As we come towards the end of another year it’s time to look back over some of the more memorable wildlife that I have been fortunate enough to encounter over the last twelve months.
As the weather changes, so the subject of interest for many naturalists switches to fungi which tend to be more abundant over the next few months
Although I have been observing and recording the wildlife of Leicestershire for many years, I still regularly come across species that I’ve never seen before.
It is always a delight to see our native wild mammals, but they are not always welcome in our gardens. Muntjac, rabbits and mice can often make inroads into our vegetables, whereas rats and moles are not everyone’s cup of tea.
Summer is associated in many people’s minds with butterflies, those beautiful insects that flutter lazily around the garden and the surrounding countryside. Some of the smaller butterflies, such as the skippers, are easily overlooked
One of our readers, Rose Barlow from Huncote, sent in the above picture of Mute Swans on the pond at Croft Hill Nature Trail. Rose has just recovered following a nasty fall whilst out walking which resulted in a broken leg. She was thrilled not only to be able to walk to the pond, but also to see that the swans had returned.
Ash trees are amongst the commonest of our woodland trees, but this may not be the case for much longer. Ash dieback is a fungal disease
The warmer weather is starting to bring out the bees – not so much the common honey bees kept in the beekeeper’s hives, but our native bees. You might have seen the large queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee
Following on from letters and photographs that were sent in for publication earlier this year, we have received more communications about albino Grey Squirrels in our area. Paul Baxter wrote in with the picture above of a white squirrel that has been entertaining them in their garden at the ambulance headquarters of the Pastures since last September.
The year has got off to a relatively warm start so there are plenty of birds around at the minute, both around our garden feeders and in the countryside generally. Those who are easily able to get out to local waterways can find waterbirds