My calling
Living in the rocky uplands of mid Wales, Emma regularly walks her farm checking not only on the livestock but seeing the seasonal changes in the wildlife and landscape too. The upland habitats of…
Chwilio
Speckled wood butterfly - Vicky Nall
Chwilio
Common sexton beetle
The Common sexton beetle is one of several burying beetle species in the UK. An undertaker of the animal world, it buries dead animals like mice and birds, and feeds and breeds on the corpses.
How to create a mini pond
Even a small pond can be home to an interesting range of wildlife, including damsel and dragonflies, frogs and newts. Any pond can become a feeding ground for birds, hedgehogs and bats – the best…
Song of the Spinnies - Part 4: The Viley Hide
As the newest addition, many visitors to the Spinnies Aberogwen Nature Reserve might miss this hide as they travel through the nature reserve. But with extremely good lighting for photos and with…
Guelder-rose
The guelder-rose is a small tree of hedgerows, woods, scrub and wetlands. It displays large, white flowers in summer and red berries in autumn, which feed all kinds of birds, including Bullfinches…
Goldeneye
A medium-sized diving duck, the goldeneye can mainly be spotted in winter when birds fly in from Northern Europe. Conservation efforts have helped small numbers of these birds to nest in Scotland…
Red-breasted carrion beetle
These distinctive beetles are often found around dead birds and small mammals.
Homes for wildlife
Here are some simple actions you can take at home to help birds flourish on your patch.
Spear thistle
A common plant of disturbed ground like roadside verges and field edges, the spear thistle has purple, fluffy flower heads that appear in summer. Its flowers attract insects and its seeds feed…
Songs of the Spinnies - Part 2: The Main Hide
Often referred to as the Sea Hide, the Main Hide offers two stunning views ... one of which lets you see the entirety of the River Ogwen and the other a view of the lagoons. In Part 2 of this…
Môr-wennol bigddu
Found around our coasts during the breeding season, the large Sandwich tern can be spotted diving into the sea for fish such as sandeels. It nests in colonies on sand and shingle beaches, and…
Blackbird
A much-loved garden bird, the blackbird is famous for its harmonious song. In winter, our resident birds are joined by migrants from Scandinavia and the Baltics.