Golden plover
From spring, look out for the beautiful, speckled gold-and-black breeding plumage of the golden plover. It can be found in its upland moorland breeding grounds from May to September, moving to…
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Chwilio
Red ant
Turn over large stones or paving slabs in the garden and you are likely to find a red ant colony. This medium-sized ant can deliver a painful sting, so be careful! In summer, winged adults swarm…
Wood sage
Despite having the familiar sage-green leaves, Wood sage has very little scent, so is not a good cooking herb. It can be found on acidic soils on sand dunes, heaths and cliffs, and along woodland…
Where have all the birds gone?
Early summer is one of the peak times to see birds in our gardens. Feeders are full of families taking advantage of easy food - there are six blue tits on one feeder as I write this. And there is…
My wild time
Building dens, climbing trees, mountain biking or looking for fairies, Jane and her family can spend hours getting close to nature in the woods near their home.
How to make a woodland edge garden for wildlife
Few of us can contemplate having a wood in our back gardens, but just a few metres is enough to establish this mini-habitat!
Butterflies in winter
George is a Senior Ecologist at Butterfly Conservation, and also loves to get out recording butterflies, moths and other wildlife in his spare time. Here, he tells us more about some recent and…
Know your Patch
Lockdown has meant your local area has become your world. Here Twheatear, gives a great guide on how to really appreciate and benefit from all things wild and wonderful, in your local area. So,…
Netted dog whelk
A small, but feisty scavenger, this carnivorous sea snail does not let anything go to waste!
Spotted cowrie
This small sea snail is easily identifiable by the 3 brown spots on the top of its shell.
New Grove Meadows
The diversity and colour of the wildflowers in these traditional hay meadows steals the show in spring and summer before giving centre stage to the autumnal hues of fungi.
Local Wildlife Site Gems
Viv Geen has joined our team as an Ecological Surveyor. Viv’s role involves re-surveying all the SINCs (Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation), adopted by local authorities in Gwent, with a…