Author Archives: jonathan

The last year has been a very challenging time, not just for us humans but also for wild animals. Last years first lockdown situation did help out wildlife to some extent but it was short lived. At first people didn’t … Continue reading →

I found a ball or woven mollinia grass on a heathland path, I knew it to be the nest of one of Europe’s smallest rodents, the harvest mouse. I gathered it up and noticed that it was rather heavy although … Continue reading →

the only mygalamorph spider to live in Northern areas like the Arctic circle is Atypus . We have A. affinis in the UK. It is common on our southern Heathland at least and can be seen wondering around looking for … Continue reading →

This winter we have had snow, very unusually and lots of it. it is of course a good time to get out and track wild animals. One of the most surprising aspects of this field work is to find the … Continue reading →

Local people who live around Bournemouth ,Christchurch and Ringwood areas will no doubt be aware of the new surface to the A338 Bournemouth spur road to Ashley heath roundabout. It has been recently re-surfaced ,widened in some areas and has … Continue reading →

Water troughs for livestock are often vital living and breeding grounds for a variety of small creatures, mainly water creatures such as bugs. Water beetles and flying bugs such as pond skaters and boatmen fly and they rely on reflecting … Continue reading →

As usual I am very worried regarding the future of our lowland heaths. There are meant to be stringent laws and regulations regarding the protection of these rare habitats and one would have thought that over the last few decades … Continue reading →

In 2014, myself along with four other people went to Madagascar to study the diverse wildlife. The island of the east coast of Africa is amazing and very bio-diverse. Like all tropical areas it is under great pressure from human … Continue reading →

The common mole can be found dead along paths and roadsides now as young animals leave their parent. They are very vulnerable especially males as they are chucked out of the underground nests more abruptly and are forced to cover … Continue reading →

The suborder of spiders known as mygalomorphae, comprise the so called tarantula spiders;a misnomer as there is only one true tarantula spider and it is a small member of the Alopecosa(tarentula), of which are several similar species. One of which … Continue reading →