photo credit: Duncan~

Around our shore there are two commonly seen British seals – namely the Grey Seal and the Common Seal. While at first glance one seal may look very much like another when you know what you’re looking for these two species are actually surprisingly easy to tell apart.

Whilst factors such as colouration, size and habitat can all play a part in correctly identifying seals there is one tip that will let you tell the difference between Common Seals and Grey Seals easily and quickly.

If you’re in the right part of the country, such as Blakeney Point in Norfolk, you can often see seals hauled up out of the water, bathing in the sunshine to dry out their fur and generally having a good scratch.

But most siting of seals are of one or more of these mammals swimming along in the sea with just their head above the water as they keep an eye out for both predators and prey. Fortunately it’s the head that is the ideal identification tool when it comes to deciding whether what you just saw was a Common or Grey Seal meaning that it’s virtually impossible to see a seal in the UK without being able to tell what species it is.

Grey Seal

The grey seal has an elongated head often likened to that of a dog with a long, upturned snout giving it a slightly more predactory look. Take a look at the following photo to get a better idea of the general head shape of a grey seal:

photo credit: Szymon Nitka

Common Seal

The common seal (which incidentally isn’t as common as the grey seal these days!) has a shorter snout and generally a rounder, “cuter” face. It’s the type of face guaranteed to get an “aah!” from children when they see one while the grey seal, whilst attractive in it’s own right, is far less appealing to eye for many people. Here’s a photo of a common seal to illustrate the point:

photo credit: davharuk

Test Time!

So as you can see these two species have very different face/head shapes and can quite easily be told apart. You’ve read the descriptions and seen the pictures so here are a few more for you to test your newfound knowledge out on – answers at the end!

Seal Photo 1:

photo credit: Sequoia Hughes

Seal Photo 2:

photo credit: kevinzim

Answers: picture number one is a common seal while picture number two is a grey seal. Did you get them right?!

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photo credit: anabis

Britain is home to an amazing six species of native reptile which for a climate like ours never ceases to amaze me. Note that one can also see the Green Lizard (Lacerta viridis) on the isle of Jersey though it appears to be absent from the rest of the UK.

The general list of British reptiles is:

- The Common (or Viviparous) Lizard (Lacerta vivipara)
- The Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis) – now very scarce
- The Slow Worm (Anguis fragilis)
- The Grass Snake (Natrix natrix)
- The Adder (or Viper) (Vipera berus)
- The Smooth Snake (Coronella austriaca) – also sadly very rarely seen these days

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photo credit: Benimoto

Whilst I love to see butterflies, I am far from an expert and so regularly find myself leafing through books and websites to learn more about a species I have seen recently.

During my research I have come across a number of useful online resources for identifying British butterflies and their caterpillars and thought that it might be useful for other readers to gather the best resources into one place.

Possibly the best place to start your identification journey is with a visit to Butterfly Conservation’s UK Butterflies site which has neatly categorized all of the UK butterfly species, with clear photos of each making identification reasonably easy for most species.

As well as the photos, this site also groups butterflies by type, helping to narrow down your search and also has a handy “Flying This Week” chart on the left-hand side of the page which is a great place to start your hunt.

Butterfly Conservation’s main website also has some very useful resources including a complete A to Z listing of UK butterflies and a special “butterfly identifier” where you can select options from a form which will then offer up possible identifications.

Also worth mentioning is UK Leps which has lots of nice photos and information but unfortunately there is no overview feature. Because of this, UK Leps is probably not so useful for identification when compared to the two Butterfly Conservation websites but once you have worked out what your butterfly is, the site provides plenty more useful information on the species.

Whilst the flying adult butterflies are often the most visible form, it is of course not unusual to find caterpillars and these can potentially be even more problematic to identify.

What’s That Caterpillar is a great resource for identification of British caterpillars. To make your identification a little easier, try to identify the actual plant that you find the caterpillar on and then use one of the various lists of larval food plants to narrow down the options.

Some of the best lists of larval food plants I have found are Foremost Butterflies and Over The Garden Gate.

Lastly, if you have some top identification websites that you use for lepidoptera, please leave me a comment so we can all benefit from your knowledge

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photo credit: Cheloran ©

The common lizard is the UK’s most widely spread lizard and possibly the most commonly seen reptile of all in Britain. Like all lizards it needs the warmth of the sun in order to get going and so a walk early in the morning on a sunny day gives you a great chance to see them.

However lizards are wary and quick-moving so you need to tread carefully if you want to get a better view than simply a brown tail disappearing into the undergrowth! But take your time and get a close look and you will find that the common lizard is really a tremendously pretty creature.

Appearance

The viviparous lizard (Lacerta vivipara) is not a large lizard by any stretch of the imagination and including the tail may only grow to around 12-15cm though many species seen are a lot smaller. As the name suggests these lizards typically give birth to live young rather than laying eggs so one may see portly female in the summer and soon afterwards tiny baby lizards.

The common lizard is a basic brown colour with a reasonably blunt head though some specimens may be seen with a variety of darker mottling and speckling on them. If you see a lizard in the wild in Britain it is *almost* certain to be the common lizard.

Habitat

Common lizards were once widespread and I remember seeing them as a child simply running around people’s gardens in the height of summer. As with all other creatures though habitat loss and the building of roads has reduced the places in which you may see these creatures.

