Freshwater
The rain-soaked lands of Britain and Northern Ireland are rich in rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, canals and ditches. Whether natural or artificial, they are the life-force behind the wildlife we…
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Chwilio
Reed sweet-grass
Reed sweet-grass is a towering grass with large, loose flower heads that can be found on marshy ground near rivers, streams and ponds. It can become invasive, but does shelter various aquatic…
My history book
Tim has volunteered at Astley Moss for five years, helping to increase the water levels on the bogs back to their historic healthy levels. He especially loves watching the birds return to this…
Yellow iris
The large, sunshine-yellow flowers of the yellow iris brighten up the margins of our waterways, ponds, wet woods, fens and marshes. Also called the 'flag iris', its outer petals have a…
Avocet
A key species in the story of conservation, the avocet represents an amazing recovery of a bird once extinct in the UK. This pied bird, with its distinctive upturned bill, can now be seen on…
March Element - Pollinator Plants
By adding any of the 12 elements that are missing from your garden (as well as improving any elements that you already have), you will soon attract and benefit more wildlife in your outdoor space…
Cetti's warbler
A dark, stocky warbler, the Cetti's warbler is most likely to be heard, rather than seen - listen out for its bubbling song among willow, marsh and nettles.
Snipe
Listen out for the 'drumming' sound of a male snipe as it performs its aerial courtship display. It's not a call, but actually its tail feathers beating in the wind. Snipe live on…
Willow tit
The willow tit lives in wet woodland and willow carr in England, Wales and southern Scotland. It is very similar to the marsh tit, but has a distinctive pale panel on its wings.
Sphagnum moss
Sphagnum mosses carpet the ground with colour on our marshes, heaths and moors. They play a vital role in the creation of peat bogs: by storing water in their spongy forms, they prevent the decay…
Out and about at the Gout!
If I fancy a change of scenery, I head down to Peterstone Gout on the Gwent Levels, nestled between St Brides and Newport on the B4239 and six miles west of Newport city centre. The site is…
The Lives of Beetles – A Natural History of Coleoptera by Arthur V. Evans - book review
Reading the book and writing this review in February, I haven’t seen a beetle in a while, it has however whet my appetite for these little jewels that will be emerging now in spring, writes Gwent…