The Woodlands.co.uk Blog - Wildlife
The Rosemary Beetle
In recent years, there has been a new entrant to the RHS list of top ten garden pests. Its ‘top ten’ list is based on the number of inquiries that it receives to its advisory service. The newcomer is the rosemary beetle, Chrysolina americana.
Midges, Mosquitoes and Marmite - coping with insects in woodlands
There are lots of ways to cope with the irritation of being bitten by insects in woodlands and here are some ideas from various experienced woodland workers.
How did the grey squirrel arrive in the UK?
Here is an answer to all those questions on the Red squirrel, grey squirrel blog asking about the introduction of grey squirrels!
Red squirrel, grey squirrel, black squirrel …
Once upon a time, we only had to worry about the impact of the imported grey squirrel on our native red squirrel (see blog http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/conservation/red-squirrel-grey-squirrel/ ). However, it now seems there is another player on the scene: the black squirrel. Read more…
The Dawn Chorus
When did you last listen to the ‘dawn chorus’? April and May are the best months for hearing it, but if getting up early is a bit too much to ask, then you could pay a visit to the Breathing Places site at the BBC, where you can select a location and listen to a recording of the ‘dawn chorus’. Alternatively, you can download their excellent guide to the dawn chorus and bird song. Read more…
Dragonflies and Damselflies
Now the weather is warmer, dragonflies and damselflies are quite common around ponds and areas of water. Their beautiful iridescence and double wings are quite distinctive, but what is the difference between a dragonfly and a damselfly?
Butterflies and Woodlands
Butterfly Conservation has just launched a £900,000 conservation scheme to encourage better woodland management for butterflies in the South-East.
BirdTrack – Recording Bird Migration and Population Patterns
Watching the swifts swooping around in this week’s blue skies reminded me of the BirdTrack (originally Migration Watch) online recording scheme. BirdTrack, run in conjunction by the British Trust for Ornithology, the RSPB and BirdWatch Ireland, tracks migration patterns and distribution of species in Britain and Ireland. Read more…