Identify British butterflies
Spotted a butterfly but not sure what it is? Here are some common British butterflies you might see in your garden, and how to identify them.
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Chwilio
Wall brown
The wall brown or 'wall' gets its name from the fact it rests on any bare surface or wall! It can be found in open, sunny places like sand dunes, old quarries, grasslands and railway…
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.
Identify bird song
Identify bird song. From garden birds to songbirds that you might hear in the countryside. Listen to our audio clips of the most common british birds.
Violet click beetle
The violet click beetle is a very rare beetle that lives in decaying wood, particularly common beech and ash. It gets its name from its habit of springing upwards with an audible click if it falls…
My contribution
Penny loves spending time in her garden, creating a beautiful space that both wildlife and people can enjoy.
Ponds
Whether found in a garden or part of an agricultural landscape, ponds are oases of wildlife worth investigating. Even small ponds can support a wealth of species and collectively, ponds play a key…
Yellow corydalis
Yellow corydalis is a familiar 'weed' of gardens, walls and rocky places. It is a garden escapee in the UK, so is not a native plant. Try choosing natives for your garden to prevent…
How to identify bumblebees
In Britain we have around 270 species of bee. These include solitary bees, bumblebees and honeybees. You can identify some of the common bumblebees you see buzzing around parks and gardens using our guide.
My happy place
When the stresses of life get too much, I take a walk through Attenborough Nature Reserve - a form of free therapy. The fresh air, the bird calls, the beauty of nature surrounding me, is calming.…
Types of development and planning applications
Planning permission is generally needed for any development. This means building, engineering, mining or other activity that makes changes to the use of land, or changes to existing buildings. There are exceptions that do not count as development, such as maintenance, changes to the interior of a building, agriculture, forestry and changes to gardens.
7-spot ladybird
One of our most common ladybirds, the black-on-red markings of the 7-spot ladybird are very familiar. Ladybirds are a gardeners best friend as they eat insects that love to nibble on garden plants…