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If you want to help corn buntings what do they need? A load of large bodied insects during the breeding season is a good start. What about Tree sparrows? Well a good supply of water borne invertebrates makes for tasty meals for any young tree sparrow. Making room for farmland birds on a farm requires...

Here's a blog written by Tom, one of our warden interns. Leighton Moss is well known throughout the country for all the impressive wildlife that relies on it. Everyone knows about the bitterns, marsh harriers, otters and bearded tits, but not as many people are aware of the work we do elsewhere...

Apologies for the lack of a recent sightings update. It's not that there hasn't been much happening. Far from it. We've actually had a really busy couple of weeks for birds. I'll try to summarise the highlights for you. Skuas have featured heavily for those keen enough to try a bit...

Criffel and the Solway after the Storm, 17th October. 15th October A very warm misty morning with a rosy dawn. Small parties Barnacles could be seen and heard flying west most of the morning. Lots of Gulls out on the channel with a single Whooper on the tideline. Small party of Barnacles...

I had a wonderful morning at Highnam Woods this morning. The mist cleared to expose beautiful blue sky, which is just lovely to see at this time of year. Although the spectrum of colours in the coppiced woodland isn't quite as striking as that at Nagshead , but the sense of space and open air is...

Barnacles are a speciality of the Solway. This group were on the Cardurnock pastures. Oystercatchers battling with the tail-end of Hurricane Katia. A typical Solway farm here on Campfield Marsh Summer Solway and Criffel from Campfield Marsh. Barnacles on the saltings of the R...

Skein of Pinks at sunset 1st October Weather is still warm and sunny. Speckled Woods seen mating today and a flock of about 80 Pinks flew in from the across the saltmarsh and headed off in a south-easterly direction. Speckled Woods mating. Female (the larger one) seems to have laid an egg...

I'm sure many of you will be aware of the sandhill crane that has visited Suffolk this week. The fourth UK record, it's visited three RSPB reserves on the Suffolk coast. It made a brief stop at RSPB North Warren , then took up residence at RSPB Boyton Marshes and nearby farmland, with a visit...

I'm sure all wildlife watchers dream of one day taking that award-winning photo that will make them rich and famous. Obviously, we can't all win, but it's great simply to take a good enough shot to keep the memories alive. Regular readers will be familiar with the photos of Jon Evans,...

Photographed on the Isle Of May in glorious sunshine and blue sky Second attempt at uploading !!!!

I have just read that a rare Silurian Moth has been spotted and recorded in Brecon National Park. It seems that the moth hasn't been seen for 35 years and was thought to extinct. The report can be read here at BBC Mid Wales. http://tinyurl.com/3d3jxx7 Regards Mark

Having seen the Hummingbird Hawk moth on my Budlier for the first time for two years will it return again or does it travel from garden to garden and how long does it live for

Just a couple of shows, the first - Born to be wild 7.30 pm, looking at the study of moths and butterflies, after that at 8pm is a repeat of Twitchers:a very British obsession.

I saw my first Mountain Ringlet butterfly of the year at Ben Lawers on Tuesday 28 June 2011 so they will soon be out in numbers on the Scottish mountains where this butterfly occurs. This butterfly is significantly under-recorded in Scotland so it would be great if members of the RSPB community who...

A couple of easy ways to get moths and butterflies to choose your garden to lay eggs are leaving areas of lawn to grow long , creating habitat for meadow species, and to set aside an area of garden to go wild , the wildflowers that colonise may include nettles and bramble that both attract a number of...

May is a hectic month for wildlife, there is just so much going on. As nature lovers we are spoilt for choice but there are a few things that stand out. Firstly, nightingales! I shouldn't need to say much more but they are back, they are singing and they're great. As a declining species it has...

Hola! In early March a friend and I had a short break in Catalonia, in the north of Spain. We stayed with my friend's daughter and one day she kindly took us to Aigüamolls de L'Empordà at Cortalet, a super reserve with reed beds, lakes and meadows near the coast. It has a visitor...

Butterfly swarm attacks man.

Comma, at van farm

Red Admiral, at van farm

Red Admiral, at van farm

Peacock, at van farm

Ringlet, at van farm.

Ringlet, at van farm

Common Blue? at preston island culross

One of six caterpillars found on our apple tree, last September. Local identification advised that these caterpillar's will burrow into the soil and emerge around about May/June. I have now covered the base of tree in fine mesh in the hope of getting a glimpse of these enormous creatures!

Eight butterflies, all on one clump of daisies! It must be my lucky day...