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  • Common Snipe - Gallinago gallinago L 25-28cm. Distinctive, even in silhouette: has dumpy body, rather short legs and very long, straight bill. Feeds by probing bill in a sewing machine-like manner. Sexes and ages are similar. Adult and juvenile have mainly buffish brown upperparts, beautifully patterned with black and white lines and bars. Note distinctive stripes on head, streaked and barred breast and flanks, and white underparts. Voice Utters one or two sneeze-like kreech calls when flushed. Performs ‘drumming’ display in breeding season: sound caused by vibrating tail feathers. Status Locally common and invariably associated with boggy ground. In breeding season, favours marshes, meadows and moorland bogs. Winter numbers boosted by migrants and then found on wide range of wetland habitats. Sadly, tens of thousands of birds are shot each year.
    157021.jpg
  • Indian Rhino Rhinoceros unicornis Shoulder height 160-190cm Massive, bulky herbivore with a single horn and greyish, virtually hairless skin. Rare and restricted mainly to Terai grassland in southern foothills of Himalayas (these days, mainly Nepal and India).
    127450.jpg
  • Rose Aphid - Macrosiphum rosae
    156414.jpg
  • Indian Rhino Rhinoceros unicornis Shoulder height 160-190cm Massive, bulky herbivore with a single horn and greyish, virtually hairless skin. Rare and restricted mainly to Terai grassland in southern foothills of Himalayas (these days, mainly Nepal and India).
    139177.jpg
  • Indian Rhino Rhinoceros unicornis Shoulder height 160-190cm Massive, bulky herbivore with a single horn and greyish, virtually hairless skin. Rare and restricted mainly to Terai grassland in southern foothills of Himalayas (these days, mainly Nepal and India).
    139178.jpg
  • Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis - adult breeding plumage
    160517.jpg
  • American Oystercatcher - Haematopus palliatus
    160452.jpg
  • Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus Shoulder height 65-70cm Territorial and mostly solitary deer. Adult has white on muzzle, and black nose and ‘moustache’. Coat is reddish brown in summer, greyish-brown in winter coat. Male (buck) has short, branch-like antlers from spring to early winter; size and complexity increases with age. Note oval, whitish mark on rump. Female (doe) is less stocky than male and lacks antlers; whitish rump marking is like an inverted heart. Fawn is reddish brown with white spots. Utters barking call in alarm. Native to Britain. Widespread in Scotland and locally common in England. Favours wooded farmland.
    155729.jpg
  • Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus Shoulder height 65-70cm Territorial and mostly solitary deer. Adult has white on muzzle, and black nose and ‘moustache’. Coat is reddish brown in summer, greyish-brown in winter coat. Male (buck) has short, branch-like antlers from spring to early winter; size and complexity increases with age. Note oval, whitish mark on rump. Female (doe) is less stocky than male and lacks antlers; whitish rump marking is like an inverted heart. Fawn is reddish brown with white spots. Utters barking call in alarm. Native to Britain. Widespread in Scotland and locally common in England. Favours wooded farmland.
    144391.jpg
  • Canada Goose Branta canadensis L 95-105cm. Large, familiar goose with long neck and upright stance. All birds have blackish bill and dark legs. In flight, wings appear uniformly grey-brown while stern is white. Sexes are similar. Adult has white cheeks on otherwise black head and neck. Body is mainly grey-brown, darkest on back (pale feather margins creating barring) and palest on breast. Stern is white and tail is dark. Juvenile is similar but barring on back is less distinct. Voice Utters loud, disyllabic trumpeting calls in flight. Status Introduced but now our most widespread goose; commonest in lowland England, usually in vicinity of freshwater, often on nearby grassland.
    133035.jpg
  • Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos),Week old Golden Eagle chick in eyrie showing egg-tooth on tip of bill,Argyll, Scotland,early May
    143924.jpg
  • Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus L 43cm. Distinctive wader with striking black and white plumage and loud alarm call. Powerful bill used to hammer molluscs off rocks. Sexes are similar. Adult in summer has black upperparts and white underparts with clear demarcation between the two on breast. Note red bill, pinkish legs and beady red eye. In winter, similar but note white half-collar. Juvenile is similar to summer adult but black elements of plumage are brownish and bill and leg colours are subdued. Voice Utters a loud, piping peep call. Status Breeds commonly on coast and beside inland lakes and rivers in N. Mainly coastal in winter, favouring estuaries and mudflats.
    143997.jpg
  • St Kilda Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes hirtensis
    144043.jpg
  • Least Sandpiper - Calidris minutilla
    160595.jpg
  • Great Egret - Ardea alba
    160561.jpg
  • Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis - adult breeding plumage
    160417.jpg
  • Teal - Anas crecca - male
    160436.jpg
  • Teal - Anas crecca - female
    160437.jpg
  • Common Frog Rana temporaria Length 6-10cm Widespread amphibian. Adult male has smooth, moist skin. Usually olive-yellow or greyish brown with variable dark blotching and spots. Darker red animals occur in uplands. Eye has yellow iris with dark, oval pupil. Dark mask runs from eye to eardrum. Underparts are greyish white with faint darker marbling. Hind feet have five webbed toes. In breeding season, acquires bluish throat and swollen nuptial pads on innermost digit of front feet, used for gripping female when mating. Adult female is similar but larger with white granulations on the flanks. Juvenile, when newly metamorphosed resembles miniature adult but with large head. Male utters low-pitched croaking calls when courting. Found in a wide range of habitats if still water is present for breeding. Easy to see in early spring when courting.
