Ectemnius solitary wasp targets solitary bee I quite often see Ectemnius solitary wasps in my garden. They do have noticeable large fang-like mandibles and large eyes. There are several different species and like all wasps, they are predators. Especially of several...
Bullfinch, Greenfinch and Goldfinch showing typical symptoms commonly associated with Trichomonosis Both I and my neighbour regularly clean our feeders and are particular about our bird seed suppliers. Unfortunately for the birds that visit our gardens other people in...
Brownfield sites. Eyesore or haven for wildlife? When visiting a brownfield site, to many people it appears uninviting, boring and perhaps an eyesore. They could probably also think that wildlife has the same views as them. They could be well far off the mark. I...
Chrysidids. Beautiful Ruby-Tailed or Jewel wasps That flash of iridescent metallic blue-green you observed near your solitary bee nest box was probably a wasp. It is likely to be a Chrysidid cuckoo wasp, a family of parasitoid and cleptoparasitic wasps. Their...
Where do Wrens find their winter food? It helps to know what they eat, how and where they find it! The Wren, (Troglodytes, troglodytes), when it can it feeds upon invertebrate prey such as insects, bugs and spiders. I have also seen them eat very small slugs. In the...
Winter foraging queen bumblebee. B. terrestris After seeing B. terrestris workers foraging on Mahonia japonica in Liverpool in Jan 2016, I have kept a lookout ever since for winter activities in the North West. Whilst out collecting natural materials for a Christmas...
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