Michael Pashkevich, PhD Student, writes: One of my favourite traits of spiders is that they are widespread in distribution. This means that they live nearly everywhere that humans do, including within and around our homes. This is particularly good news for Britons, because none of the 650+ spider species in the UK are dangerous to healthy humans. Right now, many of us are being asked … Continue reading Your friendly neighbourhood British spiders
Matt Hayes, Research Assistant writes: Whilst everyone is being asked to stay at home it’s important that we continue to look outside and engage with the natural world. To help with this, we are going to be blogging about wildlife you can see from your window or in your garden. This set of posts will look at different groups of common butterflies as well as … Continue reading Blue butterflies
We have a treat this week in Wildlife From Your Window: a virtual postcard from a pre-lockdown Wicken Fen, written by Professor Nick Davies of the Department of Zoology. ‘Just before the lockdown, there was a final chance to visit Wicken Fen, still clothed in her winter’s coat of last year’s yellow reeds. Many birds were still in winter flocks. On the floods, there were … Continue reading Nature Postcard from Wicken Fen
Kate Howlett, NERC-funded PhD student says, Thank you to everyone who got involved in our little experiment last week to find out who we think of as the Easter bunny. Whilst questions like this which ask about our perception of animal species are often just a bit of fun, they are also important in building up a larger picture about our relationship with the natural … Continue reading Insects are animals too: why perceptions matter
Roz Wade, Learning Officer at the Museum, writes: We have exciting news on this episode of Pondwatch – newts in the garden pond! I’ve been watching them closely, and managed to capture them on camera when they came out from their hiding places. We also have some of the aquatic finds of other members of the Museum team, so lots to explore this week. There … Continue reading Pondwatch Episode 3: Newts!
Roz Wade, Learning Officer at the Museum of Zoology, writes: Welcome to our first Mammalwatch post in Wildlife from your Window. We thought what better way to start than with a post about that terror of the bird feeder – the grey squirrel. The grey squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis, is a familiar sight in our gardens. The body is around 25cm long, and the tail is … Continue reading Mammalwatch: Squirrels
Discover the extraordinary life of bee-flies with our Curator of Insects, Dr Ed Turner. Continue reading The wonderful world of bee-flies
That patch of nettles in the corner of the garden. The dandelions in the lawn. You might call these weeds and think they make your green space look untidy. But nature loves a mess, and to support our wildlife, it is best not to be too tidy in your garden and have some areas where these wild plants can grow. Many are food plants for … Continue reading Wildflowers Not Weeds
Matt Hayes, Research Assistant writes: Whilst everyone is being asked to stay at home it’s important that we continue to look outside and engage with the natural world. To help with this, we are going to be blogging about wildlife you can see from your window or in your garden. This set of posts will look at different groups of common butterflies as well as … Continue reading White and yellow butterflies
Are you playing our Open Your Window Bingo? Discover more about some of the colourful garden birds that feature on it: blue tits, great tits and long-tailed tits. A flash of yellow, blue and green in the air – blue tits are colourful little birds often seen on bird feeders. They eat insects, caterpillars and seeds. We see bright colours and patterns when we see … Continue reading Birds: Blue tits and their relatives
We’re back with another episode of Pondwatch. This time, Dr Ed Turner, our Curator of Insects, will be taking you pond-dipping and introducing you to some of the invertebrates living in his garden pond. Don’t have a pond but you’re thinking of creating one? Now is the perfect time. There are some brilliant websites out there with hints and tips on how to do this. … Continue reading Pondwatch Episode 2: Ed Turner
The Museum of Zoology team has an affinity towards eggs, from Darwin’s egg to platypus eggs, especially around this time of year. Spring offers the chance to see new generations hatching from a variety of eggs and the arrival of the chocolate kind for many of us. This year we are bringing the eggs to you with a virtual cryptic egg hunt. Egg Hunt Dr … Continue reading Cryptic Egg Hunt
Even a small garden can provide a home for several thousand species of insects and other minibeasts. Although a very small minority may not be popular guests, the vast majority will undertake important natural processes and improve the health of your garden. Many will pollinate your plants, break down decaying material to fertilise your soil and even eat the few ‘pests’ that may be causing … Continue reading A warm welcome for minibeasts
Matt Hayes, Research Assistant writes: Whilst everyone is being asked to stay at home it’s important that we continue to look outside and engage with the natural world. To help with this, we are going to be blogging about wildlife you can see from your window or in your garden. This set of posts will look at different groups of common butterflies as well as … Continue reading Gardening for butterflies
Roz Wade, Learning Officer a the Museum, writes: We are starting our Birdwatch series on the blog with one of our favourite British birds: the robin, Erithacus rubecula. With its cheerful red breast, the robin provides a flash of colour throughout the year. Seen one? It’s worth three points on our Open Your Window Bingo Like many people, a robin was my ‘starter bird’ for … Continue reading Birds: Meet the Robin
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