    127587.jpg
  • Common Frog Rana temporaria Length 6-10cm Widespread amphibian. Adult male has smooth, moist skin. Usually olive-yellow or greyish brown with variable dark blotching and spots. Darker red animals occur in uplands. Eye has yellow iris with dark, oval pupil. Dark mask runs from eye to eardrum. Underparts are greyish white with faint darker marbling. Hind feet have five webbed toes. In breeding season, acquires bluish throat and swollen nuptial pads on innermost digit of front feet, used for gripping female when mating. Adult female is similar but larger with white granulations on the flanks. Juvenile, when newly metamorphosed resembles miniature adult but with large head. Male utters low-pitched croaking calls when courting. Found in a wide range of habitats if still water is present for breeding. Easy to see in early spring when courting.
    127588.jpg
  • Crane Grus grus L 95-115cm. Stately, long-legged, long-necked bird with bushy tail-end. In flight, wings are broad and long; flies with neck and legs outstretched. Typically wary. Sexes are similar. Adult has mainly blue-grey plumage with black and white on head and neck; back sometimes appears rather brown. Note patch of red on hindcrown. Juvenile is similar to adult but head is pale buffish grey and lacks adult’s black and white markings. Voice Utters a loud, trumpeted rolling krrruu. Status Small population is resident in NE Norfolk, and successful breeding has occurred; also a scarce passage migrant and very occasional winter visitor.
    127612.jpg
  • Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis - adult breeding plumage
    160518.jpg
  • Least Sandpiper - Calidris minutilla
    160594.jpg
  • One-flowered Glasswort - Salicornia disarticulata (pusilla)
    164474.tif
  • One-flowered Glasswort - Salicornia disarticulata (pusilla)
    164499.tif
  • One-flowered Glasswort - Salicornia disarticulata (pusilla)
    164475.tif
  • Blonde Ray Raja brachyura egg case Length to 14cm<br />
Capsule longer than broad with one flat and one convex side. Has one pair of horns almost as long as capsule and one pair much shorter and curved; these are often damaged.
    142076.jpg
  • Undulate Ray Raja undulata egg case length to 9cm<br />
Long smooth-surfaced capsule; has one long pair of horns with curled tips and one shorter pair that curl up like a bob-sleigh.
    142079.jpg
  • Dove Tree (Handkerchief Tree) Davidia involucrata (Nyssaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. Slender, conical deciduous tree; stout, tapering bole. BARK Orange-brown, peeling vertically. BRANCHES Thick; shoots are smooth and brown and buds are red. LEAVES To 18cm long, heart-shaped with a pointed tip and toothed margin, 5–9 pairs of veins and a 15cm-long pinkish or yellow-green petiole; dark shiny green above, paler and downy below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers are small, petal-less, in dense clusters of many male flowers with purple anthers and one hermaphrodite flower; surrounded by large pair of white bracts, one larger than the other, to 20cm long. Rounded fruits, to 2.5cm across, are green at first, ripening to purple-brown. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of China, popularly planted here.
    134814.jpg
  • Dove Tree (Handkerchief Tree) Davidia involucrata (Nyssaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. Slender, conical deciduous tree; stout, tapering bole. BARK Orange-brown, peeling vertically. BRANCHES Thick; shoots are smooth and brown and buds are red. LEAVES To 18cm long, heart-shaped with a pointed tip and toothed margin, 5–9 pairs of veins and a 15cm-long pinkish or yellow-green petiole; dark shiny green above, paler and downy below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers are small, petal-less, in dense clusters of many male flowers with purple anthers and one hermaphrodite flower; surrounded by large pair of white bracts, one larger than the other, to 20cm long. Rounded fruits, to 2.5cm across, are green at first, ripening to purple-brown. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of China, popularly planted here.
    134815.jpg
  • Dove Tree (Handkerchief Tree) Davidia involucrata (Nyssaceae) HEIGHT to 20m. Slender, conical deciduous tree; stout, tapering bole. BARK Orange-brown, peeling vertically. BRANCHES Thick; shoots are smooth and brown and buds are red. LEAVES To 18cm long, heart-shaped with a pointed tip and toothed margin, 5–9 pairs of veins and a 15cm-long pinkish or yellow-green petiole; dark shiny green above, paler and downy below. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Flowers are small, petal-less, in dense clusters of many male flowers with purple anthers and one hermaphrodite flower; surrounded by large pair of white bracts, one larger than the other, to 20cm long. Rounded fruits, to 2.5cm across, are green at first, ripening to purple-brown. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of China, popularly planted here.
    132999.jpg
  • Striped Dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba Length to 2.5m Streamlined shape is similar to that of other dolphin species. Dorsal surface is dark, underside is bluish-pink. Flanks are pale grey with one short black stripe running back from ear, and a longer one along the side of the body. Widespread in both Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
    136058.jpg
  • Greylag Goose - Anser anser. L 75-90cm. Largest Anser goose and only one that breeds in Britain. Feral populations confuse species’ wild status. Compared to other ‘grey’ geese, bulky and more uniformly grey-brown. Pink legs and heavy, pinkish orange bill help with identification. In flight, pale forewings, rump and tail contrast with darker flight feathers. Sexes are similar. Adult is greyish with dark lines on side of neck, barring on flanks and pale margins to back feathers. Bill is pale-tipped. Juvenile is more uniformly grey-brown than adult and bill lacks pale tip. Voice Utters loud, honking calls. Status Locally common resident, mainly in N. Wild migrants boost numbers in winter. Favours wetlands and reservoirs with adjacent grassland.
    157648.jpg
  • Irish Yew - Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’ (Height to 25m) Differs from Common Yew in having a more columnar, upright form with ascending branches. Leaves, flowers and fruits are almost identical to those of Common Yew. Present-day plants of this variant are survivors of one of a pair of trees found in County Fermanagh, Ireland, in the mid-eighteenth century.
