Wildlife to See This Month – February
Wildlife & Nature to See in February : Crocus
Wildlife to See in February : Crocus This month I have been lucky enough to speak to several experts about one of Britain’s earliest spring flowers, the crocus. Despite being part of the backdrop for spring woodlands, none of the crocus species in the UK are actually...
Wildlife & Nature to See in February : Swans
Wildlife to See in February : Swans To most people in Britain, the mute swan (Cygnus olor) is the first species to spring to mind. This is our native, year-round inhabitant, with its distinctive black-knobbed orange bill (and occasionally grumpy attitude!) The mute...
Welcome to GB Wildlife
Dedicated to helping you enjoy the fabulous wildlife of the British Isles!
There are month by month guides to some of the wildlife highlights that you can enjoy and a wildlife articles section to help you learn more about our wildlife and perhaps have a go at photographing it too. The review section contains reviews of products that we love and that will help you, and the kids, spend more time outdoors and exploring, learning or supporting our wildlife.
We are always looking for interesting and informative articles and stories. If you are interested in contributing please get in touch to discuss. We are particularly keen on increasing our Wildlife Articles and adding a lot more ‘How-to’ style articles.
Latest
Wildlife Spotting Goals for 2021 – Part One
Wildlife Spotting Goals for 2021 - Part One: Land Wildlife Adder This was the top of my list for last year but it didn't happen. There are plenty of adders around my local area so there's no excuses! The adder is the only venomous snake in the UK and although it is...
Photograph Brown Hares
The Brown Hare – I’ve spent quite some considerable time watching and photographing these wonderful creatures…
Best Binoculars for Children
No explorer should be without a pair!
Wildlife Blogs – Spring Fox Cubs
Personally, no matter how many times I have caught a glimpse of a fox, I am always enthralled by their presence. Be it watching adult foxes in my garden or cubs…
Best Mid-Price Range Binoculars
If you are ready to move on from budget or pocket binoculars, or like me you have a small cheap pair that you can carry with you all the time but also like a nicer, more expensive pair for holidays and trips to nature reserves then you will probably be considering...
RHS Companion to Wildlife Gardening
A beautifully illustrated and comprehensive book giving a very broad coverage of wildlife in and around our gardens.
Hidden Histories: A Spotter’s Guide to the British Landscape
This fascinating book helps interpret what we see whilst out and about in the countryside. Explaining everything from strangely shaped hills to stone circles, stone crosses & Roman roads.
Best Raincoats for Girls
Pretty and practical raincoats for girls
Which Type of Garden Bird Food to Use
Here we look at the different options for feeding the birds in your garden throughout the year.
Best Raincoats for Boys
Colourful and practical raincoats for boys.
Best Budget Binoculars
Why Budget Binoculars are a Must! Budget binoculars are a great purchase not only as a ‘starter’ pair for those new to wildlife watching but also as a general, always–have–them–on–you pair. Budget binoculars tend to be smaller and lighter than more expensive ones that...
Photograph Brown Hares
The Brown Hare – I’ve spent quite some considerable time watching and photographing these wonderful creatures…
Help Save Endangered Dormice
The best time to conduct the survey is over the autumn and winter when discarded nut shells…
Make a mini-wildflower meadow
As ever with gardening, planning is essential. Think ahead and especially decide on the type of meadow…
Create a cosy home for bugs
Snug as a Bug is a national campaign run by Buglife to get hundreds of people creating cosy homes for bugs!
Help Honey Bees Survive
Honey bees across the world are threatened by virulent viruses transferred by the varroa mite.
Better Photos of Garden Birds – Part Two
A few more things to cover before getting started with getting great photos of your garden visitors.
Better Photos of Garden Birds – Part One
Getting good quality photos of garden birds isn’t as easy as you might expect, here’s some tips to get you started…
Build a cheap garden pond for under £20
Often quoted as the single biggest thing you can do for local wildlife and it doesn’t need to be expensive here’s how
See more of your garden moths
There are over 2000 species of moths in Britain, many quite spectacular but we seldom see any, here’s how to get started.
