Grass snakes are excellent swimmers and feed mainly on amphibians. Being cold blooded, they are most commonly seen basking in the sun on areas of bare ground.
The Bailey Bridge
Grass Snake
Field Vole
Although rarely seen, field voles are quite common and are the favourite food of barn owls and kestrel. They feed mainly on grasses and can be found all year in areas of grassland.
Bank Vole
More of a chestnut colour than a field vole with a longer tail.
Noctule Bat
Largest of Britains bats. Often roosts in woodpecker holes.
Common Pipistrelle
Smallest and most common British bat.
Common Shrew
Shrews have a venom gland to help them immobilise their prey and are able to use echolocation to hunt. Shrews do not hibernate but instead are able to enter periods of torpor where they shrink their bodies by up to
Pygmy Shrew
Shrews have an exceptionally hig metabolic rate and, as such, have to consume 125% of their body weight in insects everyday. They are active during the day and night.
Mole
Moles spend most of their time underground in a complex network of tunnels, some of which may be used by multiple generations.
Red Fox
A highly adaptable species that has been able to colonise most habitats, including towns and cities.
Brown Rat
A highly adaptable species that has been able to colonise most habitats, including towns and cities.
Muntjac Deer
This small deer was introduced in 1894 and since then has spread across most of southern england. During the day it hides in dense bramble patches and the males have very sharp tusks which can be used in defence and
Stoat
Distinguishable from a weasel by its black tipped tail, stoats are fearsome predators for their size, regularly killing prey much bigger than themselves.
Weasel
Weasels are slightly smaller than a stoat with no black tip on their tail. They feed mainly on small mammals such as mice and voles and their slender shape allows them to fit into their prey’s burrows.
Rabbit
Rabbits were introduced by the Normans in the 1200’s for food and their ability to breed very quickly has allowed them colonise most of Britain. They live in large communal burrows known as warrens.
Rustic Sailor Beetle
Malachite Beetle
Metallic
14 Spot Ladybird
Eat aphids
Common Earwig
White-Tailed Bumble Bee
Early Bumble Bee
Garden Bumble Bee
Buff-Tailed Bumble Bee
Large Red Tailed Bumble Bee
Common Carder Bee
Common Wasp
Roesels Bush-Cricket
Its range has been steadily expanding north due to the warmer summers associated with climate change.
Dock Bug
Marmalade Hoverfly
Common Green Shield Bugs
Pollen beetles
Particularly attracted to yellow.
Aphid
Are able to reproduce without mating, producing clones of themselves.
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.
Large skipper butterfly
Large skipper butterflies are active during the summer months and can be found mainly in grassy areas.
Skylark
Skylarks are present all year round but are mainly seen in the spring and summer when they perform their distinctive song flights to defend their breeding territory. They nest in grassland and feed mainly on insects and seeds.
Yarrow
Agrimony
Hop trefoil
Germander speedwell
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.
Cow parsley
Burdock
Thistle-like flowers.
Wild Liquorice
Pea-like flowers
Welted thistle
Broad-winged Thistle
Spear Thistle
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.
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.
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.
Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill
Hedgerow Crane’s-bill
Hairy plant, name derives from shape of seed head.
Ground-ivy
A creeping plant with whorls of leaves and flowers at intervals along stem.
Hogweed
Thick hairy stems.
Perforate St Johns-wort
Square stems.
White Dead-nettle
Similar to stinging nettle but doesn’t sting.
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
Black Medick
So-called because produces black seed heads.
Field Forget-me-not
Very tiny blue flowers.
Red Bartsia
Greater Plantain
Ribwort Plantain
Creeping Cinquefoil
Sprawling, creeping plant.
Selfheal
Square, hairy stem.
Creeping Buttercup
Weld
Broad-leaved dock
Meadow Saxifrage
White Campion
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.