    157446.jpg
  • Feral Pigeon or Rock Dove. Known by the scientific name Columba livia, these birds are essentially one and the same. The Feral Pigeon (L 33cm) is the domesticated descendant, and urban counterpart, of the Rock Dove, a shy bird of wild cliffs and coasts. Feral Pigeon occurs as variety of colour forms but true Rock Doves show little variation. Both form flocks. Sexes are similar. Adult and juvenile Rock Doves have blue-grey plumage, palest on upperwings and back, and flushed pinkish maroon on breast. Has two dark wingbars and dark-tipped tail. In flight, note small white rump; upperwings have dark trailing edge and narrow wingbar. Feral Pigeons occur in spectrum of colour forms from almost black to pure white. Some are very similar to ancestral Rock Dove. Voice Utters a range of cooing calls. Status Rock Dove is restricted to coasts and cliffs in N and W and is rather scarce. Feral Pigeon is abundant in towns and cities; occasionally seen on farmland and also in ancestral haunts.
    157319.jpg
  • Richard's Pipit - Anthus richardi. In spring and autumn, it is worth checking any flocks of migrant pipits and wagtails you come across for one of their rarer cousins, vagrants from Asia. Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi (L 17-20cm) is larger than a Meadow Pipit with a much longer tail and legs.
    156879.jpg
  • Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis. Spring and early summer are the times when rare waders that breed in Asia turn up here. A number of possible contenders exist but the Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis (L 22-25cm) is one of most elegant and keenly-sought; it resembles a miniature Greenshank but with a thin, needle-like bill.
    156317.jpg
  • Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis. Spring and early summer are the times when rare waders that breed in Asia turn up here. A number of possible contenders exist but the Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis (L 22-25cm) is one of most elegant and keenly-sought; it resembles a miniature Greenshank but with a thin, needle-like bill.
    155528.jpg
  • One of the two adjoining bridges over the River Thames at Radcot, Oxfordshire, Uk
    154536.jpg
  • Early Moth Theria primaria Wingspan 32-35mm. A winter-flying species. Female is wingless; male rests with forewings overlapping one another. Adult male has brown overall, the outer third of the forewing paler than the inner two thirds (which contains a dark spot) and defined by a dark line. Flies January-February. Larva feeds on Blackthorn and Hawthorn. Widespread and locally common in lowland Britain.
    141273.jpg
  • Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta Length 19-21mm. A variable and subtly attractive moth, despite the uninspiring name. Rests with its wings held flat, often one forewing partly the other. Adult forewing colour ranges from dark brown to grey-buff; usually visible are a dark central patch and two dark streaks towards the outer margin. Larva feeds on deciduous trees, notably oaks. Widespread and common.
    141218.jpg
  • The Streak Chesias legatella Wingspan 30-35mm. A distinctive moth that rests with its narrow forewings overlapping one another. Adult has marbled grey-brown forewings with a long, narrow white streak running parallel to leading edge. Flies September-October. Larva feeds on Broom. Widespread and fairly common throughout.
    140593.jpg
  • European Silver Fir Abies alba (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 47m <br />
Fast-growing fir, reaching a great size; until 1960s held record for tallest tree in Britain. BARK White on trunk and branches of mature trees, grey on younger trees. LEAVES Thick needles, up to 3cm long, notched at tip and in 2 rows on twigs, which are covered with pale brown hairs. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Erect cones green at first, maturing orange-brown and up to 20cm long. Eventually disintegrate into fan-like scales and toothed bracts, leaving just the protruding woody axis. Cones normally grow high up. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of European mountains. At one time widely planted in Britain for timber.
    134990.jpg
  • European Silver Fir Abies alba (Pinaceae) HEIGHT to 47m <br />
Fast-growing fir, reaching a great size; until 1960s held record for tallest tree in Britain. BARK White on trunk and branches of mature trees, grey on younger trees. LEAVES Thick needles, up to 3cm long, notched at tip and in 2 rows on twigs, which are covered with pale brown hairs. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS Erect cones green at first, maturing orange-brown and up to 20cm long. Eventually disintegrate into fan-like scales and toothed bracts, leaving just the protruding woody axis. Cones normally grow high up. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of European mountains. At one time widely planted in Britain for timber.
    134988.jpg
  • Yellow Buckeye (Sweet Buckeye) Aesculus flava (Hippocastanaceae) HEIGHT to 30m. Large domed, deciduous tree. BARK Peeling and scaly grey-brown. BRANCHES Ascending and twisted. LEAVES Palmate with 5 leaflets, each up to 20cm long. The leaves turn red early in the autumn. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS 4-petalled yellow flowers are borne in erect spikes about 15cm long, usually opening in late spring or early summer. The smooth rounded fruits are about 6cm across, covered in brown scales on the outside and containing one or 2 seeds. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of E USA, planted here in parks and gardens for its excellent autumn colours.
    134585.jpg
  • Irish Yew Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’ (Height to 25m) Differs from Common Yew in having a more columnar, upright form with ascending branches. Leaves, flowers and fruits are almost identical to those of Common Yew. Present-day plants of this variant are survivors of one of a pair of trees found in County Fermanagh, Ireland, in the mid-eighteenth century.
