Wildlife photos 2005
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"The total number of butterfly species in my garden last year [2005] was 14: Small Skipper (new record) Brimstone Large white Small white Green-veined white Orange-tip (new record) Holly blue Red admiral Small tortoiseshell Peacock Comma Speckled wood Gatekeeper Meadow brown I agree that 2005 was not a great one, I only saw one painted lady all year! However, adding two new species to the garden list partly made up for it. I also finally saw a hummingbird hawkmoth after missing out in 2004. Probably the same individual visited my garden buddleia on two evenings in mid September. Elsewhere I spotted more white-letter hairstreaks, and also a marbled white." Matthew Billings
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"This is the red frog which frequents my garden. He has turned me into a frog-spotter simply because he is so unusual! Although I don't have apond I can only assume that he breeds next door in my neighbour's pond and chooses to live in my garden." Joan Gill
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"This family of foxes made themselves at home in my garden and the neighbouring gardens in Leicester in 2005. Since the foxes have moved in, the number of rats in the garden has definitely dropped. Most the cubs have now [January 2006] moved on, but this male cub still visits although he doesn't look quite as sleek anymore. He may still be driven away by the dog fox, or he may become as bold as his father and take food from my hand. I really hope he doesn't get pushed out or killed on the road as I really enjoy seeing him."
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"I saw this water vole on Sunday 27th November 2005 on a stream running alongside a road in Melton Mowbray. It was sitting on the bank by a bridge. After 5 minutes or so it dove under the water, swam towards the bridge and entered its nest via an underwater entrance." Lizzy reports "I saw a water vole feeding on the towpath on the Ashby Canal in 2005. I watched it for 5 minutes before it spotted me. It was feeding on grass and other plants on the waters edge. It had a blunt nose, and three walkers who came up behind me agreed it was a water vole and not a rat, before it plopped into the canal and vanished."
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| "Having moved to the area in April last year [2004], we had a pond constructed in the garden that was completed in September last year. Very quickly, we noted the arrival of newts. In the summer of this year, a grass snake was spotted by the pond. It quickly immersed itself in the water on our approach. At a guess, it was a least a metre long. In September of this year, the baby grass snake in the picture was seen in our garage. This was removed to a better location. During the year, I have now seen 5 newts around the garden, the one in the picture above was seen this September. Whilst tidying the pond yesterday, 2 frogs were seen for the first time." |
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Produced by the Community Heritage Initiative, which was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Rutland County Council
Page Last Updated: 25 November 2008
