Discovering the Willow Wand Whilst cycling along a country lane a couple of weeks ago, I came across these beautiful and most unusual willow trees growing in flower pots. Upon closer examination, I saw that they were called ‘Willow Wands’ and was very...
Common yellow face female (Hyaleus communis) bee using Dufour’s gland secretions when sealing her nest entrance What is Dufour’s gland? Well according to Mitra, it’s a gland, although it and the poison gland are associated with the sting, its actual...
Birchwood Fire Station Raised Beds A few years ago I was asked to advise firemen at Birchwood Fire Brigade Station as they wished to grow organic vegetables and invite local schools to tend the crops. When I visited I noticed that they had been pruning and cutting the...
How does a leafcutter bee make her nest from leaf pieces? What do leafcutter bees actually do with the piece of leaf or flower petal, that they carry back to their nesting cavity? This film shows exactly that in more detail. Having watched leafcutters making their...
‘The Staffordshire Invertebrate Science Fair This is an annual wildlife conservation event aimed at families, students, amateurs and pretty much anyone with a passing interest or enquiring mind about invertebrates. This year it is on Saturday, March 7th from...
Birds diet and calcium Let’s start at the beginning, nestlings are ‘wrapped’ inside the hard eggshell. Calcium is an essential element in the diet of birds, particularly when they are producing eggs which need calcium to be viable. Insects are low in...
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