent in nature is never time wasted.

After twenty years in Cornwall I suffered from sepsis which left me struggling to walk, PTSD & brain damage which to this day still affects my motor skills, balance & memory. Being able to immerse myself in the natural world has been a big part of my recovery, helping to give me confidence as I relearn some of the skills that I had before. Not to mention eulogizing on convergent evolution whenever possible.

Whilst recovering I was lucky enough to meet the most incredible person who shares my passions & as a result moved to the North West of England to be with her.

A Little White Dog is named for two of my canine companions – Zoe & Willow – who would accompany on my adventures & I hope you enjoy this window into the incredible life that inhabits this part of the world.

I currently live with my wife & three rescue dogs, a cocker spaniel, sprocker & staffy cross in Cheshire.

 

Mark Ormerod, June 2023