Southern hawker
A common dragonfly of ponds, lakes and canals near woodland, the southern hawker can be seen patrolling the water or 'hawking' through woodland rides. A fast-flying species, it will…
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Chwilio
My world
John has worked in fisheries management for over 25 years. He has seen our waterways at their best – and their worst. He knows firsthand how devastating unhealthy rivers can be for wildlife and…
How to make a Christmas wreath for birds
With food, water and shelter scarce over the winter months, give your garden birds a treat with an edible Christmas wreath.
Skokholm Island
Lying in the Celtic Sea two miles off the southwest Pembrokeshire coast, Skokholm has its own charm and sense of remoteness with tall, sandstone cliffs and a wild landscape. The island is approximately half a mile across at its widest point and a mile in length which makes it perfect for exploring. There are never more than 26 people on the island, that’s 10 acres of space for every visitor!
Raft spider
The chocolate-brown raft spider inhabits bogs and ponds. It can be spotted sitting near the water, its legs touching the surface. When it feels the vibrations of potential prey, it rushes out to…
My history book
Tim has volunteered at Astley Moss for five years, helping to increase the water levels on the bogs back to their historic healthy levels. He especially loves watching the birds return to this…
Flower crab spider
The flower crab spider is one of 27 species of crab spider. The flower crab spider can alter the colour of its body to match its surroundings and to hide from prey. It is not as common as other…
Sphagnum moss
Sphagnum mosses carpet the ground with colour on our marshes, heaths and moors. They play a vital role in the creation of peat bogs: by storing water in their spongy forms, they prevent the decay…
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.
Upland spring, flush and fen
These tiny habitats, the source of our streams and rivers, are fundamental to the well-being of whole water catchments.
My close up
Once a month, Robert attends his local Wildlife Watch group in Nottinghamshire. He’s been going for over a year now and has made lots of new friends; most of all, though, he loves how much he has…
Whooper swan
The whooper swan is a very rare breeding bird in the UK, but has much larger populations that spend winter here after a long journey from Iceland. It has more yellow on its yellow-and-black bill…