Wildlife Gardening in August
Christmas Present Ideas for Wildlife Enthusiast – So what will Father Christmas be bring your friends this Xmas? I know what I want! Bees. I had a brief, and painful…
Wildlife Gardening in July
Spring begins to merge into Summer – As the freshness and lime green of the UK spring merges into July so the sound of wildlife changes. Here the dawn chorus is …
Wildlife Gardening in June
Orchids and Photovoltaic Systems – The cold winter and spring has indeed influenced the wildlife. Plants were still flowering later than I might have predicted for…
Wildlife Gardening in May
Wild Orchids – When the calendar shows ‘May’ wildlife enthusiasts think ‘orchids’. Certainly some will flower before this date but now is the main time to start searching.
Wildlife Gardening in April
Yucky UK Wildlife – The recent flash floods in northern Kenya, that have caused chaos in the Samburu National Park remind me of one of the possible positive …
Wildlife Gardening in March
The Importance of Wildlife Gardens – Wildlife in the UK must have been so different before human numbers started to build up in the Bronze Age.
Wildlife Gardening in February
An Insight into the less-fashionable plants – I’m as bad as the next person: I just do not see the less-fashionable plants. Be honest when was the last time you…
Wildlife Gardening in January
You know how it happens. Something, perhaps quite trite, just ‘gets to you’. It nags away at the very seat of one’s soul and whenever one’s guard drops…
Wildlife Gardening in December
Well another series of Autumn Watch has been and gone – and what a delight it has been yet again. We are so fortunate in that the BBC has such an effective …
Wildlife Gardening in October
Controlling the Growth of Grasses – Yellow rattle, Rhinanthus minor, is a meadow plant that everyone should know. Not that it is overly showy…
Wildlife Gardening in September
Life and Death in the Countryside. I’m sure you’ll all have similar stories to these but they reflect all our interest, and concern, in wildlife and green issues in general…
Wildlife Gardening in August
A flash of orangey-bronzy-brown was all that was needed to awake me from my quiet contemplation, and for my semi-comatose brain to register that high summer was indeed here.
Wildlife Spotting Goals for 2021 – Part One
Wildlife Spotting Goals for 2021 - Part One: Land Wildlife Adder This was the top of my list for last year but it didn't happen. There are plenty of adders around my local area so there's no excuses! The adder is the only venomous snake in the UK and although it is...
Wildlife Blogs – Spring Fox Cubs
Personally, no matter how many times I have caught a glimpse of a fox, I am always enthralled by their presence. Be it watching adult foxes in my garden or cubs…
Wildlife Blogs – Restoring the Caledonian Forest
It has been 20 years Since Trees For Life set about to realise the dream of restoring 600 sq miles of the Caledonian Forest in the Scottish Highlands.
Wildlife Blogs – Argaty Farm Red Kites
Few birds rival the red kite for beauty and natural grace. Famed for its rusty-red forked tail, long elegant six foot wingspan and agile flight, the kite is wonderfully…
Wildlife Blogs – Great Vision of the Great Fen
Beside the East Coast Main Line, between Huntingdon and Peterborough, lies an environmental project with tremendous restorative qualities and great vision.
Wildlife Blogs – Basking Shark Survey
This report into basking sharks around the coast of Britain is courtesy of the Wildlife Trusts and illustrates the excellent research work they do in conjunction with many other wildlife…
Eco-Living – I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas
The season of festive frolics is almost upon us so I though I’d take this opportunity to write about how to have a gorgeous green Christmas. Going green at this time of year doesn’t mean going without presents or depriving your family of luxurious food.
Eco-Living – Green Kitchen
The kitchen is at the heart of family life, where all the meals are prepared and where everyone gathers at the beginning and end of the day. This room is also where the majority of the household’s waste is created and a large amount…
Eco-Living – Eco Friendly Camping
Nearly 6% of Britons holidaying in the UK in 2005 stayed in a tent and 18% of families have been camping in the last three years according to a recent report. I love camping and have a few tips for having fun and reducing your carbon footprint.