    134578.jpg
  • Apricot Prunus armeniaca (Rosaceae) HEIGHT to 10m <br />
Small, rounded deciduous tree. BARK Greyish-brown with fine fissures. BRANCHES Twisted and dense with smooth reddish twigs. LEAVES Heart-shaped, reddish when first open, later becoming green above and yellowish beneath, on a red petiole with 2 glands near leaf base. REPRODUCTIVE PARTS White or pale-pink short-stalked flowers, solitary paired, open before leaves. Fruit, to 8cm long, is rounded, the downy red-tinged skin surrounding a rather acid-tasting juicy flesh that becomes sweet only when fully ripe. Stone is flattened, elliptical and smooth, with 3 raised lines along one edge. STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION Native of central and E Asia, grown for its edible fruits; requires shelter in our region.
    134527.jpg
  • COMMON FUMITORY Fumaria officinalis (Fumariaceae) Height to 10cm. Spreading or scrambling annual of well-drained arable soils. FLOWERS are 6-7mm long, pink with crimson tips, spurred and 2-lipped, the lower petal being paddle-shaped; borne in elongating spikes (Apr-Oct). FRUITS are globular and 1-seeded. LEAVES are grey-green and much divided; lobes all in one plane. STATUS-Widespread and common.
    140022.jpg
  • Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus Length 2.2-3.2m Bulky seal with proportionately large head. Inquisitive in water. Hauls out for long periods. Adult is greyish overall with dark blotchy spots; fewer, larger spots than on Common Seal. Males are larger and darker than females. In profile, looks ‘Roman nosed’: bridge of nose is convex, more pronounced in males than females. From the front, nostrils are distinctly separated and more or less parallel to one another, not V-shaped. Fore flippers have sharp claws and hind flippers propel the animal through water. Pup is born with white fur; moulted after a few weeks.Voice Utters low, moaning calls. Often found on rocky shores and tolerates rough seas heavy waves. Widespread on west coast of Britain and locally in North Sea.
    141945.jpg
  • Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs L 15cm. One of our most familiar birds. Forms flocks outside breeding season. Sexes are dissimilar. Adult male has reddish pink on face and underparts, blue crown and nape, and chestnut back. Note dark wings and whitish wingbars, and white undertail and vent. White outer tail feathers seen in flight. Adult female and juvenile are mainly buffish brown, palest on face and underparts; note pale wingbars (pattern similar to male) on otherwise dark wings. Voice Utters a pink pink call. Song comprises a descending trill with a final flourish. Status Common breeding species in a wide range of habitats. Numbers boosted in winter by migrants from N Europe.
    142240.jpg
  • Greylag Goose Anser anser L 75-90cm. Largest Anser goose and only one that breeds in Britain. Feral populations confuse species’ wild status. Compared to other ‘grey’ geese, bulky and more uniformly grey-brown. Pink legs and heavy, pinkish orange bill help with identification. In flight, pale forewings, rump and tail contrast with darker flight feathers. Sexes are similar. Adult is greyish with dark lines on side of neck, barring on flanks and pale margins to back feathers. Bill is pale-tipped. Juvenile is more uniformly grey-brown than adult and bill lacks pale tip. Voice Utters loud, honking calls. Status Locally common resident, mainly in N. Wild migrants boost numbers in winter. Favours wetlands and reservoirs with adjacent grassland.
    143158.jpg
  • Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs L 15cm. One of our most familiar birds. Forms flocks outside breeding season. Sexes are dissimilar. Adult male has reddish pink on face and underparts, blue crown and nape, and chestnut back. Note dark wings and whitish wingbars, and white undertail and vent. White outer tail feathers seen in flight. Adult female and juvenile are mainly buffish brown, palest on face and underparts; note pale wingbars (pattern similar to male) on otherwise dark wings. Voice Utters a pink pink call. Song comprises a descending trill with a final flourish. Status Common breeding species in a wide range of habitats. Numbers boosted in winter by migrants from N Europe.
    143799.jpg
  • Peregrine Falco peregrinus W 95-115cm. One of our most impressive raptors. Soars on broad, bowed wings but stoops with wings swept back at phenomenal speed on prey such as pigeons. Sexes are similar but male is smaller than female. Adult has dark blue-grey upperparts and pale, barred underparts. Note dark mask on face and powerful, yellow legs and feet. In flight from above, looks uniformly dark grey although rump may appear paler; from below, pale underparts are barred and contrast between pale cheeks and throat, and dark moustache, is striking. Juvenile is similar to adult but upperparts are brownish while paler underparts are suffused with buffish orange. Voice Utters a loud kek-kek-kek… in alarm. Status Widespread resident in N and W Britain and Ireland. Population is recovering following crash caused by pesticide contamination in 1960s. Favours mountains and coastal cliffs but increasingly nests in towns and cities.
    144103.jpg
  • Greylag Goose Anser anser L 75-90cm. Largest Anser goose and only one that breeds in Britain. Feral populations confuse species’ wild status. Compared to other ‘grey’ geese, bulky and more uniformly grey-brown. Pink legs and heavy, pinkish orange bill help with identification. In flight, pale forewings, rump and tail contrast with darker flight feathers. Sexes are similar. Adult is greyish with dark lines on side of neck, barring on flanks and pale margins to back feathers. Bill is pale-tipped. Juvenile is more uniformly grey-brown than adult and bill lacks pale tip. Voice Utters loud, honking calls. Status Locally common resident, mainly in N. Wild migrants boost numbers in winter. Favours wetlands and reservoirs with adjacent grassland.
    145746.jpg
  • A winter dawn over one of the small ponds found on Cow Common, Chilbolton, Hampshire
    163464.jpg
  • A winter dawn over one of the small ponds found on Cow Common, Chilbolton, Hampshire
    163463.jpg
  • A winter dawn over one of the small ponds found on Cow Common, Chilbolton, Hampshire
    162078.jpg
  • Dead toads and frogs collected by volunteers at one of Britain's many toad patrols undertaken at known crossing sites in early spring.
