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A friend of mine recently found a juvenile hedgehog. It was curled in a ball in the middle of the road, with cars whizzing past. Had my friend not been in the right place at the right time, this young hoglet would almost certainly have met a sticky

of satisfaction. I'm always keen to attract wildlife, and I'm pleased that this time it worked. Old nesting material can harbour diseases, pests and parasites, which can carry over from one season to the next if it's not removed. So I need to get the ladder out

The foxes have been busy in my garden again. I haven’t seen them recently, but they leave their tell-tale signs. Occasionally I have cause to curse them, notably when I move the kids’ climbing frame to mow the lawn and find a putrescent latrine in the damp grass. Other times they...

For Christmas this year, all my friends and relatives will be receiving bird boxes. I’ve developed something of an obsession with DIY bird boxes, and currently have a pile of them in my front room, waiting to be wrapped in festive paper. I feel like

Within days, two scientific reports on Britain’s wildlife have made national news headlines because of their dire prognoses. The State of the UK’s Birds 2012, produced by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, British Trust for Ornithology

No, it’s not quite time for hibernation yet. Just a bit of sun in the garden and all kinds of intriguing insects are out again. I thought maybe I’d seen the last of this year’s hoverflies, but a drowsy marmalade fly, Episyrphus balteatus, is twitching its wings on an ivy leaf. I ...

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Europe’s smallest bird. I would have expected such an occasion to take place in a pine forest or a large rural garden, but this chance encounter occurred on a scrubby piece of park just behind the Hackney Road, in Bethnal Green. Cars, buses ...

I hope you had a good Christmas and a break from your normal routine - maybe a little extra sleep and a lot of extra time in the garden or greenhouse. I’m enjoying the post-Christmas peace and quiet, and the chance to spot some winter birdlife. At this time of year, I make sure t...

I recently visited the home of Sue Kidger, a hedgehog carer from Twickenham. As far as I’m aware she’s the only hedgehog carer in the south London area. Sue’s transformed the top floor of her house into a rehabilitation centre-cum-hog hospital, which has 20 cages full of sick, in...

and cotoneaster. But what I’d really like is a crab apple. It’s probably not the best option for my small, shady plot, as it requires a fair amount of sun, but I think I might chance it. A friend has one growing in her garden and I always feel a pang of jealousy