Bee orchid
The bee orchid is a sneaky mimic - the flower’s velvety lip looks like a female bee. Males fly in to try to mate with it and end up pollinating the flower. Sadly, the right bee species doesn’t…
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Chwilio
Fen violet
A pale member of the violet family sometimes known as ‘milk violet’, the fen violet has a delicate and unassuming appearance. A real specialist of the wetland habitat, this species has seen a…
You-Know-Who
One Very Special Bird
Horsehair worm
Horsehair worms are parasitic worms of the clade Nematoida alongside their sister taxa Nematoda, the roundworms. The most famous trait of certain species of horsehair worms is the ability to alter…
Ponds
Whether found in a garden or part of an agricultural landscape, ponds are oases of wildlife worth investigating. Even small ponds can support a wealth of species and collectively, ponds play a key…
My secret garden
Rowan loves the fresh smell and sight of the buttercups in the wildflower meadows at Besthorpe. It's a special place because there are precious few spots like this where she can spend time…
Brownfield
The uncontainable nature of wildlife is perhaps clearest in brownfield sites – previously developed land that is not currently in use. The crumbling concrete of abandoned factories, disused power…
Two Bobs and a Twaite
Welcome Chick No 2! And Monty's Special Catch!
Herald
This unmistakable moth spends the winter as an adult, tucked away in a sheltered spot like a cave or outbuilding.
Grey heron
Spot these tall, prehistoric looking birds standing like a statue on the edge of ponds and lakes, contemplating their next meal.
Hermit crab
If you spot a crawling shell next time you're at the seaside, take a closer look… it might be a hermit crab!
The drinker
This large, fluffy-looking moth is on the wing in July and August, but you might spot a caterpillar at almost any time of year.