It’s such a joy to now be spotting butterflies in the garden. There are several species emerging from their winter hibernation around this time including Peacocks, Commas, Brimstones, Small Tortoiseshells and Red Admirals.

Ernie Janes (rspb-images.com)   

 Nick Upton (rspb-images.com) 

The fluttering movement and colourful beauty of butterflies can somehow seem like the cherry on the cake in a spring/ summer garden…

The Colchester Natural History Society is running a survey at the moment to find out more about the wildlife in our gardens at this time.They are asking people to record the wildlife they see in their garden with details of what kind of garden they have.

Alternatively, participants can record what they see in a local space whilst they are out for their daily exercise /dog walk.

Any submissions will be greatly appreciated…

Video clip: Ros Kelsey

Ray Kennedy (rspb-images.com)   Ray Kennedy (rspb-images.com)

During April, we start to see frogs and newts emerging in at the pond at Flatford in anticipation for the mating season.

We usually see the more common “Smooth” newt but while the garden is closed we unfortunately won’t be there to identify the species and witness the activity. The newts will probably be enjoying the peace and tranquillity…

 Shirley Sampson

Hi All, 

I had such a lovely hour at the garden last week doing the insurance check – made even sweeter knowing that it might be my last for a while as it’s likely that I will be furloughed.

It was warm and sunny, and the crab apples along the main track and in the orchard are all blooming beautifully! I noticed some wood anemones (planted by us a few years back) blooming on the banks to the…

Although National Bird box week was earlier in the year: (14th-21st February), putting up a bird box at any time of year can be a great help to local birds.

With natural nesting sites being lost to new housing developments, old buildings and holes being repaired and woodland sites diminishing, we can make a huge difference in offering much homes to birds in our gardens.

At Flatford, we have seen blue tits and great…

One of the first bees beginning to emerge at this time of year in early spring is the buff-tailed bumblebee Queen. She can be easily recognised at about 2cm long, with two golden yellow bands across her fur and her a “buff”, beige coloured tail.

Sue Kennedy (rspb-images.com)

community.rspb.org.uk/.../5481.videoMEmatchsource.mp4video: Nancy Brown

Since mating last summer and hibernating over winter, these queens…

Did you see hedgehogs in your garden in the winter?

If so, that can be quite a privilege as hedgehog numbers have been drastically declining over recent years. We did seen signs of the them in the Flatford garden, (droppings mostly) but as volunteers are not there at night, we haven’t seen them in person!

            You may come across them again at this time of year when they awake from hibernation and begin foraging for…

We are very fortunate at Flatford to have the space for quite a large garden pond. We were already seeing pond plants sprouting with new green shoots and insects hovering around the water on the warmer days in March before the garden had to close.

Even without a trip to the garden centre, it could be possible to create a small pond in your own garden using either an old plastic or metal bucket or tub, plastic pots or seed…

With the much-needed lift of spring and summer to come, it’s a good time to consider bare patches in the garden and what could fill them with new colour and life.

Wildlife friendly flowers will do both and benefit our vital pollinators such as bees, butterflies, beetles, various flies and some birds and bats.

So many of these native species are in decline due to a combination of factors such as climate change, the…

But why is it so important we need to help bees? Bees are a vital species. They are perfectly adapted to pollinate, helping plants grow, breed and produce food. They do so by transferring pollen between flowering plants and so keep the cycle of life turning. If you look at the plate of food on your dinner table, bees have played their part either pollinating the many vegetables and fruits we eat directly or pollinating the…

My name is Amy and I work at Flatford Wildlife garden as the Visitor Experience Officer. During the Easter holidays families visiting the garden would have been focussing on the very important bee: learning about them through a garden trail and planting sunflower seeds which are a good nectar source for the lovable bee. Whilst the garden is closed the fun and learning doesn’t have to stop! I have attached the bee question…

With everyone now social distancing and/ or in self-isolation it’s no surprise that garden work at Flatford has had to come to a halt. It’s such a shame  as it would be a pleasure to be out there in this sunshine and it’s the time of year when everything is really coming to life!

I have emptied the greenhouse, planted as many seedlings as I could and took the rest home to look after.  I have also set…

While we are all staying home, one of the everyday lifts to our spirits can be observing the bird life in the garden.

Here in Flatford Wildlife Garden, our regular visitors at this time of year are:

Goldfinches,

Tits,

Blackbirds,

Dunnocks,

Greenfinches and even occasionally a song thrush!

