by Sarah Cochrane | Jan 3, 2026 | Wildlife, Environment
The common toad is one of only two toads native to the UK; the other toad is the natterjack, which is smaller than the common toad, much rarer, and tends to live in coastal areas, in sand dunes and sandy heaths. With photographs taken by Sally Murray, as she was...
by Sarah Cochrane | Nov 25, 2025 | Wildlife, Environment
Don’t panic! This beautiful caterpillar, photographed locally by Marilyn Hepworth in her garden, is the larva or child stage of the Privet Hawk-moth (or Sphinx ligustri). It was seen feeding on her lilac, although as its name suggests, the...
by Sarah Cochrane | Nov 5, 2025 | Plant Life, Environment
This fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), native to the UK and one of the most easily recognisable fungi in the world, was photographed near the golf course. The bright red cap with white spots and white gills, is a sign that autumn has arrived. The fly agaric is...
by Sarah Cochrane | Nov 5, 2025 | Plant Life, Environment
This common fungus (Coprinus comatus) is the shaggy mane or shaggy ink cap, sometimes called the ‘lawyer’s wig’. The cylindrical mushroom has soft, delicate scales and fragrant nutty smell. It is sometimes confused with the poisonous common ink cap, which has a...
by Sarah Cochrane | Nov 5, 2025 | Wildlife, Environment
This is one of the most common of the 650 species of spider found in the UK and is known to most as the Garden Spider or Garden Cross Spider, as a distinct white cross can be seen on the spider’s back (this photo shows the underside of the spider). It is found, as the...
