Small Mottled Willow – Moth of the Moment

Opening this morning’s moth trap, there were a fair few moths, 80 or so of some 33 species. Of which 29 of those were Heart & Dart. It had been wet night, but 15 C minimum, so not cold. There were very few clipped wings lying around the trap, thankfully, but one I did find … Continue reading "Small Mottled Willow – Moth of the Moment"

Posted on: 8 June 2026 | 5:24 am

Here be dragons – The Scarce Chaser

The Scarce Chaser, Libellula fulva, is a medium-sized dragonfly (about 40 to 50 mm long). The adults begin to emerge in late May. Both sexes feature dark wing bases and often distinct black wing tips. The males, however, have vibrant blue eyes and a powder-blue body that ends with a black tip on the tail. Whereas … Continue reading "Here be dragons – The Scarce Chaser"

Posted on: 7 June 2026 | 10:47 am

Back in Dorset May 2026

13 May – Drive to Poole 14 May – Upton Country Park 15 May – Brownsea Island – no Red Squirrels 16 May -Cold Spring Safari with Birds of Poole Harbour and then to Corfe Castle 17 May – RSPB Arne – Firecrest heard, Osprey, Dartford Warbler, Nemophora degeerella/Degeer’s Longhorn/Yellow-banded Longhorn near fence on footpath … Continue reading "Back in Dorset May 2026"

Posted on: 3 June 2026 | 10:57 am

The trouble with asbestos

Asbestos, a group of silicate minerals, is well known as a fire-resistant building material that saved millions of lives (protecting buildings and allowing us to slow our vehicles quickly!). But its reputation is completely tarnished by the fact that this fibrous mineral gets into the lung and causes several lethal diseases. I interviewed a specialist … Continue reading "The trouble with asbestos"

Posted on: 1 June 2026 | 5:49 am

Brand new moth for Cambridgeshire: Eastern Bordered Straw – Moth of the Moment

I had a rather rare moth in the moth trap last night. An Eastern Bordered Straw, Heliothis nubigera. This species is known only as a rare immigrant species that first turned up in the UK in 1958, according to the UK Moths site. Just three were recorded that May and lepidopterists noted that they were … Continue reading "Brand new moth for Cambridgeshire: Eastern Bordered Straw – Moth of the Moment"

Posted on: 29 May 2026 | 4:40 am

Titchwell and Snettisham with Al

Made the second annual trip with my birding friend Al to RSPB Titchwell and Snettisham. It was cooler than previous days this week, windy, andquite cloudy in the morning. We saw some, but not all, of the usual suspects, but there were a couple of distant Spoonbill, which redeemed things a little and after lunch … Continue reading "Titchwell and Snettisham with Al"

Posted on: 28 May 2026 | 9:42 am

Butterflies of 2026

Original post – 24 Feb 2026, updating date to keep it in my blog menu recents list Peacock – 23rd Feb Brimstone – 24th Feb Small Tortoiseshell – 25th Feb Holly Blue – 10th March Comma – 19th March Small White – 30th March Green-veined White – 5th April Orange Tip – 8th April Speckled … Continue reading "Butterflies of 2026"

Posted on: 27 May 2026 | 3:12 pm

Wilding an English country garden

I’ve mentioned previously how I am creating “wild” patches in our front and back gardens to augment the presence of our wildlife pond. At the moment, the front is under the regime of NoMowSummer, not just NoMowMay (which helps nothing). Leaving it to go wild for the full summer means that all the invertebrates that … Continue reading "Wilding an English country garden"

Posted on: 24 May 2026 | 5:10 am

Wild Fen Edge

Welcome to the Wild Fen Edge! You can join the Wild Fen Edge WhatsApp group here. I’ve rebooted my old wildlife project as a WhatsApp group it’s still called Wild Fen Edge and it’s the place to share your sightings of wildlife, ask questions, get IDs and more if you’re in the local area we known … Continue reading "Wild Fen Edge"

Posted on: 9 May 2026 | 6:35 am

Wall butterfly – Lasiommata megera

UPDATE: 7th May 2026 – No sign of any Wall on the patch reported to me a couple of days ago. So many species are on the decline because of urbanisation, intensive agriculture, and, of course, climate change. Yet some are taking advantage of the new conditions. A butterfly is redrawing the map of Britain … Continue reading "Wall butterfly – Lasiommata megera"

Posted on: 7 May 2026 | 3:59 am