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/song-thrush/

The tits and finches particularly like a mix of birdseed…

Reluctant feet have put on new school shoes and it isn’t long before the summer holidays are a distant memory. Our summer visitors have watched, drawn and attempted to identify bumble bees, measured trees to estimate their ages, made pine cone hedgehogs, starling finger puppets and bird feeders.

As usual, the star family activity of the summer has been dissection of owl pellets. Little do the local barn owls know…

A few of my favourite things about working in Flatford Wildlife Garden

Flatford Wildlife Garden is designed to inspire people to help wildlife in their own gardens. I’m the Visitor Experience Officer for the garden and so I spend most days there. We’re looking for new Welcome Team volunteers, so I thought I’d maybe tempt you by sharing a few of my favourite things . . .

https://youtu.be/WK1StCPkpJ…

A giant frog has been spotted at Flatford Wildlife Garden, just along the boardwalk, sitting right next to the pond. He doesn’t seem to be spooked by anything! Nothing to worry about though, he’s not an alien invader, but one of the characters in our new family trail. All the characters are examples of the creatures to be found in the garden, and all are hand-carved locally from sweet chestnut from Stour Woods (www.rspb…

April is a wonderful time in the garden – although it awakens slowly to the sun’s warmth, the small precious flowers that herald spring are particularly lovely – little jewel-like crocus opening to the sun and to the tiny solitary bees  that seek their pollen; the delicate beauty of dainty wild daffodils, belying their ability to withstand fickle spring weather… The sweet-violets on a sunny bank attracting…

Sometimes it’s nice to be a victim of one’s own success…. Sometimes less so! Having just planted out our spring bulbs at the wildlife garden, imagine our chagrin at finding many of our crocuses and tulips gobbled up by naughty little voles… Well, I hear you say, it IS a wildlife garden… Touché!

The ecologist in me says (once the impotent rage has subsided) that nature will soon…

Well, now the Big Garden Birdwatch is over, and we all know what birds and other creatures share our gardens with us, (https://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/ ) let’s look ahead and see what we can do to help them all through spring…. Hopefully you already have plans for putting up bird boxes for when those little blue tits get broody, but there are other creatures which also really need our help in the next few months. …

So, who’s seen a fieldfare yet this winter? I personally haven’t seen many, probably due to the strong south westerlies keeping them at home in Scandinavia, and also perhaps due to the mildness of the winter so far. (They’re just not that hungry yet) Those of you who have been lucky enough to spot fieldfares, redwings or other thrushes – I bet they were feasting on berries! I’ve seen them on rowan trees, pyracantha (also…

Written by Amber, one of our young volunteers: "I’ve only been living in the area for a short time, so joining the youth rangers seemed like a brilliant chance to meet new people and get involved with wildlife and conservation work. I wasn't wrong. From the first day I knew it was going to be a great and rewarding experience. The Youth Ranger’s work is based at Flatford, which is such a beautiful area, just bursting with…

Here at Flatford we will be offering tours of the garden every day during RHS National Gardening Week. We will be offering advice on how to make your own garden more wildlife friendly. There will also be advice on sustainable gardening, and a chance to propagate a plant or two to take home. There will be two sessions daily from Tuesday 16th until Sunday 21st, one at 12 noon and one at 2pm, which will cost £4 per person…

As the world outside our windows begins to awaken with the spring, our thoughts often turn to our gardens.... And what a fantastic time to get outside, what with spring flowers peeping, and birds singing with joy!

Gardens can be a great refuge for our wildlife, especially struggling creatures like song thrushes, hedgehogs, frogs and toads, house sparrows, bumblebees and butterflies. Did you know that gardens cover almost…

Spring has finally sprung! Well okay, maybe it hasn’t fully arrived, but it is most certainly on its way, and what better indication than the sudden burst of colour in our gardens, woodlands, and even roadside verges? The snowdrops started lifting their delicate heads a few weeks ago, and now it’s the daffodils’ turn. These simple yet beautiful flowers are easily distinguished from other springs bulbs by the long flat…

Well, we certainly got our fair share of ice and snow this year, and I’m sure we’re all looking forward to the warm days of spring. However, the cold weather of winter also brings with it a flurry of migrants from the continent, travelling to warmer climates in search of food. Amongst these are members of the thrush family; most notably the redwing and the fieldfare. Song thrushes and mistle thrushes, though sadly declining…