Author Archives: dogsdave

Sometimes its easy to be jealous. This beauty was not recorded in our garden, but instead was found by our neighbour in hers. This is the Eyed Hawkmoth, a species we have never recorded in our garden so not on our species list (yet!). It’s called the Eyed Hawkmoth due to the pattern on itsContinue reading “Eyed Hawkmoth”

Apart from having one heck of a Latin name, the female of the wasp species Gasteruption jaculator has what must be one of the longest ovipositors relative to it’s size. These guys are often overlooked but relatively regular visitors to the garden. If you happen to have a bee hotel and even luckier to haveContinue reading “Gasteruption jaculator (and the cucumber spider)”

Finally, we have a garden record for the largest hoverfly found in Great Britain. We’d been wondering when it would show up as it’s not at all rare in the South of England. At first, admittedly without glasses on, we thought this was a Hornet (another species we are stilling waiting to record) and atContinue reading “Volucella zonaria”

Our March 2022 garden calendar update is now on the Wildlife Garden website. An unusually sunny March, although it seems a long time ago now with the wet start to April. Lots of inverts making an early appearance this year. Be interesting to know what wildlife others have seen in the Brislington area this March.Continue reading “March 2022”

The end of winter was a grey and wet affair in Bristol, especially considering the dry winter we have witnessed. Hibernation and dormancy in many species is coming to an end and resident wildlife, as well as those species that just like to visit, are slowly becoming apparent. See our diary entry for February 2022Continue reading “February 2022”

Progress in the garden is slow as one would expect in January, but there is always plenty going on and worth keeping an eye out for firsts of the year. Firsts of the year! Blackbirds, Carrion Crows, Black caps, Robins, Blue Tits, Gold Finch and Starlings have all been about in good numbers. A smallContinue reading “January 2022”

Well, it’s a new year and it didn’t take long to confirm our latest new garden species, and we are so glad to see another species of spider. Zygiella x-notata is a very common species and we have likely just overlooked it to date. Viewed up close it really is a fantastic looking animal, whichContinue reading “Zygiella x-notata – New Garden Species”

Black ants are a part of everyday life for most of us, and a nuisance to some when they infiltrate our homes. But watch them in the garden, even for a short while and you will likely notice some form of interesting behaviour. In our 15th Article we look at some of the observations weContinue reading “The Black Ant – Lasius niger”

Article 14 of our project to record and attract wildlife to a garden in Brislington focuses on one of the most colourful, advantageous (if you’re a gardener) and numerous insects that, whilst perhaps not as appreciated as the average butterfly or bumblebee, are just as interesting and important. In this article we also cover whatContinue reading “Introducing the Hoverflies!”

As one aim of Wildlifegarden.org is to demonstrate the amazing diversity of life that can still be found in our gardens and open spaces, in particular around the Brislington area of Bristol, we will be focusing on the more obscure species just as much as the common things we sometimes take for granted. To thisContinue reading “Hazel Aphid / Leek Moth / Minettia fasciata”