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A Much Loved Species- European Hedgehog

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Latin name: Erinaceus europaeus Image courtesy of Ches Moonie. Widely distributed throughout Western and central Europe and found nearly everywhere in the UK, the European hedgehog is a much-loved mammal with its characteristic prickly defensive spines playing an important role n its popularity and familiarity.  Hedgehogs are found across a rather broad range of habitats. This encompasses woodland, grassland, farmland and even urban settlements. They prefer to be present on low lying hills, although they have been recorded venturing and settling in mountainous terrain. The species are sparse in areas of moorland, marshland and coniferous forests. They are however, a common visitor to gardens, reinforcing their warm  reputation on a national scale. The typical European hedgehog is brown in colour, with its soft underbelly protected with up to 6000 brown and white spines attached to its back. Body length varies between approximately 15-30 centimetres, whilst adults can potent
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From Dusk Until Dawn- Pipistrelle Bat

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Latin name: Pipistrellus pipistrellus Image of a pipistrelle bat courtesy of Milos Andera The common pipistrelle is small bat with a huge distribution. Its range extends from the British Isles and Western Europe all the way to the far-east as far as the Korean Peninsula, whilst the airborne mammal also has strongholds in North Africa. It is the most common and widespread species of bat to be found in the British Isles. Common pipistrelle can be observed in a variety of different habitats mainly comprising of areas of woodland, hedgerows, farmland and urban areas. In summer, the bats tend to roost in small crevices and therefore the roof tiles, roofing and wall cavities of houses is ideal for such a purpose. In a more rural environment, the species prefers to roost in tree holes or bat boxes provided for them. A small species of bat, the common pipistrelle measures approximately 35-45mm from in head and body length. Its wingspan however, is much greater measuring ab
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Silver Lining- Silver Birch

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Latin name: Betula pendula  Image by Tim Graham Native to Europe, Asia and introduced to North America, silver birch is a moderately sized. deciduous tree with distinctive white, shedding bark. Birch is a popular garden tree, although it tends to thrive in dry woodland, downs and heaths. Reaching up to 30 metres in height when mature, birch forms a light canopy with its slim, white braches, which are often covered in small and dark warts. Birch possesses small, green leaves, which are shaped triangularly with a pointed edge. These slowly fade to a pale yellow colour in the autumn months before dropping from the tree all together. Silver birch germinates and reproduces through the method of wind dispersion, which commences when the catkins release their pollen to the environment. These seeds are often dispersed in autumn. After successful pollination is achieved the female catkin turns to a dark crimson colour, when the catkin was previously of green colouration. The specie
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Hopping Mad- Common Frog

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Latin name: Rana temporaria Image courtesy of Gary Stamp The common frog is a semi-aquatic amphibian found across nearly all of Europe, with its range extending into Asia, as far as Japan. They are found throughout the British Isles, although it is thought that they may have accidentally introduced there. An average adult frog measures approximately 6-9 centimetres long and weighs about 23 grams. The skin usually has an olive green colouration, although it has been observed that frogs can alter their hue to a lighter or darker shade in order to expertly blend in with their surrounding environment. During breeding season, male frogs can often transform their skin to a blueish-grey colouration. A frogs ideal habitat is in a moist, damp environment, such as close to ponds, marshes or lakes where there is long grass available. They often live a solitary life until breeding season approaches. In warmer climates, frogs are often active for the entirety of the year, only hibernati
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Wading Wonder- Grey Heron

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Latin name: Ardea cinerea Image by Peter Ertl A common and unmistakeable sight around British waterways, the grey heron is a predatory wading bird whose range spans from temperate Europe all the way to South Africa and eastern Asia. However, some of these locations are only used as breeding or wintering grounds, whereas Britain is a permanent home for the ever-present heron. Tall in appearance, the grey heron stands at about a metre tall and possesses a wingspan at almost double that size, whilst their body weight ranges from approximately 1-2 kilograms. The plumage consists largely of a grey-white colouration, with a streak of black feathers often found down the flank of the bird, as well as under the wings and over the eye.  The heron has a large, slender bill usually consisting of a pinkish- yellow hue and a long winding neck which it utilises efficiently whilst on the hunt for food and keeps retracted whilst in flight. When hunting, herons consume virtually anything th
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Walking on Water- Pond Skater

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Latin name: Gerris lacustris Photo by David Davis Often seen whizzing around on the water's surface from spring until the end of autumn, there is no doubt that pond skaters are fascinating insects. They possess thin, brownish bodies with small heads, large eyes, and long spindly legs. Such legs allow the skater to propel themselves forward at tremendous speed, whilst the back legs act to steer and direct the insect in the desired direction. Skaters are often found in slow-moving or still bodies of water and are found across the whole of the UK. Skaters are aquatic predators and tend to feed upon invertebrates which are unfortunate enough to fall on to the surface of the water. The prey creates water ripples which are detected by the sensory hairs on its front legs. The skater rapidly closes in on its prey, puncturing it with its proboscis and delivering a dose of digestive enzymes. The digested insides of the prey are then slowly sucked up through the proboscis of the ska
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A Chirpy Character- Blue Tit

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Latin name: Cyanistes caeruleus Image courtesy of Steve Oakes One of Britain's best loved birds and a welcome visitor to gardens up and down the country, the blue tit is a delightful looking bird that is commonly found in woodland, hedgerows and gardens and are found virtually everywhere in the UK. A native and non-migratory bird, the blue tit possesses an eye-catching azure plumage on the head, a yellow breast and a green back. The face is white with a streak of black passing over the eye. They measure, on average, approximately 12cm with a wingspan of up to 18cm and a weight of 11g. Blue tits number around 15 million in the winter months and during breeding season there are approximately 3.6 million UK territories, meaning the species is under little threat in terms of numbers. Blue tits are regular visitors to bird feeders and therefore enjoy feeding upon various seeds and vegetable-based food. However, their favoured food source are insects, caterpillars and spiders
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