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Nearly back to normal now, after Christmas and New Year. Sunday saw us with 3-year-old scooting in Dulwich Park. Thankfully there was no wind, because it was blisteringly cold, and the ground was still covered in frost. So when I saw a small bird

On holiday in northern France last week I was struck by the similarities in the landscape, but very subtle differences in the wildlife.With its gently rolling hills, hedges, grazing meadows, small woods, narrow lanes and winding streams, I could

My two compost bins are being very productive. As well as yielding their first crop of usable compost, now spread over back and front gardens to great effect, they are also home to a heaving mass of wildlife. Every time I open the lids a great cloud

it was more of a slug hunt rather than a bug hunt, as the cold drizzle set in for most of the day. So when a local gardener brought out her bottle of beetles, she was just joining in the fun of it all. Of course, they were rosemary leaf beetles, Chrysolina

in hurtling after him on one of the girl's chrome scooters. There are two reasons to go down to the park: one is to wear out small boy fuelled by roast lunch and too many home-made buns, and the other is to have a look and see what I can find in the way

There are wolf spiders all over my garden, so last week I had the Ivydale School Natural History Club semaphore signalling across the classroom. There is a connection … honest.These are great little spiders, very distinctive, unless you need to know

. Today, having served their purpose, all of the small green triangular petals and half-shrivelled stamens are falling to the ground in a constant whispering cascade.Tuesday 10th Hummingbird hawkmoths pester the single small buddleja bush and a few

I've always been rather sceptical about the benefits of bug boxes, ladybird and lacewing hotels and other artificial constructions marketed to improve the roosting conditions for helpful insects in the garden. I was once given a solar-powered insect

After the wet and dismal weekend, I take a tentative stroll in the garden on a clear and bright Tuesday morning, and discover the first newt of the year sitting motionless at the bottom of the pond. I know it has been down there all winter

, hordes of them. Now this is a puzzle. I hardly ever see sparrows in London. Admittedly there is a small gang of about a dozen in the block of back gardens in my East Dulwich street. I've come to pay them very close attention because I know sparrows