A natural history of Britain

Best wildlife iphone apps

A few good wildlife apps for iphone / itouch are starting to trickle onto the market. The best is probably the Collins British Wildlife Photoguide, priced at £5.99 which is an app version of a large book. The Guardian notes “Arranged by taxonomy – mammals, invertebrates, butterflies and moths, birds and so on – it features photos and brief descriptions of over 1,500 species. The navigation is a bit fiddly and there’s no identification feature, so you need to know what you’re looking at or be willing to scroll through several pages to get a match.”

In the same article they recommend a guide to 24 of Britain’s trees and a guide to European bird songs - but this only features 80 species. When are they going to produce an app for the Collins bird guide?

Green apps for iphone / itouch, Green shopping, Wildlife identification guides for Britain, iphones / itouch for naturalists | Tags: bird song apps, Collins bird guide app for iphone, iphone apps for butterflies, iphone apps for mammals, itouch apps for Britain, Nature apps for iphone, Using iphone to identify wildlife|

Squirrel-proof Birdfeeders

For those who don’t succumb to the charms of grey squirrels, keeping them off the bird feeder is a challenge.  There are plenty of ideas on the forums, such as placing a table on top of a greased pole, or capitulating by scattering food on the ground to distract the squirrels and give the birds a chance.  If unwanted rodents are consuming kilos of bird food, it might be worth investing in a specially designed squirrel-proof bird feeder.  Those sold by the RSPB include conventional seed and nut dispensers caged within bars too narrow for a squirrel to pass through.  Then there’s the robust–looking Squirrel Buster, which automatically closes down when something heavier than a small bird tries to access the food.  It’s the most expensive option, but comes with a life-time guarantee. Not bad considering the fearless acrobatics and determined wire-chewing tendencies of squirrels.
View at the RSPB

Green shopping, Wildlife in gardens in Britain | Tags: anti-squirrel bird feeder, best squirrel proof bird feeder, good quality bird feeder, how to deter squirrels from the bird feeder, how to keep squirrels off the birdfeeder, squirrels steal bird food|

Foxes as pets?

Cute they may be, but this article in The Guardian thinks that it is not a good idea to keep a fox  as a pet. Others agree. the US foxes.org list these reasons

• They smell as strong as a skunk in close quarters, and although it is theoretically possible to have their scent glands removed, this is not very healthy and will not eliminate the smell of their urine, which is very powerful.
• Foxes need a huge amount of space in which to run.
• Foxes love to dig, and can easily dig out of a yard or through a sofa.
• Foxes are at high risk to carry rabies. In many areas, there is no approved rabies vaccine for foxes; even if you have papers proving your fox has been vaccinated, some states will still have it destroyed and tested if it bites someone.
• Because foxes are at high risk, you MUST get it vaccinated. This can prove very difficult. Veterinarians need a special license to treat wildlife, which many don’t have, because it’s a high-risk, low-reward proposition.
• Lastly, it is very likely that a fox you own as a pet will be very unhappy. Many wild animals become depressed when removed from their natural habitat, and foxes are subject to depression as much as any other animal.

Green shopping, Mammals of Britain, foxes in Britain | Tags: Pet foxes, urban foxes|

The best bird feeders

Useful list of the best or at least most unusual bird feeders on the market put together by The Guardian here. I liked particularly the above mobile bird feeder. Meanwhile the RSPB’s national Feed the birds weekend starts tomorrow.

Green garden products, Green shopping | Tags: Encouraging birds in your garden, interesting birdfeeders, unsual birdfeeders|

Turtle shopping trolleys

Shopping trolleys have lost their social stigma, partly because of pleasingly designed trolleys like these. Using one will help avoid unnecessary use of plastic bags and also contribute to saving turtles in Sri Lanka where the Turtle Trolley was created. Turtle bags online shop

Green gifts, Green household products, Green shopping | Tags: ecological shopping trolley, green idea for present, save turtles with shopping trolley, trolly gift idea|

Birds sharing nest boxes

The RSPB have put out a reminder that now is a good moment to clean out nest boxes and put up new ones, since birds begin searching for likely sites well in advance of spring. And a sure sign that more nest boxes are needed in the area is when different species are found sharing the same space. This occurs particularly with barn owl boxes, since holes in trees or old buildings suitable for larger birds are becoming harder to find. The photograph shows barn owl and kestrel chicks being raised together. Great and blue tits are also known to share. RSPB

Birds of Britain, Birds of prey of Britain, Green shopping, Wildlife in gardens in Britain | Tags: barn owl boxes used by other species, barn owls and kestrels use same nest box, best time to clean put up new nest boxes, putting up nest boxes|

Saving the Red Squirrel

Research into the pox being spread by the resistant grey squirrel, which is decimating the vulnerable red squirrel population, is underway in Liverpool University. Dead red squirrels with antibodies to the virus have been found in the National Trust woods at Formby, giving hope that a vaccine or controlled breeding programme can save the species. The work is urgent, as grey squirrels are now expanding into Scotland, despite all attempts at creating buffer zones and culling.  Guardian

Green shopping, Mammals of Britain, Uncategorized, squirrels in Britain | Tags: hope for red squirrel vaccination, red squirrel in danger of extinction, red squirrels in Formby, research into squirrel virus|

