Together for dawn chorus
The alarm clock rings. It’s 430 am. Time to get up. The dog knows it’s early and until I put on my walking boots he doesn’t stir.
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Chwilio
Common backswimmer
The fearsome common backswimmer hunts insects, tadpoles and fish. It uses its oar-like legs to swim upside-down under the water's surface where unsuspecting prey can be found.
Sanderling
The sanderling scampers about the waves looking for marine crustaceans, fish and even jellyfish to eat. It visits the UK in winter from its Arctic breeding grounds, but can also be seen as it…
Ivy
Ivy is one of our most familiar plants, seen climbing up trees, walls, and along the ground, almost anywhere. It is a great provider of food and shelter for all kinds of animals, from butterflies…
Wildlife gardening
Our own back gardens are often the place where we encounter wildlife most regularly. Whether it's digging up worms or feeding the birds, we all benefit from being out in a garden and wildlife too can thrive in these little havens.
Kelp beds and forests
Forests of kelp sway in shallow sunlit waters, offering shelter to a host of sea life from tiny worms to juvenile fish.
Green tiger beetle
A ferocious and agile predator, the green tiger beetle hunts spiders, ants and caterpillars on heaths, grasslands and sand dunes. It is one of our fastest insects and a dazzling metallic green…
Three-spined stickleback
A diminutive but aggressive predator, the three-spined stickleback hunts tadpoles and small fish. It is also known for fiercely protecting its nest of eggs until they hatch. Look for it in ponds,…
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.
Devil's coach horse
A ferocious and fast predator, the devil's coach horse beetle hunts invertebrates after dark in gardens and on grasslands. It is well-known for curling up its abdomen like the tail of a…
European otter
The sinuous otter is an excellent swimmer and can be seen hunting in wetlands, rivers and along the coast - try the west coast of Scotland, West Wales, the West Country or East Anglia for the best…
Ecological Surveys, EIA and HRA
Surveys should be carried out by professional ecologists, registered with IEEM. When surveys involve protected species, such as bats, great crested newts or dormice, the surveyor should hold a license from Natural Resources Wales.