Whirligig beetle
Ever wondered what that little black dot whirling in circles on the top of the water of a pond is? Those are whirligig beetles! Often seen shooting across the water surface on the hunt for its…
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Water vole by Terry Whittaker/2020VISION
Chwilio
Great grey shrike
This large shrike visits the UK in small numbers each year, passing through on migration or spending the winter here.
Stinkhorn fungus
The stinkhorn has an unmistakeable and intense stench that has been likened to rotting meat. Its appearance is also very distinctive: a phallic, white, stem-like structure, with a brown, bell-…
Chitons
Found on rocky shores around the UK, Chitons are a kind of mollusc identifiable by their characteristic coat-of-mail shells.
Red-tailed mason bee
Also known as the two-coloured mason bee, this beautiful bee is famous for nesting in old snail shells.
Downlooker snipefly
The Downlooker snipefly gets its name from its habit of sitting on posts or sunny trees with its head facing down to the ground, waiting for passing prey. It prefers grassland, scrub and woodland…
My favourite show
Ben keeps a diary of all the wildlife that he spots. He challenges himself to see new species: if he finds something that he doesn’t recognise, he takes a photograph so that he can look it up.
Razor shell
Their long narrow shells are a common sight on our shores, especially after storms, but the animals themselves live buried in the sand.
My roots
Hassan & Asma moved from the Sudan in 1969 as newlyweds, so that Hassan could take up a job at Kings College Hospital. Hassan remembers farming with his father, watering the broad beans, wheat…
Recycling - what difference does it make?
Whether you drop a can of pop into a waste or recycling bin, it’s easy to think that this small act has no real consequence. After all, once it’s in, you rarely have to think about it again. And in a way, this is great, because it makes recycling easy and hassle-free, but on the other hand, it is also makes it a practice that is very easy to neglect. But if you did chose to recycle an aluminium can, what difference would it make?
Spiny spider crab
The spiny spider crab lives up to its name in every way! Their distinctive spiny shells are often found washed up on beaches.
My retirement
Malcolm loves volunteering every week at Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve where he indulges in his passion for wildlife, keeps active and meets with friends.