False Widow Spider
Recently there has been a surge of sightings of false widow spiders. I caught a glimpse of this one on the ground whilst I was cycling by the Thames. It was large enough and dark enough...
Author: Wild Capital
An Appreciation of Trees
What a lovely walk around Fulham Palace gardens we had at the weekend. A big thank you to the Fulham Palace Trust and all those folks who came along, I hope you enjoyed it...
London Cherry Blossom
What an amazing display London’s cherry blossoms are putting on at the moment! A cherry is any tree in the genus Prunus. The most common variety of ornamental cherry which blossoms in...
“Chiff chaff chiff chaff chiff chaff…”
The unmistakable sound that assures us spring is here; the song of the Chiffchaff. The two notes of the song which give the bird it’s name; the high pitched ‘chiff’ and the lower pitched...
Crocuses – Incredible Stigmas
I am sure that you will have been admiring the Crocuses which are out in flower at the moment in many of the parks. As lovely as the petals are, its the vibrant...
Lichen Lemon Tarts
[br] [br] [br] [br] One of the wonderful things about wildlife is that there will be some around whatever the weather, and it can cheer you up on a grey...
Bring on the Brimstone!
Yesterday I spotted my first butterfly of the year! A delicately fluttering male Brimstone, whose yellow wings shone in the sun. It is commonly believed that the word “butterfly” is derived from “butter-coloured fly” which is attributed...
Exploring the Thames
What a great group of explorers I had out with me today. I awarded them the prize for biggest leech found on the Thames! How many leeches can you spot in their tray? The...
Early Eggs
In the south we are already beginning to see early frogspawn! Laying this early is always a gamble, with a late frost threatening to wipe out all life within in the jelly. However, if the weather...
Cormorant; a bit wet or a well evolved fisherman?
A cormorant apparently drying its wings is a common site along the Thames. However there is more behind this wings spread posture than is often thought. It was once commonly believed that cormorant feathers...