Welcome to the latest account of Garden Wildlife Watching. I distinctly remember a conversation I had with my son many years ago when he was quite young, but old enough to engage in some philosophical musing. The family was idling at a café in some light dappled Mediterranean sea front village taking in much needed…
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Lockdown Wildlife Watching
Early Emerging Butterflies Identification
Welcome to my early emerging butterflies identification guide. By ‘early’ I mean those species that emerge during March/April, although some can be encountered in warm, sunny spells even earlier. Of our nearly 60 species of butterfly, only 6 overwinter as adults emerging with the first warmth of spring sunshine to delight us with their colour…
Common Large Raptor Identification
Large birds of prey seen soaring overhead or glimpsed fleetingly from a passing car can cause a great deal of confusion as to identity. Let’s have a look at three species that can be encountered hereabouts of similar size and basic shape and that often occupy adjacent habitats: marsh harrier, common buzzard and red kite….
Frogs and Toads
Nature, including many of the everyday creatures that surround us, is entwined in our heritage, folklore and culture. In the case of frogs and toads it’s likely that most children will come across these through the pages and illustrations of story books long before they encounter the real thing.Think of the humble frog and what…
Wingsearch2020 – Genesis
Introduction Perhaps you are wondering what on earth this project is all about? And maybe you’re similarly intrigued by the title of this post, Wingsearch2020 – Genesis. Settle down for a few minutes and let me explain. Sadly, wildlife in Norfolk, the wider UK and across the world is under extreme threat, suffering dramatic declines…
Norfolk Cranes
Whether Common Cranes were ever actually common in East Anglia is open to debate. Circumstantial historic evidence indicates they may well have been a widespread and abundant breeder in our marshes and fens in centuries past, or used the region as a wintering ground, but there is little concrete proof in support of this. The…