Southern hawker

Brown hawker

Migrant hawker

Emperor dragonfly

Hairy Dragonfly

Four-spotted chaser

Black-tailed skimmer

Ruddy darter

Common darter

Banded demoiselle

One of only two damselflies with coloured wings, the Banded Demoiselle is mainly seen in summer and lives near to slow flowing rivers and streams.

Azure damselfly

Common blue damselfly

Red eyed damselfly

Blue tailed damselfly

Scarce chaser

Small Tortoiseshell butterfly

The small tortoiseshell butterfly can often be found along old railway lines where there are lots of nettles for it to lay its eggs. It hibernates over the winter and can usually be seen flying between March and October.

Ringlet butterfly

Ringlet butterflies can be seen between June and August, mainly in grassy areas. They can often be seen feeding on the flowers of brambles and are one of the few butterflies that will fly when it’s cloudy.  

Common blue butterfly

Common blue butterflies tend to live in grassy habitats and are most active in the summer. Only the males are blue with the females being a dull brown colour.

Holly blue

Peacock butterfly

The peacock butterfly is a common species that is found mainly in scrubland and along hedgerows between March and October.The striking red colour and eye spots makes the adults easily recognisable. The caterpillars are black and feed mainly on nettles.

Speckled Wood

Large white butterfly

Large white or cabbage white butterflies like to feed on members of the cabbage family. They can be seen between April and October and live in a variety of habitats.  

Green veined white

Large skipper butterfly

Large skipper butterflies are active during the summer months and can be found mainly in grassy areas.

Brimstone butterfly

Brimstone butterflies are often the first butterflies to emerge in spring and can be found in a variety of habitats including grassland and scrub. They are also very long lived butterflies and remain active until October.

Small white

Comma

Red admiral

Red admiral butterflies are usually seen in summer and live in a variety of habitats where there are plenty of nectar sources, such as Buddleias and nettles.

Silver Y

Distinctive Y mark on wings.

Mother shipton

Derived from profile of old woman on wings. Caterpillars feed mainly on clovers.

Silver-ground carpet

Common swift

The Snout

Distinctive upturned snout.

Common Carpet

Burnet Companion

Drinker

Distinctive thick snout.

Ghost moth

Distinctive furry head.

Mother of pearl

Can see all four wings when sitting.

Shaded broad bar

Cinnabar

Day flying moth with red/pink wing spots. Conspicious black and yellow striped caterpillars that mainly feed on ragwort.

Cuckoo

Cuckoos are migrant birds that usually arrive in April and leave in August. They lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, such as reed warblers, who raise the cuckoo chick as their own. The distinctive call of the

House Martin

House martins are smaller than swallows but arrive at a similar time in spring. They hunt for insects on the wing and build mud nests under the eaves of buildings, hence their name.  

Hobby

The hobby is Britain’s only migratory falcon and it arrives in April to breed in the disused nests of crows. It is an excellent flier and hunts dragonflies and other birds, such as swallows on the wing. It can be

Swallow

Swallows are migratory birds that spend the winter in Africa and arrive in the UK in April. They feed mainly on flying insects and often build their mud nests on the sides of buildings, returning to the same spot year

Grasshopper warbler

This is a species which skulks in the undergrowth, creeping through bushes and low foliage, and which is very difficult to see except sometimes when singing from a prominent position. The song, which gives this species its name, is a

Chiffchaff

Chiffchaffs are a small warbler, known for their distinctive song. They are summer visitors to the UK, living mainly in woodland and scrubby areas and feeding on insects.    

Willow Warbler

Willow Warblers are slim, delicate birds of woodland, scrub, parks and gardens. They can be heard singing a melodious, warbling song from amongst the tree canopy. Willow Warblers are migratory birds, breeding in Europe and migrating to southern Africa for

Sand martin

Sand martins are common summer visitors, arriving in March and leaving in October. They nest in colonies, digging burrows in steep, sandy cliffs, usually around water, so are commonly found on wetland sites. The tunnels they bore can be up

Garden Warbler

The Garden Warbler is a medium-sized warbler of woodland and tall scrub, habitats it shares with the Blackcap. Garden Warblers are summer visitors, arriving in April and leaving in July, although Continental birds can be seen on migration around the

Yarrow

Agrimony

Water plantain

Wild angelica

Purple tinged stems

Hop trefoil

Lesser Bulrush

Fluffy, downy seeds blown by wind in late summer and autumn. Slimmer than bulrush with gap between female (red flowers) and male (yellow) flowers.

Bulrush

Fluffy, downy seeds blown by wind in late summer and autumn. Fatter than lesser bulrush with no gap between female (red flowers) and male (yellow) flowers.

Brooklime

Germander speedwell

Guelder-rose

Red berries in autumn.