    162189.jpg
  • Greylag Goose Anser anser L 75-90cm. Largest Anser goose and only one that breeds in Britain. Feral populations confuse species’ wild status. Compared to other ‘grey’ geese, bulky and more uniformly grey-brown. Pink legs and heavy, pinkish orange bill help with identification. In flight, pale forewings, rump and tail contrast with darker flight feathers. Sexes are similar. Adult is greyish with dark lines on side of neck, barring on flanks and pale margins to back feathers. Bill is pale-tipped. Juvenile is more uniformly grey-brown than adult and bill lacks pale tip. Voice Utters loud, honking calls. Status Locally common resident, mainly in N. Wild migrants boost numbers in winter. Favours wetlands and reservoirs with adjacent grassland.
    158057.jpg
  • Peregrine Falco peregrinus W 95-115cm. One of our most impressive raptors. Soars on broad, bowed wings but stoops with wings swept back at phenomenal speed on prey such as pigeons. Sexes are similar but male is smaller than female. Adult has dark blue-grey upperparts and pale, barred underparts. Note dark mask on face and powerful, yellow legs and feet. In flight from above, looks uniformly dark grey although rump may appear paler; from below, pale underparts are barred and contrast between pale cheeks and throat, and dark moustache, is striking. Juvenile is similar to adult but upperparts are brownish while paler underparts are suffused with buffish orange. Voice Utters a loud kek-kek-kek… in alarm. Status Widespread resident in N and W Britain and Ireland. Population is recovering following crash caused by pesticide contamination in 1960s. Favours mountains and coastal cliffs but increasingly nests in towns and cities.
    157721.jpg
  • Feral Pigeon or Rock Dove. Known by the scientific name Columba livia, these birds are essentially one and the same. The Feral Pigeon (L 33cm) is the domesticated descendant, and urban counterpart, of the Rock Dove, a shy bird of wild cliffs and coasts. Feral Pigeon occurs as variety of colour forms but true Rock Doves show little variation. Both form flocks. Sexes are similar. Adult and juvenile Rock Doves have blue-grey plumage, palest on upperwings and back, and flushed pinkish maroon on breast. Has two dark wingbars and dark-tipped tail. In flight, note small white rump; upperwings have dark trailing edge and narrow wingbar. Feral Pigeons occur in spectrum of colour forms from almost black to pure white. Some are very similar to ancestral Rock Dove. Voice Utters a range of cooing calls. Status Rock Dove is restricted to coasts and cliffs in N and W and is rather scarce. Feral Pigeon is abundant in towns and cities; occasionally seen on farmland and also in ancestral haunts.
    157715.jpg
  • Greylag Goose Anser anser L 75-90cm. Largest Anser goose and only one that breeds in Britain. Feral populations confuse species’ wild status. Compared to other ‘grey’ geese, bulky and more uniformly grey-brown. Pink legs and heavy, pinkish orange bill help with identification. In flight, pale forewings, rump and tail contrast with darker flight feathers. Sexes are similar. Adult is greyish with dark lines on side of neck, barring on flanks and pale margins to back feathers. Bill is pale-tipped. Juvenile is more uniformly grey-brown than adult and bill lacks pale tip. Voice Utters loud, honking calls. Status Locally common resident, mainly in N. Wild migrants boost numbers in winter. Favours wetlands and reservoirs with adjacent grassland.
    157700.jpg
  • Greylag Goose - Anser anser. L 75-90cm. Largest Anser goose and only one that breeds in Britain. Feral populations confuse species’ wild status. Compared to other ‘grey’ geese, bulky and more uniformly grey-brown. Pink legs and heavy, pinkish orange bill help with identification. In flight, pale forewings, rump and tail contrast with darker flight feathers. Sexes are similar. Adult is greyish with dark lines on side of neck, barring on flanks and pale margins to back feathers. Bill is pale-tipped. Juvenile is more uniformly grey-brown than adult and bill lacks pale tip. Voice Utters loud, honking calls. Status Locally common resident, mainly in N. Wild migrants boost numbers in winter. Favours wetlands and reservoirs with adjacent grassland.
    157636.jpg
  • Irish Yew - Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’ (Height to 25m) Differs from Common Yew in having a more columnar, upright form with ascending branches. Leaves, flowers and fruits are almost identical to those of Common Yew. Present-day plants of this variant are survivors of one of a pair of trees found in County Fermanagh, Ireland, in the mid-eighteenth century.
    157548.jpg
  • Irish Yew - Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’ (Height to 25m) Differs from Common Yew in having a more columnar, upright form with ascending branches. Leaves, flowers and fruits are almost identical to those of Common Yew. Present-day plants of this variant are survivors of one of a pair of trees found in County Fermanagh, Ireland, in the mid-eighteenth century.
    157549.jpg
  • Irish Yew - Taxus baccata ‘Fastigiata’ (Height to 25m) Differs from Common Yew in having a more columnar, upright form with ascending branches. Leaves, flowers and fruits are almost identical to those of Common Yew. Present-day plants of this variant are survivors of one of a pair of trees found in County Fermanagh, Ireland, in the mid-eighteenth century.
    157547.jpg
  • Kidney Vetch - Anthyllis vulneraria. Height to 30cm. Perennial covered in silky hairs. Found on calcareous grassland and coastal slopes. FLOWERS are yellow, orange or red; borne in paired, kidney-shaped heads, 3cm across (May-Sep). FRUITS are short pods. LEAVES comprise pairs of narrow leaflets, the terminal one being the largest. STATUS-Widespread and locally common.
