Insects on the move
You may well have ants swarming all over your patio as you read this, but when I think of ant swarms I think of the flying ants that appear from seemingly nowhere on a summer’s day.
You may well have ants swarming all over your patio as you read this, but when I think of ant swarms I think of the flying ants that appear from seemingly nowhere on a summer’s day.
A small woodland and hedgerow tree, spindle is most striking in the autumn when clusters of bright pink-and-orange berries hang from its twigs, providing food for mice, birds and even Red Foxes.…
The large, fluffy caterpillars of this moth are often seen in summer and early spring.
The bramble is the thorny shrub of hedges, woods and scrub that gives us delicious blackberries in autumn. Gathering wild food can be fun, but it's best to do it with an expert - come along…
This distinctive bug is often seen basking on low-growing plants in spring and summer.
The giant house spider is one of our fastest invertebrates, running up to half a metre per second. This large, brown spider spins sheet-like cobwebs and pops up in the dark corners of houses,…
This bog-loving butterfly is mostly found in the north of the UK, where it takes to the wing in summer.
Mackerel are a sign of summer's arrival, when they appear inshore in huge numbers all around the UK. As well as being a sustainable seafood choice, they are an important food source for many…
Gnarled veteran oaks are interspersed with groves of pale, elegant birches, while swathes of bracken and soft tussocks of wavy hair-grass cover ground from which autumn fungi sprout.…
This is a predominantly subtidal species but can be found on the lowest parts of a sheltered rocky shore in summer.
This metallic green beetle can be seen visiting flowers on sunny days in spring and summer.
This streaky brown bird is a summer visitor to Britain, favouring open woodlands in the north and west.