Author Archives: jonathan

The three fledgling peregrine falcons of Bournemouth are now whizzing around with the parents, learning to catch birds for themselves, but they are still screaming to be fed from the college tower.Other falcons are a little more advanced and one … Continue reading →

One of the largest and heaviest orb web building spiders in the UK is the angled orb weaver(Araneus angulatus). It is capable of growing larger than the other members of the group such as the common garden spider (A.diadematus) and … Continue reading →

The slave maker is a species of ant(Formica sanguinea). It lives on heathland and relies on other ant species to rear its young while the main workforce hunts.They kill existing queens of nests of various species and then enslave the … Continue reading →

A very rare and pretty flower, the blue eyed grass (sisyrinchium angustifolia) happened to be at my feet when I was at Arne nature reserve,Dorset. It is mainly to be found in America and Canada but also found in the … Continue reading →

I have always loved shiny metallic objects ,especially if coloured. when insects are thus then they are special. I remember when i was four years of age, sitting on the carpet under the dining room table by the patio doors … Continue reading →

With all the recent rain we have had over the last two weeks, flowering plants are at their best, and some of the best floral displays seen for years can be seen; this benefits all other wildlife also especially insects … Continue reading →

This time of year can be awful for various animal species as humans go out and about doing what they do. People must be aware though that the sheer numbers of people out enjoying themselves, cutting trees and bushes, walking … Continue reading →

A newly emerged fox(Macrothylacia rubi) moth was waiting to complete his development on a gorse bush, on the heath. These large moths are mainly day flying and the larvae is commonly seen on rough grasslands and heather. The caterpillar is … Continue reading →

There are lots of different moth and butterfly larvae to be seen now.Tents of silk can now be seen in bushes and trees. In a local nature reserve several good species of caterpillars were found in one morning. The Garden … Continue reading →

Quercus is the genus name given to the oak trees, and oaks, especially the English oak (Quercus robur) is host to many an interesting fungi, in this case the oak maizegill (Daedalea quercina). It is not a common fungi but … Continue reading →