Carline thistle
The Carline thistle produces distinctive brown-and-golden flower heads that look like a seeded thistle. These flowers are attractive to a wide range of butterflies, including the very rare Large…
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Chwilio
Common knapweed
The tightly packed, thistle-like purple flower heads of common knapweed bloom on all kinds of grasslands. Also regularly called black knapweed, this plant attracts clouds of butterflies.
How to identify
How to identify bird and butterflies in your gardens, tell the difference between native and Spanish bluebells, know your birds of prey, and identify droppings and tracks.
Grayling
The grayling is one of our largest brown butterflies and a master of disguise - its cryptic colouring helps to camouflage it against bare earth and stones in its coastal habitats and on inland…
Orange-tip
It’s easy to see where these butterflies get their name – the males have bright orange tips on their wings! See them from early spring through to summer in meadows, woodland and hedges.
Identify caterpillars
With dozens of butterflies and thousands of moths in the UK, there's a huge variety of caterpillars to be found. This caterpillar identification page will help you identify some of the most commonly seen caterpillars.
Ivy
Ivy is one of our most familiar plants, seen climbing up trees, walls, and along the ground, almost anywhere. It is a great provider of food and shelter for all kinds of animals, from butterflies…
Cinnabar
These pretty black and red moths are often confused for butterflies! Their black and yellow caterpillars are a common sight on ragwort plants. The caterpillar’s bright colours warn predators not…
Nursehound
The nursehound is a nocturnal predator, hunting smaller fish close to the seafloor.
Protect the Montgomery Canal
A thriving ecosystem packed with rare plants and scarce species; a year-round refuge for otters to feed and play; and, in summer, a bustling insect highway, alive with bees, butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies, the Montgomery Canal is one of the best canals for nature in the UK; But The Monty is under threat.
Black snail beetle
This shiny beetle is common in wooded areas throughout the UK. As the name suggests, it specialises in hunting snails.
Stone curlew
Stone curlews are unusual waders with large yellow eyes - perfect for hunting beetles at night.