A blog and photo journal about the natural history of north-west England and beyond
A young Common Lizard sunbathing close to the information hut/visitor centre at the RSPB’s Arne nature reserve. On a warm sunny afternoon in late August few other places I’d rather be than wandering through the lowland heath that lies adjacent to the millionaires playground of Read More …
Time for a bit more catching up from September and a visit to Arne. The small, peat stained pools dotted around the heath appear to contain a stable population of Raft Spiders. The way the spiders use the hairs on their front legs to feel Read More …
A few more from September’s trip down south. Always great to watch Foxes enjoying the early evening sunshine. The ones back home are far more wary and rarely seen until after dark.This particular family are based on a farm and used to people passing by. Read More …
Can you see me – a superb male Sand Lizard at Shipstal Point, Arne. The cryptic colouring is surprisingly effective especially amongst the heather growth that dominates the Arne peninsula. Probably just as well with the dissection of Kestrel pellets proving the local Kestrels Read More …
Arne at dusk. A superb area for watching and listening to the amazing Nightjar. Unfortunately despite there being at least 3 birds flying around hawking for moths, churring and wing clapping it was just too dark to attempt a photograph. A real highlight of Read More …
Sika Stag at the RSPB’s nature reserve on the Arne peninsula in Dorset. Stag and one of this year’s fawns. Despite arriving at one of the rutting sites before dawn this year the rutting season appeared to be starting later than usual. What an amazingly Read More …
It looks like being a good year for fungi especially down south. Within the local area most of the Mersey valley around Manchester has been used for gravel extraction, sewage farms and refuse tips. Whilst the tree and grass cover give a good impression of Read More …
Restricted to the Dorset Heathlands, parts of Surrey and closer to the home the sand-dunes of Formby, the Sand Lizard is the rarest of the UK’s native lizards. Fortunately they’re relatively common at the RSPB’s nature reserve at Arne. Apparently the resident Kestrels successfully raise Read More …
Originally introduced to Brownsea Island in the centre of Poole Harbour during the1860’s for some unknown reason it didn’t occur to anybody that most types of Deer are actually quite good at swimming. Sika are no different and faced with a choice just a few Read More …