• The small tortoiseshell belongs to the aristocratic group of butterflies which also includes other large colourful butterflies such as the Peacock and Red admiral
• Adult small tortoiseshells hibernate through the winter in cool dry places such as garages and garden sheds. They become active again in March and lay their eggs in May
• The male butterflies are territorial and drive rivals away from their preferred patches with a sunny aspect

HABITAT & FOOD NEEDS.....

• Gardens and other places with numerous flowers are necessary for feeding adults
• Small Tortoiseshell require patches of stinging nettle on which the eggs are laid and the larva feed

ATTRACTING THE SPECIES TO YOUR GARDEN......

• A typical suburban garden can attract up to 20 species of butterflies by providing a selection of food and flowering plants
• Small tortoiseshell can be encouraged by planting buddleia and ice plants
• Allowing a patch of stinging nettles to grow in a quiet corner of your garden will provide a source of food for the caterpillars

SPECIES IDENTIFICATION & RECORDING......

• Once you have seen this species and recognised it, this is an easily identifiable species
• It can often be seen feeding on marigolds and buddleias, or basking in the sun with its wings open
• When recording the species, try to make a note of how many were seen and what they were feeding on

GOLDFINCH (Carduelis carduelis)

INTERESTING FACTS......

• Goldfinches are gregarious and can often be seen flocking in large numbers
• The collective noun for a flock of goldfinch is a charm of goldfinches which aptly describes these attractive little birds

HABITAT & FOOD NEEDS.....

• Found in woods, hedgerows, fields and on heaths commonly seen in the garden
• Goldfinches are seed-eaters, and can often be seen feeding in flocks on Teasels and Dandelions

ATTRACTING THE SPECIES TO YOUR GARDEN......

• Goldfinches are seed eating birds and you can attract them to your garden by providing a bird feeder dispensing Niger seed which they are very fond of
• Planting or allowing teasels and / or thistles to grow and go to seed will also encourage goldfinches to feed in your garden
• Other plants to consider growing are evening primrose and lavender

SPECIES IDENTIFICATION & RECORDING......

• As this species flock, they are often seen in a group, and if flying they are sparrow-sized birds that you'll see as brown and black with a flash of yellow
• If resting and/or feeding, the birds have a red face and a yellow wing bar, and cannot be confused with other species
• When recording this species, try to note how many were seen and what they were feeding on

HEDGEHOG (Erinaceus europaeus)

INTERESTING FACTS......

• There are 17 species of hedgehog worldwide but only one species, the European hedgehog is here in Britain
• In addition hedgehogs normally emerge from hibernation in April

HABITAT & FOOD NEEDS.....

• Hedgehogs are found in a wide range of habitats anywhere with ground covering vegetation including woodland and woodland edge, hedgerow parks and gardens
• Like other insectivores hedgehogs will eat a variety of prey including earth worms, beetles, earwigs, slugs and caterpillars

ATTRACTING THE SPECIES TO YOUR GARDEN......

• Providing ground cover in your garden will help to encourage hedgehogs
• Please try and avoid using chemicals and slug pellets in your garden, these chemicals affect invertebrates which are then eaten by hedgehogs. A cocktail of chemicals then builds up in the fat stored by the hedgehog which is then released into the blood stream during hibernation. No one knows the effect of this chemical cocktail on the well being of the hedgehog
• If you suspect hedgehogs are using your garden you can try providing a nightly feed of dog meat and or mashed banana but not milk
• For those with larger gardens the provision of a hedgehog house can provide shelter for the winter hibernation

SPECIES IDENTIFICATION & RECORDING......

• It is easy to identify this species, as nothing else occurs in Britain quite like it
• If you are about to burn a large pile of leaves in autumn, then always check for hedgehogs lurking within
• When recording this species, try to note how many were seen, and whether they were adults or juveniles

Red-tailed Bumble bee (Bombus lapidarius)

INTERESTING FACTS.....

• There are about 25 different species of bumble bees found in the UK. Bombus lapidarius is one of the commonest and most easily identified
• Many species of bumble bee carry bee mites, these little creatures feed on the pollen collected on the bee coat and do not have an adverse effect on the bee. A large number of mites can be clearly seen in the photo of this queen red-tailed bumble bee. The mites will travel with the bee and establish themselves in the bee’s nest eating all the debris that collects in the nest and thus helping to keep the nest clean
• Bumble bees live in smaller colonies than honey bees (up to 150) and do not make enough honey for their colonies to survive the winter. Only the young queen bees survive the winter to re-establish a new colony in the spring

HABITAT & FOOD NEEDS.....

• Found across a wide range of habitats and commonly seen in gardens
• Prefers to feed on clovers and purple-flowered composites
• Queens often feed on common blackthorn in the spring

ATTRACTING THE SPECIES TO YOUR GARDEN......

• Planting a mixed border facing the sun with numerous nectar-bearing plants will attract bumble bees
• You can also purchase bee nest boxes or build your own by half sinking an upended flower pot into the ground, as shown below

SPECIES IDENTIFICATION & RECORDING......

• Not only are there a number of different bumble bee species there is also considerable variation of form between queen, drone and workers
• The queens are the first to be seen in the year, and are one of the largest British bumble bees. She has a completely black body with the tail-end of her abdomen being a dark reddish-orange colour
• For those interested in identifying bumble bees the following key is an excellent and well worth purchasing Bumble Bee Key Illustrated by Anthony J. Hopkins Published for The Company of Biologists Ltd by Richmond Publishing Co. Ltd available at the Kent Wildlife T rust shop Tyland Barn, Maidstone

(Image by Sandra Doyle taken from Garden Wildlife, by Michael Chinery (1997), published by Collins. ISBN 0-26-167408-0)