A  grass snake eating a frog in my back garden, just outside the back door under the washing line - not a pretty sight really but very interesting for the kids!!

The latest from Hall Farm, Brentingby. For  information about free guided farm walks visit  their website at www.brentingbymeadows.co.uk

This is a newt we found in our pond recently.  It seemed to resemble a Great Crested Newt on pictures I'd seen on other websites. He was quite large, about 8-10cm.

This was found after cleaning some leaves and pond weed from the pond.

We also seem to have several newt tadpoles, as well as possible smooth newts.

Louise Davis & Graham Beet, Rutland

I took these pictures of slow worms on Sunday 14th May in Bradgate Park. The one in the hand was found under a stone and was about 6 inches long (tail missing). The other was seen climbing the rocks near the monument and was about a foot long and looks like a male.

Andrew Morten, Groby

"There was a lovely red admiral butterfly in our garden on 4th March 2006.  We expect to get frogs, toads and newts in the garden shortly - as well as at least 5 species of dragonfly.  We have twice seen great crested newts in the garden, the last time was in 1999.  They were about 1 metre under the ground, and were found when digging foundations for an extension.  We also get regular summer visits from the hummingbird hawk moth.

We spend a lot of time looking for wildlife, but assume we are always late here.  Most things escape of course, before I can get a good photo.  A fox was within a few yards of me yesterday in the garden - camera not to hand!  Also a green woodpecker and a weasel.  The red underwing moth was last year - 30th August 2005.  The magpie moth - we had loads in the porch 11th July 2005.  The hedghog - September 2004."

Lorraine Ellison

"These photographs were taken on 26th March 2006 and show some of the frogs we have in our ponds.  The frog spawn (which is the first we have seen this year) produced seems to be far more prolific than in other years.  While afew of our frog family seemed camera shy most were not and sat sunning themselves and posing happily."

Nigel and Linda Hillyard

"We have 2 bird feeding sites about 70 metres apart, the birds are not really fussy which one they use. It just seems to depend on which one is full.  For most of last year we were visited regularly by the Greater Spotted Woodpecker, we sighted both male and female but never both together and towards the end of last season we were visited by a bird that judging by the lack of colour must have been a fledgeling.  We believe that he had been guided to our feeding site by his mother as she seemed to be in the trees while he was feeding.  The last siting was around November 2005 and to our great pleasure the male showed up again yesterday (Monday 6th March 2006)."

Nigel and Linda Hillyard

"Here are some photos taken on 19th February 2006 at our place in Coalville."

Nigel and Linda Hillyard

"We have an area dedicated to wildlife, birds, frogs, newts etc.  In this area we have a large pond for wildlife and no fish.  While doing some basic maintenence on this pond at the weekend, we caught the newt shown in the picture.  It was approx 50 mm long and golden in colour all over (the colour in the picture has not been changed).  On the same day 22nd January 2006 we found a number of much smaller examples averaging just 25mm long but perfectly formed.  We found it surprising that these newts were so small given the time of year.  Our wild life area contains a prolific quantity of toads & frogs, also many species of birds including some of the not so common species ie. nuthatch, yellow wagtails, and chifchaf.  Dunnocks, finches and house sparrows are very common with the occasional visit from the spotted woodpecker family ."

Nigel and Linda Hillyard