Tireless brimstone lifts the spirits
The brimstone butterfly is typically the first butterfly of the year to emerge and widely regarded as the ‘harbinger of spring.’
Late night polecat encounter
Although there was something of the Pepé Le Pews about the animal, I was sure what we had seen was a polecat.
Imbolc is here
Imbolc is a pagan festival held to mark the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
Stormy weather – what’s in a name?
There has been a lot of rain; there is standing water wherever you look; it has been a tad damp underfoot.
Hovering wonder
Is it possible to ‘tread air’? If it is, then the kestrel has it down to an art.
When the rains came
Each time the floodwaters arrive on the meadows, it is like a world transformed.
Mind the Sycamore Gap
Very rarely does flora make the headlines but the felling of a tree in Northumberland has been the main topic of conversation across the land.
Wayside flora on a summer’s walk
This month, my wanderings have taken me up and down the Valley Trail.
Take a leaf from Andrew’s book
Let’s get behind initiatives that look to protect and nurture our natural world.
Where have all the rabbits gone?
Only a generation ago there were so many rabbits they were seen as pests but these days you don’t see many at all.
Cow parsley’s time in the sun (and shade)
Throughout May the countryside is brimming with cow parsley flowers foaming on tall stalks along roadsides and shady woodland paths.
A nightingale sang in Cornard Park
An encounter with a nightingale is a reminder why this bird is regarded as the songster above all others.
Where wi-fi meets wildlife
Used wisely, mobile phones and apps can enhance your experience outdoors.
Look after hedges, not over them
Call me a man of simple tastes but I do love a good hedge.
Much to admire about mallards
The mallard is a stunning bird that is all too often taken for granted.
Ladybirds cluster in winter
Overwintering ladybirds are often found in clusters – a formation that offers a number of advantages to aid survival.
Time to pay attention to house sparrows
As the temperate autumn has shifted to an overcast winter, the sparrows in my garden have been a wonderful source of entertainment that brightens the day.
The fly agaric’s Christmas connections
I headed across Sudbury’s water meadows in search of toadstools and wild mushrooms – for this is the season of fungi.
Sad times on the meadows
Avian Flu has taken hold on Sudbury Common Lands.
A close-up view of waterside summer flowers
With nature, it is often the case that the closer you look, the more beauty you will find.
Kites above Suffolk are a good news story
After decades of persecution, raptors like the buzzard and red kite are now a common sight in Suffolk.
All hail the wagtail
The grey wagtail is a stunning creature, small and sleek with grey and black feathers on its back and a gorgeous yellow underbelly, and of course, a long dark tail that it wags constantly.
The watcher in the woods
The wood pigeon is widely despised and regarded as faintly ridiculous, but our countryside would be poorer without this under-appreciated bird.
Time to reflect on buttercups
One of the many gifts the Common Lands offer up to the people of Sudbury is the explosion of buttercups that appear each spring
In search of giants
A small colony of cranes are now established in Suffolk – the first time these majestic birds have lived in the county for 400 years.
The changing approach to river management
In years gone by fallen trees in rivers would have been removed by the EA but today the policy is to let nature take its course.
The blackcap heads north for winter
It was still and the sky was low with grey cloud. It seemed to me that everything else had stopped, so this solitary bird could let rip.
Where bough meets the briny
Take a walk among the magnificent maritime trees of the Shotley estuaries and you are strolling through a unique habitat.
Close encounters of the bird kind
Normally, there is not much to see at 4pm on a South Suffolk Sunday in early January but last weekend was an exception.
Cormorants make a home in Suffolk
Wildlife is under threat and many animal species are experiencing deeply concerning declines in numbers. One exception, in East Anglia at least, is the cormorant.
Ivy comes into its own in late summer
Much maligned, ivy is, in fact, a wonderful source of food and shelter for many species, including the stunning ivy bee – a relative newcomer to these shores.
Build it and they will come…
The new visitor centre at Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Carlton Marshes nature reserve is a gateway into a wildlife wonderland and sure to become a landmark in this corner of the county.
Finding wild flowers in the nooks and crannies of Suffolk towns
Our towns are home to scores of wild flowers sprouting from the pavements.
Sprung beauties bring the sound of summer
Like many insects, I remember an abundance of grasshoppers when I was a child and now I hardly see any.
All of a flutter about Suffolk’s butterflies
The Big Butterfly Count offers an opportunity to take a closer look at these winged beauties, and in Suffolk there are a number of locations where visitors can hope to see butterflies galore.
In the forest of the cuckoos
You have to get up early to meet a star of the cuckoo world – a bird that is sometimes heard but rarely seen.
Hawthorn’s festival of blossom
Those who take notice will have been quietly appreciating the transient splendour of the hawthorn blossom over the past few weeks.
Celebrating 60 years of the Suffolk Wildlife Trust
The county’s dedicated wildlife conservation charity has achieved a huge amount since its formation in 1961, but with threats to nature multiplying, its greatest challenges are yet to come.
Keeping an eye on the hares of Borley Hill
Spring is the best time to see hares as they gather in fields and prepare to box and mate.
Under the spell of Suffolk’s magical oaks
Ancient man of the forest, self-contained ecosystem, cultural icon and boundary landmark – the oak tree touches us like no other tree species.
The song flight of the skylark is poetry in motion
The rising flight and song of the skylark is one of the most thrilling wildlife displays you can hope to see in the South Suffolk countryside.
Why don’t more men do yoga? (And why they should)
Practising yoga can lead to you becoming fitter, more flexible, and help with mental health. Why then, don’t more men give it a try?
Sudbury’s special relationship with its swans
It is a sound that stops me in my tracks every time I hear it – the unmistakeable throbbing hum that emanates from the giant wings of mute swans as they fly over Sudbury.
Feathered fishermen are masters of the waiting game
Experienced anglers know that catching fish is a waiting game…enter the mysterious grey heron: the gangly inhabitant of watery landscapes; a lakeside loiterer; a prowler of ponds.
Suffolk’s disappearing wildlife
When David Attenborough speaks, people take notice – and now he is warning of an impending biodiversity crisis. But what is the situation like for wildlife in Suffolk?
Muntjac deer – friend or foe?
Within a few generations, muntjac deer have become a common sight in Suffolk – to the point where these adaptable grazers are now having an impact on our native wildlife and our dinner plates.
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