My daytime drama
Carol loves watching the rituals of the birds at Rutland Water, especially at the feeding station that she helps to maintain as a volunteer. She loves to lose herself in her own personal episode…
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Chwilio
Greater Butterfly Orchid Count
We are delighted to report a bumper number of greater butterfly orchids this year at Carmel Nature Reserve.
Keeping the mobile mowers hydrated!
The hot weather has meant that Steph has been kept busy making sure that the mobile mowers have enough water. Bowsers are deployed at a few reserves which need regular topping up. Some sites are…
My water filter
Duncan helps to manage the pockets of peatland at Bell Crag Flow, near Newcastle. The ancient landscapes that he works on are around 10,000 years old. These sites are great for wildlife but they…
Large thyme
The aromatic fragrance of Large thyme can punctuate a summer walk over a chalk grassland. It is an evergreen that grows low to the ground, with erect spikes of tiny, lilac flowers appearing over…
Tall melilot
Tall melilot was introduced into the UK as a fodder crop, but has now become naturalised. It displays golden, pea-like flowers on tall spikes, which are followed by black, hairy seed pods.
Thornback ray
The most commonly encountered ray around the British Isles, it's easy to see where the thornback ray got its name from - just check out the spines on its back!
Barbastelle bat
The barbastelle is a scarce bat that lives in woodland and forages over a wide area. It has a distinctive 'pug-like' appearance because of its upturned nose.
Cock's-foot
Cock's-foot is a common, tussocky grass of grasslands, woodland rides and cultivated ground - its fluffy, pinky-beige flower heads are quite distinctive.
Field cow-wheat
Once widespread, this attractive plant has declined as a result of modern agricultural practices and is now only found in four sites in South East England.
Freshwater pearl mussel
Freshwater pearl mussels spend their adult lives anchored to the river bed, filtering water through their gills and improving the quality of the water for other species.
Greater knapweed
The ragged-edged, purple flower heads of Greater knapweed bloom on sunny chalk grasslands and clifftops, and along woodland rides. They attract clouds of butterflies.