    157360.jpg
  • Hedge Bindweed - Calystegia sepium. Climbing,  to 2-3m. Vigorous, hairless perennial that twines around other plants to assist its progress. Found in hedgerows, woodland margins and on disturbed ground, often swamping the plants on, and through which, it grows by late summer. FLOWERS are 3-4cm across, white and funnel-shaped (Jun-Sep); the 2 epicalyx bracts, which surround the sepals, do not overlap one another. FRUITS are capsules. LEAVES are arrow-shaped and up to 12cm long. STATUS-Widespread and common in the S but scarce in the N.
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  • Feral Pigeon or Rock Dove. Known by the scientific name Columba livia, these birds are essentially one and the same. The Feral Pigeon (L 33cm) is the domesticated descendant, and urban counterpart, of the Rock Dove, a shy bird of wild cliffs and coasts. Feral Pigeon occurs as variety of colour forms but true Rock Doves show little variation. Both form flocks. Sexes are similar. Adult and juvenile Rock Doves have blue-grey plumage, palest on upperwings and back, and flushed pinkish maroon on breast. Has two dark wingbars and dark-tipped tail. In flight, note small white rump; upperwings have dark trailing edge and narrow wingbar. Feral Pigeons occur in spectrum of colour forms from almost black to pure white. Some are very similar to ancestral Rock Dove. Voice Utters a range of cooing calls. Status Rock Dove is restricted to coasts and cliffs in N and W and is rather scarce. Feral Pigeon is abundant in towns and cities; occasionally seen on farmland and also in ancestral haunts.
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  • Feral Pigeon or Rock Dove. Known by the scientific name Columba livia, these birds are essentially one and the same. The Feral Pigeon (L 33cm) is the domesticated descendant, and urban counterpart, of the Rock Dove, a shy bird of wild cliffs and coasts. Feral Pigeon occurs as variety of colour forms but true Rock Doves show little variation. Both form flocks. Sexes are similar. Adult and juvenile Rock Doves have blue-grey plumage, palest on upperwings and back, and flushed pinkish maroon on breast. Has two dark wingbars and dark-tipped tail. In flight, note small white rump; upperwings have dark trailing edge and narrow wingbar. Feral Pigeons occur in spectrum of colour forms from almost black to pure white. Some are very similar to ancestral Rock Dove. Voice Utters a range of cooing calls. Status Rock Dove is restricted to coasts and cliffs in N and W and is rather scarce. Feral Pigeon is abundant in towns and cities; occasionally seen on farmland and also in ancestral haunts.
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  • Common Snipe - Gallinago gallinago L 25-28cm. Distinctive, even in silhouette: has dumpy body, rather short legs and very long, straight bill. Feeds by probing bill in a sewing machine-like manner. Sexes and ages are similar. Adult and juvenile have mainly buffish brown upperparts, beautifully patterned with black and white lines and bars. Note distinctive stripes on head, streaked and barred breast and flanks, and white underparts. Voice Utters one or two sneeze-like kreech calls when flushed. Performs ‘drumming’ display in breeding season: sound caused by vibrating tail feathers. Status Locally common and invariably associated with boggy ground. In breeding season, favours marshes, meadows and moorland bogs. Winter numbers boosted by migrants and then found on wide range of wetland habitats. Sadly, tens of thousands of birds are shot each year.
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  • Common Snipe - Gallinago gallinago L 25-28cm. Distinctive, even in silhouette: has dumpy body, rather short legs and very long, straight bill. Feeds by probing bill in a sewing machine-like manner. Sexes and ages are similar. Adult and juvenile have mainly buffish brown upperparts, beautifully patterned with black and white lines and bars. Note distinctive stripes on head, streaked and barred breast and flanks, and white underparts. Voice Utters one or two sneeze-like kreech calls when flushed. Performs ‘drumming’ display in breeding season: sound caused by vibrating tail feathers. Status Locally common and invariably associated with boggy ground. In breeding season, favours marshes, meadows and moorland bogs. Winter numbers boosted by migrants and then found on wide range of wetland habitats. Sadly, tens of thousands of birds are shot each year.
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  • Common Snipe - Gallinago gallinago L 25-28cm. Distinctive, even in silhouette: has dumpy body, rather short legs and very long, straight bill. Feeds by probing bill in a sewing machine-like manner. Sexes and ages are similar. Adult and juvenile have mainly buffish brown upperparts, beautifully patterned with black and white lines and bars. Note distinctive stripes on head, streaked and barred breast and flanks, and white underparts. Voice Utters one or two sneeze-like kreech calls when flushed. Performs ‘drumming’ display in breeding season: sound caused by vibrating tail feathers. Status Locally common and invariably associated with boggy ground. In breeding season, favours marshes, meadows and moorland bogs. Winter numbers boosted by migrants and then found on wide range of wetland habitats. Sadly, tens of thousands of birds are shot each year.
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  • Peregrine Falco peregrinus W 95-115cm. One of our most impressive raptors. Soars on broad, bowed wings but stoops with wings swept back at phenomenal speed on prey such as pigeons. Sexes are similar but male is smaller than female. Adult has dark blue-grey upperparts and pale, barred underparts. Note dark mask on face and powerful, yellow legs and feet. In flight from above, looks uniformly dark grey although rump may appear paler; from below, pale underparts are barred and contrast between pale cheeks and throat, and dark moustache, is striking. Juvenile is similar to adult but upperparts are brownish while paler underparts are suffused with buffish orange. Voice Utters a loud kek-kek-kek… in alarm. Status Widespread resident in N and W Britain and Ireland. Population is recovering following crash caused by pesticide contamination in 1960s. Favours mountains and coastal cliffs but increasingly nests in towns and cities.
