My laboratory
Nora’s study of bird behaviour explores how small bird communities flock together to ward off larger predators. Nature has many things to teach us and is now widely acknowledged as a key…
Chwilio
Speckled wood butterfly - Vicky Nall
Chwilio
Barrel jellyfish
Giants of the jellyfish world, these incredible creatures are the UK’s largest jellyfish! They can grow to the size of dustbin lids – giving them their other common name: dustbin-lid jellyfish.…
Common hawthorn
In May, our hedgerows burst into life as common hawthorn erupts with creamy-white blossom, colouring the landscape and giving this thorny shrub its other name of 'May-tree'.
Golden-ringed dragonfly
A voracious predator that will even eat other dragonflies, the golden-ringed dragonfly is the UK's longest species. It can be found around acidic streams in moorland and heathland habitats.…
Greater horseshoe bat
The greater horseshoe bat was once a cave-dweller, but now tends to roost in old buildings, such as churches and barns. It is rare in the UK and, like many other bats, declining in number.
Lesser horseshoe bat
The lesser horseshoe bat was once a cave-dweller, but now tends to roost in old buildings, such as stables and barns. It is rare in the UK and, like many other bats, declining in number.
Fascinating flying ants
Sara Booth-Card, ecologist, peatlands and Action For Insects campaigner at The Wildlife Trusts, looks out for the telltale signs of flying ant days and shares her love for the underground world of…
The secret world of fungi
What do you think of when you hear the word fungi? For some thoughts might turn to mouth-watering mushrooms, carefully foraged from a supermarket shelf. For others it might conjure images of fairy…
Fat hen
Fat hen is a persistent 'weed' of fields and gardens, verges and hedgerows. But, like many of our weed species, it is a good food source for birds and insects.
Forest bug
The shoulders of the forest bug are distinctive - they are square-cut, almost rounded, unlike the other 'spiked' shield bugs. This bug can be found in woodlands, feeding on the sap of…
Great skua
A fierce pirate of the sea, the great skua is renowned for stealing fish from other seabirds and dive-bombing anyone that comes near its nests. It breeds on the Scottish Isles.
Noctule
Our largest bat, the noctule roosts in trees and can be seen flying over the canopy in search of insect-prey, such as cockchafers. Like other bats, it hibernates over winter.