Towns and gardens
Built up areas and gardens might seem unlikely places for finding wildlife. But maybe surprisingly they can provide homes for some of our most amazing wildlife, from city peregrines to urban otters!
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Water vole by Terry Whittaker/2020VISION
Chwilio
Wooing in the wild
A peek at the passionate world of animal courtship
Large white
The large white is a common garden visitor - look out for its brilliant white wings, tipped with black.
Tufted duck
This comical little duck lives up to its name – look out for the black tuft of feathers on its head!
Painted lady
A well-travelled migrant, the painted lady arrives here every summer from Europe and Africa. This beautiful orange-and-black butterfly regularly visits gardens.
Lizard orchid
The petals of the rare Lizard orchid's flowers form the head, legs and long tail of a lizard. They are greenish, with light pink spots and stripes, and smell strongly of goats! Spot this tall…
Bizarre bums
In the animal kingdom, bums can do so much more than just poo! Discover some weird and wonderful animal bums.
Water stick insect
The water stick insect looks just like a mantis. An underwater predator, it uses its front legs to catch its prey. Its tail acts as a kind of 'snorkel', so it can breathe in the water.…
Secret garden
Whether big or small, gardens can be full of magic. They can provide a home for all sorts of awesome wildlife, and be full of the wonders of nature. What can you do to look after your garden for wildlife this autumn?
Bewick's swan
A winter visitor, the well-travelled Bewick's swan is the smallest of our swans. It has more black on its yellow-and-black bill than the whooper swan. Look out for it around Eastern England…
Ashy mining bee
This black and grey solitary bee takes to the wing in spring, when it can be seen buzzing around burrows in open ground.
Small white
The small white is a common garden visitor. It is smaller than the similar large white, and has less black on its wingtips.