Redwings foraging in Reykjavik city centre and Laugavegur street, Iceland

Redwings foraging in Reykjavik city centre and Laugavegur Street, Iceland Laugavegur Street is the main shopping street in Reykjavik, full of coffee shops, touristy gift shops, wine bars, cake shops and more. It was very busy in November when I was there. It was...

Solitary Bees By Ted Benton & Nick Owens review

Solitary Bees By Ted Benton & Nick Owens review This is my second review of a book by Ted Benton. I enjoyed the much smaller first book and when I asked him why he wrote the first Solitary Bee book, his comments were just as appropriate for this second book....

Wool carder bee, nesting and mating behaviour

Ladies first! Here I will explore the Wool carder (Anthidium manicatum) (Megachilidae: Anthidiin) females' behaviour, nesting etc. and then go on to the males. Unusually for solitary bees, female wool carder bees, are smaller than males and females generally emerge...

Dolphin watching at Lagos Portugal

Dolphin watching at Lagos Portugal Several businesses offer dolphin and whale watching tours sailing from Lagos in Portugal. We decided to go with Sealife because on every trip they have a qualified marine biologist accompanying you on their boats. Instead of hugging...

The Boardwalk from Lagos to Meia Praia

The wooden Boardwalk from Lagos to Meia Praia My wife and I watched spell bound as we were fortunate to watch the actual work undertaken during the construction of this beautiful wooden boardwalk. Although we have walked many miles on boardwalks in the area, we had...
Bees and apple pollination, a bite sized view!

Bees and apple pollination, a bite sized view!

Bees and apple pollination, a bite sized view! Scientists have researched which species pollinates these apples and how much is it worth in the UK. You can download their paper  Apple Pollination: Demand Depends on Variety and Supply Depends on Pollinator Identity....

Bread and milk harms Hedgehogs poster

Bread and milk harms Hedgehogs poster

No milk or bread today. It makes hedgehogs ill! Many people now thankfully, know that bread and milk is a 'no-no' for hedgehogs. There are others who simply do not know it can be harmful for them. Being lactose intolerant, too much can give them diarrhoea! Download...

1st Red Mason female bee feeding 2016 on fructose video

1st Red Mason female bee feeding 2016 on fructose video

Cold, chilled 1st Female Red Mason bee 2016 On 21st April, the weather here was unseasonably warm in my south facing sun trap garden. Early afternoon, I looked inside my orchard bee nest box.  and saw two Red Mason males (Osmia bicornis) had emerged and flown away,...

Composting talk Burton & Rossett Horticultural Society N. Wales

Composting talk Burton & Rossett Horticultural Society N. Wales

Want to know how to make Garden Compost? Burton & Rossett Horticultural Society aims to encourage good horticultural and gardening practices in the local area, through a variety of talks, workshops and outings, as well as two annual shows. After his successful and...

Garden Bumblebee Talk Risley Moss Local Nature Reserve

Garden Bumblebee Talk Risley Moss Local Nature Reserve

Garden Bumblebees Talk and Presentation A talk by local expert George Pilkington on garden bumblebees, their ecology, pests, bumblebee decline, forage and his own innovative bumblebee nest boxes. Tuesday 26th April 2016 Risley Moss Nature Reserve 7.00pm - 8.30pm Cost...

Bumblebee Presentation, Flint & District Honeybee keepers

Bumblebee Presentation, Flint & District Honeybee keepers

Flint and District Beekeepers Presentation I enjoy giving presentations to honeybee keepers. Many of them are keen 'experts' in honeybees and very knowledgeable about them. Its rather nice when they ask me to tell them about garden bumblebees or solitary bees. I...

The Secret Life of Sparrowhawks DVD

The Secret Life of Sparrowhawks DVD

What do you really know about sparrowhawks? Other than them flashing by your kitchen window, flying away after an unsuccessful hunt or even a successful kill. There is so much more to learn about them. A top predator skilled in hunting its prey. But what do you really...

Bumblebee queens where do they nest? updated video

Bumblebee queens where do they nest? updated video

Bumblebee queens where do they nest? Bumblebee queens nest in all sorts of odd places!  How do you find them? Observe, follow, observe, patience, patience, patience and a pinch of luck! This video shows a handful of the many strange locations I have found their nests....

Wildlife Gardening, Butterflies and Citizen Science

Wildlife Gardening, Butterflies and Citizen Science

Help solve the mystery of the UK’s back garden butterflies Butterfly Conservation's newly launched Garden Butterfly Survey will attempt to lift the lid on how garden butterflies are faring. The survey will reveal garden butterfly declines and increases, how they are...