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  • Snipe Gallinago gallinago L 25-28cm. Distinctive, even in silhouette: has dumpy body, rather short legs and very long, straight bill. Feeds by probing bill in a sewing machine-like manner. Sexes and ages are similar. Adult and juvenile have mainly buffish brown upperparts, beautifully patterned with black and white lines and bars. Note distinctive stripes on head, streaked and barred breast and flanks, and white underparts. Voice Utters one or two sneeze-like kreech calls when flushed. Performs ‘drumming’ display in breeding season: sound caused by vibrating tail feathers. Status Locally common and invariably associated with boggy ground. In breeding season, favours marshes, meadows and moorland bogs. Winter numbers boosted by migrants and then found on wide range of wetland habitats. Sadly, tens of thousands of birds are shot each year.
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  • Greylag Goose Anser anser L 75-90cm. Largest Anser goose and only one that breeds in Britain. Feral populations confuse species’ wild status. Compared to other ‘grey’ geese, bulky and more uniformly grey-brown. Pink legs and heavy, pinkish orange bill help with identification. In flight, pale forewings, rump and tail contrast with darker flight feathers. Sexes are similar. Adult is greyish with dark lines on side of neck, barring on flanks and pale margins to back feathers. Bill is pale-tipped. Juvenile is more uniformly grey-brown than adult and bill lacks pale tip. Voice Utters loud, honking calls. Status Locally common resident, mainly in N. Wild migrants boost numbers in winter. Favours wetlands and reservoirs with adjacent grassland.
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  • Greylag Goose Anser anser L 75-90cm. Largest Anser goose and only one that breeds in Britain. Feral populations confuse species’ wild status. Compared to other ‘grey’ geese, bulky and more uniformly grey-brown. Pink legs and heavy, pinkish orange bill help with identification. In flight, pale forewings, rump and tail contrast with darker flight feathers. Sexes are similar. Adult is greyish with dark lines on side of neck, barring on flanks and pale margins to back feathers. Bill is pale-tipped. Juvenile is more uniformly grey-brown than adult and bill lacks pale tip. Voice Utters loud, honking calls. Status Locally common resident, mainly in N. Wild migrants boost numbers in winter. Favours wetlands and reservoirs with adjacent grassland.
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  • Greylag Goose Anser anser L 75-90cm. Largest Anser goose and only one that breeds in Britain. Feral populations confuse species’ wild status. Compared to other ‘grey’ geese, bulky and more uniformly grey-brown. Pink legs and heavy, pinkish orange bill help with identification. In flight, pale forewings, rump and tail contrast with darker flight feathers. Sexes are similar. Adult is greyish with dark lines on side of neck, barring on flanks and pale margins to back feathers. Bill is pale-tipped. Juvenile is more uniformly grey-brown than adult and bill lacks pale tip. Voice Utters loud, honking calls. Status Locally common resident, mainly in N. Wild migrants boost numbers in winter. Favours wetlands and reservoirs with adjacent grassland.
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  • Greylag Goose Anser anser L 75-90cm. Largest Anser goose and only one that breeds in Britain. Feral populations confuse species’ wild status. Compared to other ‘grey’ geese, bulky and more uniformly grey-brown. Pink legs and heavy, pinkish orange bill help with identification. In flight, pale forewings, rump and tail contrast with darker flight feathers. Sexes are similar. Adult is greyish with dark lines on side of neck, barring on flanks and pale margins to back feathers. Bill is pale-tipped. Juvenile is more uniformly grey-brown than adult and bill lacks pale tip. Voice Utters loud, honking calls. Status Locally common resident, mainly in N. Wild migrants boost numbers in winter. Favours wetlands and reservoirs with adjacent grassland.
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  • Richard's Pipit - Anthus richardi. In spring and autumn, it is worth checking any flocks of migrant pipits and wagtails you come across for one of their rarer cousins, vagrants from Asia. Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi (L 17-20cm) is larger than a Meadow Pipit with a much longer tail and legs.
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  • Richard's Pipit - Anthus richardi. In spring and autumn, it is worth checking any flocks of migrant pipits and wagtails you come across for one of their rarer cousins, vagrants from Asia. Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi (L 17-20cm) is larger than a Meadow Pipit with a much longer tail and legs.
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  • Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus. In spring and autumn, it is worth checking any flocks of migrant pipits and wagtails you come across for one of their rarer cousins, vagrants from Asia. Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus (L 14-15cm) is distinctively flushed red in breeding plumage but at other times looks rather clean black and white.
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  • Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila elpenor Wingspan 70mm. One of our most attractive moths. It is sometimes seen at dusk visiting flowers such as Honeysuckle. Adult has pink and olive-green wings and body. Flies May–June. Larva is brown or green; the head end fancifully resembles an elephant’s trunk and eyespots deter would-be predators; when alarmed the head is contracted, enlarging the eyespots. Larva feeds on willowherbs. Common in southern and central England and Wales, and more locally in lowland Scotland.
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  • Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Length17-20mm. A well-marked moth that rests with its wings held flat, one forewing partly overlapping the other. Adult has reddish-brown forewings with a pale leading edge, and sub-marginal black line containing a white streak and kidney spot. Double-brooded; flies May-June and again August-September. Larva feeds on low-growing herbaceous plants. Widespread and fairly common throughout.
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  • Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta Length17-20mm. A well-marked moth that rests with its wings held flat, one forewing partly overlapping the other. Adult has reddish-brown forewings with a pale leading edge, and sub-marginal black line containing a white streak and kidney spot. Double-brooded; flies May-June and again August-September. Larva feeds on low-growing herbaceous plants. Widespread and fairly common throughout.
