A blog and photo journal about the natural history of north-west England and beyond
A couple of horses at the entrance to Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Kilwood Coppice. Normally found grazing in an adjacent field somebody had left the gate open and the horses decided the grass is greener on the other side. With areas of coppiced woodland, heathland, bogs Read More …
Meadow Grasshoppers at Higher Hyde Heath. Can’t recall seeing a bright pink grasshopper before. Apparently the vivid pink is due to a genetic mutation known as erythrism. Perhaps unsurprisingly few pink grasshoppers survive to become adults. Female Sand Lizard Basking on one of the discarded Read More …
A sunny day with a cool breeze still blowing we woke up early and enjoyed a relaxing walk around Studland Beach before heading inland to look for Sand Lizards. The warm, shallow waters of Studland Bay appear to support several non-native species with Solier’s Red Read More …
A male Silver Studded Blue at Morden Bog, Dorset one of several seen around the heathland. Normally hyperactive and difficult to approach on this occasion a large cloud drifted across the sun resulting in this one taking a rest. Great to see the carnivorous Read More …
Raft Spider Superb spiders and the RSPB have even installed a bench next to one of the pools on Coombe Heath so you can sit back and watch them. The Raft Spider uses the surface tension of the water as a massive web and Read More …