Common backswimmer
The fearsome common backswimmer hunts insects, tadpoles and fish. It uses its oar-like legs to swim upside-down under the water's surface where unsuspecting prey can be found.
Water vole by Terry Whittaker/2020VISION
The fearsome common backswimmer hunts insects, tadpoles and fish. It uses its oar-like legs to swim upside-down under the water's surface where unsuspecting prey can be found.
A diminutive but aggressive predator, the three-spined stickleback hunts tadpoles and small fish. It is also known for fiercely protecting its nest of eggs until they hatch. Look for it in ponds,…
As the name suggests, this beautiful brown butterfly is most common in Scotland, though it can also be seen in northern England.
The gudgeon is a bottom-dwelling fish, similar to the stone loach, but with only two whisker-like barbels near its mouth. These sensory organs help it to find its prey in the sand and gravel of…
With natural nesting sites in decline, adding a nestbox to your garden can make all the difference to your local birds.
Mae tylluanod brech yn dylluanod brown cyfarwydd yng nghoetiroedd, parciau a gerddi Prydain. Maent yn cael eu hadnabod am eu cân ‘tŵ-wit tŵ-hŵ’ sydd i’w chlywed yn ystod y nos.
This stocky, brown mammal spends its life burrowing underground with its spade-like paws, hunting for earthworms to eat.
A fierce pirate of the sea, the Arctic skua is renowned for stealing fish from other seabirds and dive-bombing anyone that comes near its nests. It breeds in the far north of Scotland and on the…
During the breeding season, the common tern can be seen around our coasts and also inland at gravel pits, reservoirs and lakes. It nests in noisy colonies and can be spotted plunge-diving for fish…
Shag' is a very old name that means 'tufted' and refers to the small crest that this bird sports. Look out for it in spring and summer either diving for fish from the surface of the…