Tufted vetch

Climbing plants with pea-like flowers.

Common Vetch

Climbing plants with pea-like flowers. Hairy.

Bush Vetch

Climbing plants with pea-like flowers. Hairy.

Fool’s-water-cress

Burdock

Thistle-like flowers.

Mugwort

Stems purple.

Wild Liquorice

Pea-like flowers

Black Horehand

Nettle-like with square stem. Hairy.

Winter cress

Long, thin, pea-like seed pods.

White bryony

Climbing plant with spiral tendrils. Red berries, leaves and stem in Autumn and Winter. Poisonous.

Hedge Bindweed

Climbing plant with large flowers.

Welted thistle

Common Mouse-ear

Rosebay Willowherb

Very distinctive with lots of bright pink flowers.

Spear Thistle

Hemlock

All parts of this plant are very poisonous.

Field bindweed

A climbing or creeping plant, often seen along footpaths.

Dogwood

Very striking in winter when red stems are visible. Clusters of black, spherical berries in autumn.

Smooth Hawk’s beard

Crested dog’s tail

Cock’s foot

Common spotted orchid

Orchid most commonly seen

Wild carrot

Easy to distinguish by single red flower in centre of each cluster.

Foxglove

Very poisonous and can cause heart attacks if eaten. Source of the drug digitalis which is often used to treat heart conditions.

Wild teasel

Very spiky flower heads are the favourite food of goldfinches who use their slender bills to pick out the seeds. Flowers appear to bloom in a wave.

Greater willowherb

Hoary willowherb

Meadowsweet

Has a red stem and  very fragrant flowers.

Lady’s bedstraw

Used to be used to stuff mattresses as the smell of the dried flowers supposedly repelled fleas.

Cut-leaved Crane’s-bill

Name derives from shape of flower.

Hedgerow Crane’s-bill

Hairy plant, name derives from shape of seed head.

Herb-Robert

Hairy plant with red tinged leaves and stem and long,  pointed seed heads. Likes shady places.

Wood Avens

Also known as herb bennet.

Hogweed

Thick hairy stems.

Perforate St Johns-wort

Square stems.

Orange Balsam

Yellow Iris

White Dead-nettle

Similar to stinging nettle but doesn’t sting.

Nipplewort

Flowers have square petals and are positioned on long stems.

Meadow Vetchling

Member of the pea family. Has black, hairy seed pods. Often grows amongst grasses.

Autumn Hawkbit

Similar to a dandelion but more slender and delicate.

Oxeye Daisy

A large daisy.

Common toadflax

Common Bird’s foot trefoil

Greater Bird’s foot trefoil

Gypsywort

Has many medicinal properties.

Pineappleweed

So-called because flowers look and smell like pinapple (when crushed).

Black Medick

So-called because produces black seed heads.

Water Mint

Hairy, square stems.

Field Forget-me-not

Very tiny blue flowers.

Water Forget-me-not

Quite straggly.

Yellow Water-lily

Flowers and leaves float on surface of water.

Red Bartsia

Common Poppy

Usually found on ground that has recently been disturbed.

Amphibious Bistort

Usually found floating on the surface of freshwater.

Redshank

Often found near to freshwater.

Bristly Oxtongue

Dandelion like flowers.

Greater Plantain

Ribwort Plantain

Knotgrass

Sprawling plant. Flowers clustered around stem.

Silverweed

Creeping Cinquefoil

Sprawling, creeping plant.

Selfheal

Square, hairy stem.

Meadow Buttercup

Often found near grazing lifestock, creates a sea of yellow in early summer.

Creeping Buttercup

Celery-leaved buttercup

Very thick stem. Flowers smaller than other buttercups with a large, green centre.

Weld

Dog-rose

Large thorns on stems. Flowers have heart shaped petals and lots of stamen. Has shiny red hips in Autumn.

Broad-leaved dock

Elder

Flowers are used to flavour drinks, including sambuca, whilst berries are often made into wine, cordial and jam.

Great Burnet

Indicative of floodplain meadows.

Water Figwort

White Campion

Hedge Mustard

Perennial Sow-thistle

Tufted seed heads (similar to a dandelion).

Branched Bur-reed

Prickly, round fruit (burrs) growing directly on stem.

Marsh Woundwort

Hairy square stem. Traditionally used as a wound dressing in herbal medicine.

Hedge Woundwort

Hairy square stem. Traditionally used as a wound dressing in herbal medicine.

Common Comfrey

Lime

Goat’s-beard

Also known as jack-go-to-bed-at-noon because flowers usually close up in the afternoon. Has large, round, fluffy seed heads and slender, pointed flower buds.

Indian balsam

Also known as himalayan balsam this plant is an invasive species commonly found on river banks.