Restoring Ratty: One of the UK’s fastest declining mammals
This week we explore the habits of one of the UK’s fastest declining mammals, the water vole.
This week we explore the habits of one of the UK’s fastest declining mammals, the water vole.
Few of us can contemplate having a wood in our back gardens, but just a few metres is enough to establish this mini-habitat!
These grasslands, occupying much of the UK's heavily-grazed upland landscape, are of greater cultural than wildlife interest, but remain a habitat to some scarce and declining species.
The stately Grass-of-parnassus displays pretty, white flowers with green stripes. Once widespread, it is now declining as its wetland habitats are disappearing.
A tall plant, purple-loosestrife can form dense stands of bright purple flower spikes in wet habitats like reedbeds, fens and marshes.
The moth-like dingy skipper is a small, grey-brown butterfly of open, sunny habitats like chalk grassland, sand dunes, heathland and waste ground.
The Glanville fritillary can be spotted on warm days around coastal habitats on the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands, as well as at a few locations in mainland England.
These tiny habitats, the source of our streams and rivers, are fundamental to the well-being of whole water catchments.