Archive

  • Species of the day: Ivy-leaved Toadflax

    25 April 2020

    Species of the day: Ivy-leaved Toadflax

    The charming Ivy-leaved Toadflax isn’t a native British species, having thought to have hitched a ride on imported Italian sculptures and first recorded living wild in 1640.

     
  • Corona Wildlife Diary: Day Thirty-nine

    25 April 2020

    Corona Wildlife Diary: Day Thirty-nine

    Back Garden Bird Race #4 - with a short guide to our commonest garden singers. And Frank Sinatra.

     
  • Species of the day: Large Red Damselfly

    24 April 2020

    Species of the day: Large Red Damselfly

    Damselflies and Dragonflies are without doubt one of the most successful orders of animals that exist on the planet. Typically the first of them to be spotted in spring is the rather stunning Large Red Damselfly

     
  • Corona Wildlife Diary: Day Thirty-eight

    24 April 2020

    Corona Wildlife Diary: Day Thirty-eight

    There aint no bee flies like a bee-fly flies

     
  • Seagulls and the sound of silence?

    23 April 2020

    Seagulls and the sound of silence?

    According to the World Health Organisation, noise pollution affects over 100 million people in Europe – so the effects of noise pollution on wildlife must be monumental. Why then when it gets quiet in urban areas, have seagulls decided to go elsewhere rather than enjoying the silence?

     
  • Corona Wildlife Diary: Day Thirty-seven

    23 April 2020

    Corona Wildlife Diary: Day Thirty-seven

    At last! My first Orange-tip of the year. Spring is officially here.

     
  • Species of the day: Ground-Ivy

    22 April 2020

    Species of the day: Ground-Ivy

    Ground-ivy is a beautifully proportioned and supremely common perennial herb of the mint family, but bears no relation to true Ivy

     
  • Corona Wildlife Diary: Day Thirty-six

    22 April 2020

    Corona Wildlife Diary: Day Thirty-six

    I check in on the fox cubs under the neighbour’s shed.

     
  • Blackbird - Bird Song

    22 April 2020

    Blackbird - Bird Song

    The Blackbird is perhaps more familiar to us than any other bird, surely the species we associate most closely with our gardens

     
  • Corona Wildlife Diary: Day Thirty-five

    21 April 2020

    Corona Wildlife Diary: Day Thirty-five

    In which I go crazy with a drill and make some accommodation for my garden bees.

     
  • Species of the day: Common Toad

    21 April 2020

    Species of the day: Common Toad

    The Common Toad is one of our two most familiar amphibians. They’re largely a secretive species that have discriminating habitat requirements including permanent water bodies for breeding

     
  • Species of the day: Buff-tailed Bumblebee

    20 April 2020

    Species of the day: Buff-tailed Bumblebee

    Around ten percent of the UK’s bee species are represented by the widely recognised Bumblebees. One of the most widespread, and regular visitor of British gardens is the Buff-tailed Bumblebee