In June, female bats usually give birth to a single pup, which they feed on their milk. Young bats are very small (less than an inch) with thin, slightly grey fur. Adult bats will catch thousands of insects each in a night. Bats play an important role in many environments around the world. In the […]

The Peacock Butterfly Inachis io Now it may seem a little strange to have a Butterfly as animal for the Month in November but there are a number of species whose adults hibernate over winter as adults in shelters such as sheds and out-houses. Other species whose adults hibernate include the Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta. […]

October is the month of roaring in the hills, those roaring being red deer stags at the rut.  Red deer are the largest deer species in the UK, with only the males- stags – growing antlers. The antlers often prove their worth at this time of year when the stags are battling over a harem […]

White-tailed eagles, sometimes referred to as sea eagles, were exterminated in Scotland in the early part of the 20th century. They are magnificent birds, even bigger than the golden eagle. They are distinctive in that they have a huge yellow powerful bill and – at least in adults – a white tail. In flight they […]

The wren could best be described as a small dumpy bird with an upturned tail and a very loud voice for its size. Its song is a cascade of notes finishing with a loud trill, often sung from a high perch. When annoyed, the wren has a loud scolding tic, tic, tic, sometimes emitted by […]

The grey heron is one of our largest birds, mostly seen at its maximum size when on the ground or in water fishing, with its neck stretched to the full extent. When it is flying, the heron’s wingspan is around two metres and its neck is drawn back towards the body, serpentine-like, though the legs […]

The water vole is the largest of the UK voles and sometimes mistaken for a rat. Though it is indeed Ratty from Wind in the Willows it is not a rat at all and is a herbivore with a rounder nose than a rat, a chubbier, more friendly, face, short furry ears and with a […]

At a quick glance, a lapwing would seem to be a black and white bird. Far from it: this once-common farmland and moorland edge bird is a fantastic mix of black, white, dark green, purple and orange.  To set it apart from most other birds, it has a long upsweeping crest. What is most memorable […]

Red kites were once common in the UK, but unfortunately were gradually persecuted to extermination in all of the UK apart from Wales. Since 1989 there has been a series of reintroductions of birds donated by other countries that started in the Chilterns and concluded with a release in 2007 on the perimeter of the […]