Marine
There's another world waiting beneath the waves. Seals weave in and out of sunlit kelp forests, cuttlefish flash all the colours of the rainbow, starfish graze along the muddy seabed and…
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Tales of whales and Wally, orca and oyster, and world’s largest flapper skate appear in The Wildlife Trusts’ 2021 marine review
Conservation successes undermined by increasing disruption to UK seas
Mud for martins
The house martin is a common summer visitor to the UK, arriving in April and leaving in October. Sarah explains more about them below:
Pine marten
Largely confined to the north of the UK, the rare pine marten is nocturnal and very hard to spot. However, it can be enticed to visit a peanut-laden birdtable.
Sand martin
The tiny, brown-and-white sand martin is a common summer visitor to the UK, nesting in colonies on rivers, lakes and flooded gravel pits. It returns to Africa in winter.
House martin
As its name suggests, the house martin can be spotted nesting in the eaves of houses in our towns and villages. Its intricate mud nests take days to build and are often returned to and used in…
How to identify swifts, swallows, sand martins and house martins
Learn how to identify swifts, swallows and martins. These birds are all summer visitors to the UK. Here's how you can find the difference between a swift and a swallow or work out what kind of martin you could have spotted!
Whixall Marina Safari Walk with Dr Cath
Join Dr Cath exploring the wildlife around the Marina. Hunt for mini-beasts, find out what lives in the pond and learn about the birds that haunt the canal.
Swallows and House Martins
Swallows and house martins are iconic summer visitors to the British Isles. Their arrival to the UK signals that summer is on the way, but as they gather to leave in September, it is a sign that Autumn will soon be setting in.
Tawny mining bee
The Tawny mining bee is a furry, gingery bee that can often be seen in parks and gardens during the springtime. Look for a volcano-like mound of earth in the lawn that marks the entrance to its…
Whixall Marina Autumn Foraging Walk with Dr Cath
Join Dr Cath for a wander along the towpath to see what fruits and nuts can be gathered from the trees and bushes, and what you can do with them.
Ashy mining bee
This black and grey solitary bee takes to the wing in spring, when it can be seen buzzing around burrows in open ground.