Common lizards may be found in grassland and meadows, basking on walls in summer, on sand dunes but the most likely place to see them in my experience is on heathland. Find your local heath with it’s unique habitat and walk slowly and quietly on a summers day for the best possible chance of seeing this amazing creature.

Food

The common lizard like most other lizards is carnivorous and will eat virtually anything it can get in it’s mouth. Due to the small size of this lizard this typically means invertebrates of which grasshoppers are possibly the most common given the habitat and time of year that common lizards are at their most active.

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photo credit: anemoneprojectors

Despite the dreadful weather forecast for the Easter weekend I’m pleased to say that I managed to get out on Easter Sunday and whilst there was a lot of cloud I managed to avoid getting wet.

Signs of spring were everywhere. The streets around where I live are alive with cherry blossom turning the gutters pink, while I also saw my first swallow of the year hunting over farmland in Sussex.

Despite a flock of long-tailed tits driving me to drink as I attempted (and failed) to stalk and photograph them for a good half hour, I was amazed to see so much plant life. This really is one of my absolute favourite times of year as all the plants look so new and fresh and lush.

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) was in bloom and I managed to get a snap of an early bee feeding on the nectar the plant was giving out. It seems that the leaves themselves are just starting to break out of their buds and so should be taking their proper form over the next few weeks.

Blackthorn Blossom And Bee

Silverweed, cleavers and many more wild plants were all seen bursting into growth though those early spring flowers which bring colour (and essential nectar) to the countryside were the real high points for me.

Here are just a few I found on Easter Sunday:

Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria)

Lesser Celandine

Common Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)

Common Comfrey

Common Dog-Violet (Viola riviniana)

Common Dog-Violet

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photo credit: Minette Layne

Most authorities agree there are six species of amphibian in the UK at present, though tiny populations of some other amphibians have been found over the years (such as the Marsh Frog). Some discussion still exists as to whether these are rare natives or introduced animals which have been released by exotic pet keepers.

The general list of British amphibians is:

- Common Frog (Rana temporaria)
- The Common Toad (Bufo bufo)
- The Natterjack Toad (Bufo calamita) – very scarce and so rarely seen
- The Common (or Smooth) Newt (Triturus vulgaris)
- The Palmate Newt (Triturus helveticus)
- The Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus)

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photo credit: raneko

Like many animals, common frogs exist in a range of different colour forms. Typically green or brown in colour, one also may see bright yellow/green versions and also some orange/red specimens.

Nobody seems totally sure whether this is due to genetic variations or differences in habitat or diet but I think the picture above illustrates the point well where a red female can be seen mating with a more standard coloured male.

Note that according to Froglife, the conservation charity, red frogs are not too unusual and some females reportedly *turn* red during the breeding season for whatever reason.

Red Common Frog Seen In Scotland Recently

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photo credit: drplokta

The dunnock (Prunella modularis) is a reasonably common bird in the UK though it’s shyness can mean fewer people see this species than perhaps could. Initially looking rather a drab grey and brown bird, a closer inspection reveals beautiful, subtle colouration.

Appearance:

The adult dunnock has a finely mottled brown body with a mainly grey head and while that doesn’t sound like the most interesting bird under the sun they are actually very neat looking birds. Once you have seen one for the first time this should be a reasonably easy bird to identify in the future.

Habitat:

The dunnock can be found among a range of different habitats though it’s shyness means it is likely to be seen most often in dense areas of plan growth such as woodland and hedges. The photo on this page was taken at a wetland nature reserve where the bird was spotted in amongst the reedbed.

Food:

The dunnock enjoys a mainly insectivorous diet of caterpillars, flying insects and so on.

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photo credit: Marco Hebing

Whilst superficially resembling the lesser spotted woodpecker this species is far more likely to be seen. Not only is it larger and far more common but the rump is a right, bright scarlet which is typically missing in the other species.

Appearance:

The great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) is a smart-looking bird with mottled black and white plumage. The long beak used for drilling holes and finding food is clear but the most noticeable factors are the bright red on the top of the head and the rump making this an easy to distinguish bird.

As with many woodpeckers they are most often seen clinging onto the trunk of a tree in a vertical position while searching for food.

Habitat:

These birds are most often seen in deciduous woodland which provide them with both nesting places and food. They may ocassionally be attracted to gardens but are generally rarer in this habitat than the green woodpecker with it’s characteristic “yaffle” call.

Food:

The great spotted woodpecker typically favours and insectivorous diet of grub and caterpillars. These are often found under the bark of trees and one may observe a woodpecker carefully listening for telltale signs of grubs when perching on a tree. They may feed on peanuts or fat balls in a garden environment.

Interesting Facts:

These birds may be seen very early in the year searching for mates. It is not uncommon even in December to see two or more great spotted woodpeckers chasing each other around a forest making their squaking call while they choose a mate for the following season.

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photo credit: foxypar4

The goldfinch in one of Britains most colourful birds and is easily identifiable by it’s unique red and white striped face.

Appearance:

The goldfinch is a small bird of around the size of a great tit. The most noticeable characteristics of the bird are the bright red stripe on a white background seen on the head and also the yellow splash on the wing.

Habitat:

Less common than some of our other finches but the goldfinch is most often seen in woodland, in trees surrounding parks and garden or eating from bird feeders.

Food:

The goldfinch is mainly a seed eater and will visit garden bird tables and feeders. They enjoy many wild seeds particularly those of the thistle which they may be seen plucking in winter months.

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