Bird’s Foot Trefoil

Bird’s foot trefoil, Lotus corniculatus, (corniculatus coming from the Latin for ‘with small horns’), is a common flowering plant throughout the British isles that has accumulated quite a collection of common names; ‘crow’s toes’, lady’s slippers’, ‘hen and chickens’ and ‘bacon and eggs’ being just a few that are still in regular use, most of

The Green Hairstreak

As some of you might know I’m on Twitter quite a lot, mainly following other people who post about nature and history here in the north of England. Today I saw the following video of a kaleidoscope of Green Hairstreak butterflies filmed by Dinesh Patel (@lancsgp) and was inspired to write about this beautiful species,

The Comma

The Comma, Polygonia c-album, named after the comma shaped mark on its white underwings, is a very striking butterfly in appearance and can be found in large numbers at the right time of year on its favourite plants. They are orange and black with ragged looking wings which break up their outline and make them

The Dandelion, and why you should leave it be!

The Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, is found all over the British isles and one of our most widespread and successful wildflowers. The first part of its scientific name, Taraxos, derives from the Ancient Greek word for ‘chaos’, and akos meaning ‘remedy’, and it is does indeed grow chaotically almost everywhere and, as will be covered later

The Meadow Pipit

The Meadow Pipit, Anthus pratensis, is a small, flighty songbird which birdwatchers often put in the class of LBJ’s or ‘Little Brown Jobbies’, as they are sometimes hard to distinguish from other songbirds that can be found in the British isles. Their scientific name comes from the Greek word anthus, meaning ‘bloom’ or ‘flower’ and

Catching moths in winter

As winter is slowly waning, the days getting longer and the nights milder, it becomes a bit more pleasant to leave the house and see what wildlife might be around in the neighbourhood, also tentatively poking its head out from hibernation and eager to get out and about. One way of doing this is moth

Cotton Grass

Cotton Grass Eriophorum angustifolium, is a perennial (meaning re-occuring year after year) plant native to the blanket bogs of the British isles and found all over the northern fells. It often covers large expanses of moorland turning them white with its characteristically cotton-like seed heads, which can be an amazing sight in the height of

Hazel

The Hazel, Corylus avellana, has smooth, silvery bark, brilliant green, downy leaves, and early in the year forms bright yellow Catkins which dangle and sway in the wind giving a welcome hint of spring yellow to the otherwise barren hedges and trees of winter. Quick out of the blocks It is particularly quick out of

The December Moth

The December Moth, Poecilocampa populi, (Poecilo is Ancient Greek for ‘varied’ or ‘spotted’, campa meaning ‘field’ and populi meaning ‘common’) is a very aptly named moth, being one of the few, if not the only moth flying in the cold depths of winter. Active when others are asleep It is a medium sized moth, with

The Dog Rose

The Dog Rose, Rosa canina, is a deciduous shrub native to the British isles, it is found in a wide variety of habitats but prefers hedgerows and scrubby patches of woodland, where it grows in a sprawling manner, its stems arching over each other and getting entangled with other briars and shrubs. It usually reaches