Brownfield
The uncontainable nature of wildlife is perhaps clearest in brownfield sites – previously developed land that is not currently in use. The crumbling concrete of abandoned factories, disused power…
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Chwilio
Marsh helleborine
The Marsh helleborine is a beautiful orchid of fens, wet grassland and dune slacks. Growing in profusion in places, look for reddish stems and white-and-pink flowers.
Magor Marsh Memories
In April, I had the pleasure of leading two guided walks for the Gwent Wildlife Trust, at the Magor Marsh reserve, accompanied by Hamish Blair.
Autumn gentian
A late-flowering plant, Autumn gentian displays pretty, mauve, tube-like flowers atop its reddish stems. It favours dry, chalk grassland and sand dune habitats.
Dark bush-cricket
The Dark bush-cricket, as its name suggests, is dark brown or reddish. It can be found in woodlands, hedgerows and gardens throughout summer. Its irregular chirpings are a familiar sound of summer…
Coniferous plantation
Dark and brooding from a distance, the strong geometric lines and monotonous rows of uniformly sized trees can jar the eye and seem devoid of wildlife. But venture within and open ride edges,…
Hemp-agrimony
Also known as 'Raspberries and Cream', Hemp-agrimony displays 'frothy' clusters of tiny, pink flowers on top of long, reddish stems. Its leaves look like those of Hemp,…
Twin-lobed deer-fly
Many of us have felt the painful bite of the Twin-lobed deer-fly (a 'horse-fly') while out walking in damp grasses or woods. But mostly, it prefers to feed on the blood of cows and…
Yellowhammer
Like many of our farmland birds, the yellowhammer has declined in number in recent years. Spot this bright yellow bird singing from the top of a bush or fence, or in a mixed-species flock in…
Gwent Wildlife Trust's response to the State of Nature Report 2019
In response to the State of Nature report 2019 release, Gwent Wildlife Trust’s Acting Chief Executive Gemma Bodé said: “The State of Nature Report 2019 provides extensive evidence for what we,…
May Element - Log Piles
Element number five of the twelve elements to make your garden a wildlife wonderland will, over many years, shrink and vanish - rotting and dead wood. It provides hiding, feeding and nesting…
My discovery
Look – a boatman! Keira’s delight in learning about unusual creatures is even more special when she can find them herself.