Great spotted woodpecker, Dendrocopos major. Blackbird-sized and striking black-and-white. It has a very distinctive bouncing flight and spends most of its time clinging to tree trunks and branches, often trying to hide on the side away from the observer. Its presence is often announced by its loud call or by its distinctive spring ‘drumming’ display. The male has a distinctive red […]
Goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis. A highly coloured finch with a bright red face and yellow wing patch. Sociable, often breeding in loose colonies, they have a delightful liquid twittering song and call. Their long fine beaks allow them to extract otherwise inaccessible seeds from thistles and teasels. Increasingly they are visiting birdtables and feeders. In winter many UK goldfinches migrate as far […]
Goldcrest, Regulus regulus. With the firecrest, the goldcrest is the UK’s smallest bird. They’re dull greyish-green with a pale belly and a black and yellow stripe on their heads, which has an orange centre in males. Their thin beak is ideally suited for picking insects out from between pine needles.Seen any time of year, they eat tiny morsels like spiders, moth […]
Dunnock, Prunella modularis. A small brown and grey bird often confused with the sparrow. Quiet and unobtrusive, it is often seen on its own, creeping along the edge of a flower bed or near to a bush, moving with a rather nervous, shuffling gait, often flicking its wings as it goes. When two rival males come together they become animated […]
White-letter Hairstreak, Satyrium w-album. Flying high in the treetops, it gets its name from the “W” formed from a series of white lines on the underside of the hindwings. Best seen in early morning or late afternoon, when they come down to nectar on various flowers, Thistle, Bramble and Privet being favourites. They never settle with their wings open.
Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria. This species is unique among the butterflies of the British Isles in that it can overwinter in 2 stages, as both a larva and pupa. As a result, there is a mixed emergence with adult butterflies on the wing from April through to September, with a few adults being seen as early as March or as late as […]
Small Tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae. Unfortunately, this most-familiar of butterflies has suffered a worrying decline, especially in the south, over the last few years. One theory is the increasing presence of a particular parasitic fly, Sturmia bella, due to global warming. It is believed that the lifecycle of the Small Tortoiseshell is better-synchronised with that of the fly and it is therefore more […]
Small Skipper, Thymelicus sylvestris. Small Skippers are insects of high summer. Although they spend much of their time basking or resting among vegetation, they are marvellous flyers, manoeuvring expertly through tall grass stems. The favoured food plant is Yorkshire Fog/ They are strongly attracted to purple flowers such as Thistles and Knapweeds.
Small Copper, Lycaena phlaeas. There are typically 2 or 3 generations each year between late April and October, depending on the weather, with 4 generations in extremely good years. Males are territorial, often choosing a piece of bare ground or a stone on which to bask and await passing females. They behave aggressively towards any passing insects and even shadows of passing […]
Ringlet, Aphantopus hyperantus. This is a relatively common species but isn’t seen so frequently on the Parkland Walk these days. It prefers damp woodland edges and clearings rather than exposed sunny meadows.