Mushrooms: River Cottage Handbook

This book comes recommended as both inspirational and practical. Author John Wright captures the fun of picking edible wild fungi and then transforming them into delicious meals. Packed with mushroom-lore and illustrations, with a section on poisonous fungi, it’s small enough to take out on forays. Particularly good for transmitting confidence to novice pickers.  See on Amazon

Green gifts, Green shopping, Mushrooms of Britain, Wild foods in Britain | Tags: gift for mushroom lover, gift for someone who likes mushrooms, guide book to wild mushroom, guidebook for picking mushrooms, mushroom identification book, mushrooms in Britain, wild mushroom recipes|

Wildlife calendar

The remarkable BBC documentary Secrets of the Sett filmed badgers making their beds before venturing out for a night’s foraging. Indeed, one of the signs of an inhabited sett is old straw left at the entrance by house-proud badgers. Cornish wildlife artist Dick Twinney has captured this aspect of badger behaviour in an engaging painting, included in the 2100 calendar he’s put together. Take a look at his keenly observed and vividly textured images in the Living Countryside calendar available in a limited number of 500 signed editions.

Badgers in Britain, Green gifts, Green shopping, Nature in art and literature, Wildlife paintings of Britain | Tags: attractive nature calendar, badgers changing their bedding, christmas nature gift, Cornwall artist Dick Twinney, Dick Twinney, gift idea for nature lover, nature calendar for 2100|

Best value night vision scope

What is the best value night scope on the market? The Yukon Exelon 3×50 won the ‘wildlife on test in June 2009 issue of BBC Wildlife. They recommended it for its ease of use, size and clarity of image. Cost was 235 pounds. More here

Green shopping, Wildlife watching equipment | Tags: Night vision equipment, Watching animals at night|

Best supermarkets for wildlife

This August’s 2009 issue of BBC Wildlife has a feature on the most and least wildlife friendly supermarkets in Britain. Marks and Spencer’s comes out top, followed by The Cooperative. Worst of those tested were ASDA and Tesco. Tested points were: air miles, animal welfare, climate change, fair trade, fish, GM food, organics and pesticides and palm oil.

Green shopping | Tags: Best supermarket for air miles, Best supermarket for animal welfare, Best supermarket for climate change, Best supermarket for fair trade, Best supermarket for GM food, Best supermarket for organics and pesticides, Best supermarket for palm oil, Best supermarket for sustainable fish, Marks and Spencers wildlife, Most environmentally-friendly supermarkets in Britain, Most wildlife friendly supermarkets in Britain|

Red light for night walking

Left to their own devices, your eyes can adapt to the darkness by producing a photosensitive chemical called rhodopsin.  But once you turn on the torch the rhodopsin breaks down and your built-up night vision is lost.  That’s why a headlamp with a red light setting is strongly recommended for night time activities.  Red light is enough to read a map, but won’t leave you blinded. The Ramblers Association has a list of head torches of all shapes and sizes, like the recommended Petzl e+LITE pictured above.

Green shopping, Outdoor activities, Walking gear | Tags: head torches, head torches with red light, headlamps with red light, recommended head torch with red light, walking at night|

Stealth clothing

Stealth gear sell the ultimate in clothing for wildlife enthuiasts and nature geeks. Perfect for wildlife photographers. Visit

Green shopping, Wildlife watching equipment | Tags: best clothes for watching wildlife, Clothing for watching wildlife, nature watching clothing, photographers clothing, photography clothing, Stealth wildlife gear, wildlife photography accessories|

Urban beehives

Urban beekeeping is becoming all the rage in Britain. Omlet offers rather attractive hives as pictured above, perfect for installation in a garden or rooftop. They claim the hive, the beehaus, is inspired by the way bees live in the wild and built on the classic principles of beekeeping. They also provide service and support to keep bees in your garden. They also say the beehaus is specially designed for keeping bees in your garden or rooftop. See also New plastic hive promises affordable beekeeping (Guardian)

Beekeeping in Britain, Green garden products, Green shopping, urban nature in Britain | Tags: beehaus, Beehaus reviews, Beekeeping in the UK, Bees of Britain, Best beehives, British Honeybees, keeping bees in your garden, Urban beekeeping, where can I buy beehives|

Organic garden in Essex

Audley End is a Jacobean stately home owned by English Heritage. Its kitchen garden looks much as it would have done in late Victorian times, full of vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. It is cultivated organically (Soil Association certified), the produce ending up in the English Heritage shop on site. Audley End

There are three garden areas  - the Historic Garden, the 21st Century Garden, the Orchard.

The 21st Century garden is situated behind the back sheds. It has been developed to display the modern methods used in organic gardening. The side borders have been designed to provide a habitat for a diverse range of wildlife, especially butterflies. The central compartment has a grass and clover lawn with a lavender hedge.

Green shopping, Organic holidays in England, Organic produce for sale | Tags: Audley End, Buying organic vegetables in Essex, English Heritage organic gardens, garden, Most interesting gardens in England, Organic days out near London, Organic produce in Essex, Stately homes in Essex, Victorian gardens in Essex, Where to buy organic vegetables in Essex|