Accipeter nisus The sparrowhawk is the second most common bird of prey in Britain, after kestrels. It is also becoming increasingly common in gardens, where it uses the element of surprise to seemingly fly out of nowhere to take its small garden bird prey species. Exploiting garden habitats is a behavioural adaptation; it naturally inhabits [...]
I was in my garden in Ivybridge today at about 5pm, watching a sparrow in a tree, when something made me turn around. I was taken aback to see a bird of prey fleetingly land on the fence about a metre behind me, to launch itself towards the sparrow immediately. It was about the size [...]
A user of the website wrote to me to ask for advice on creating a wildlflower meadow, which would of course be fantastic for wildlife, especially invertebrates, as well as being a beautiful addition to any piece of land, regardless of size. When I worked for the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, I was [...]
Cantharellus cibariusThis is an edible mushroom, quite distinctive in its light to egg-yellow colour. Its stipe is either the same colour or slightly paler. It is also renowned for its odour – like the smell of apricots! It is important to get the identification exact, especially if you are going to eat it, because there [...]
Sorbus aucuparia The Rowan, otherwise known as the Mountain Ash, blossoms attractively in late Spring, but is stunning in Autumn, when its leaves have turned bright orange and it has scarlet berries. These berries draw many species of wildlife, including 28 species of insects and birds, such as waxwings, thrushes and blackbirds. The Rowan is [...]