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  • Pine Beauty Panolis flammea Length 16-18mm. A beautifully patterned moth that rests with wings folded in a tent-like manner. Adult has orange-brown forewings marbled with darker patches and two pale spots, one round the other kidney-shaped. Flies March-April. Larva feeds on needles of Scots Pine and other pines. Widespread and locally common, except in upland districts.
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  • Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta Length 19-21mm. A variable and subtly attractive moth, despite the uninspiring name. Rests with its wings held flat, often one forewing partly the other. Adult forewing colour ranges from dark brown to grey-buff; usually visible are a dark central patch and two dark streaks towards the outer margin. Larva feeds on deciduous trees, notably oaks. Widespread and common.
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  • March Moth  Alsophila aescularia Length 19mm. A distinctive, narrow-winged moth. Wings overlap one another at rest. Adult male has buffish-grey and brown wings; female is wingless and found crawling on tree trunks after dark. Flies March-April. Larva feeds on deciduous trees, notably oaks and Hawthorn. Widespread but commonest in central and southern Britain.
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  • Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta Length 19-21mm. A variable and subtly attractive moth, despite the uninspiring name. Rests with its wings held flat, often one forewing partly the other. Adult forewing colour ranges from dark brown to grey-buff; usually visible are a dark central patch and two dark streaks towards the outer margin. Larva feeds on deciduous trees, notably oaks. Widespread and common.
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  • March Moth  Alsophila aescularia Length 19mm. A distinctive, narrow-winged moth. Wings overlap one another at rest. Adult male has buffish-grey and brown wings; female is wingless and found crawling on tree trunks after dark. Flies March-April. Larva feeds on deciduous trees, notably oaks and Hawthorn. Widespread but commonest in central and southern Britain.
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  • The Minors Oligia sp. Length 12-15mm. There are three closely-related species that are hard to distinguish from one another. All rest with wings held in a shallow tent-like manner. Tawny Marbled Minor O. latruncula often has a brown hue to the forewings. Marbled Minor O. strigilis is usually greyish-black with a pale submarginal band near the outer smargins. Rufous Minor O. versicolor is usually beautifully patterned with chestnut and grey. All three species fly June-July. Larvae feed on grasses. All three species are widespread and locally common in southern and central Britain, but much more local further north.
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  • The Uncertain Hoplodrina alsines Length 16-18mm. A uniformly-marked moth that is hard to distinguish from The Rustic. It usually rests with one forewing partly overlapping the other. Adult typically has rather matt yellowish-brown forewings with dark cross lines and a central dark spot and kidney-shaped mark. Flies June-August. Larva feeds on various low-growing herbaceous plants. Widespread but commonest in central and southern Britain.
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  • The Satellite  Eupsilia transversa Length 23-24mm. A well-named moth (if examined closely) that rests with one forewing partly overlapping the other. Adult has variably brown forewings with a prominent white or orange spot around which two smaller ‘satellite’ white spots orbit. Overwinters and flies October-April. Larva feeds on a range of deciduous shrubs and trees. Widespread and fairly common in southern and central Britain; more local further north.
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  • Lesser Yellow Underwing Noctua comes Length 23-25mm. An attractive moth that rests with wings held flat, one forewing overlapping the other. Adult has variably buffish-brown to grey-brown forewings, usually with two dark spots and faint pale cross lines. Hindwings are yellow with a narrow, black subterminal band and dark crescent mark. Larva feeds on a range of herbaceous plants. Widespread and common.
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  • Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba Length 25mm. An extremely common moth. Rests with wings held flat, one forewing overlapping the other. Easily disturbed from vegetation in daytime, when yellow pattern on hindwing becomes obvious. Adult has marbled brown and purplish-grey forewings and yellow hindwings with a narrow subterminal black border. Flies June–September. Larva eats a wide range of herbaceous plants. Widespread and extremely common.
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  • Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing Noctua janthe Length 20-23mm. An attractively marked moth that rests with wings held flat, one forewing partly overlapping the other. Adult has reddish-brown forewings with subtle purplish-grey banding and a reddish margin to the outer leading edge. There is a neatly defined pale front end. Flies July-September. Larva feeds on a range of herbaceous plants. Widespread throughout but commonest in southern Britain.
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  • Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba Length 25mm. An extremely common moth. Rests with wings held flat, one forewing overlapping the other. Easily disturbed from vegetation in daytime, when yellow pattern on hindwing becomes obvious. Adult has marbled brown and purplish-grey forewings and yellow hindwings with a narrow subterminal black border. Flies June–September. Larva eats a wide range of herbaceous plants. Widespread and extremely common.
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  • Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba Length 25mm. An extremely common moth. Rests with wings held flat, one forewing overlapping the other. Easily disturbed from vegetation in daytime, when yellow pattern on hindwing becomes obvious. Adult has marbled brown and purplish-grey forewings and yellow hindwings with a narrow subterminal black border. Flies June–September. Larva eats a wide range of herbaceous plants. Widespread and extremely common.
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  • The Rustic Hoplodrina blanda Length 16-18mm. A rather uniformly-marked moth that rests with one forewing partly overlapping the other. Very similar to The Uncertain. Adult has rather shiny, greyish-brown forewings with indistinct dark cross lines and a central dark spot and kidney-shaped mark. Flies June-August. Larva feeds on various low-growing herbaceous plants. Widespread but commonest in central and southern Britain; much more local further north.
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  • The Satellite  Eupsilia transversa Length 23-24mm. A well-named moth (if examined closely) that rests with one forewing partly overlapping the other. Adult has variably brown forewings with a prominent white or orange spot around which two smaller ‘satellite’ white spots orbit. Overwinters and flies October-April. Larva feeds on a range of deciduous shrubs and trees. Widespread and fairly common in southern and central Britain; more local further north.
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