nuthatch

First time we have seen a nuthatch in our garden - terrible photo, but we were really excited to see it! Most of the peanuts we put out were taken by the Jay, but never managed to get a photo unfortunately!

rat

I know that lots of people will be thinking "yuck" at this one, but when we saw this rat eating nettle flowers whilst out for a walk across the farmland on the outskirts of Welwyn Garden City it really did look very cute and well deserving of a photo I think...

frog

Whilst wandering up to Chew Reservoir in the Peak District to meet my Duke of Edinburgh group I paused to look in a large "puddle" on the peaty moorland on the way up. Mainly because with just a month to go before my baby arrived I was finding the going a little tough! I saw this fantastic frog and was really fascinated by the way the colours looked in the tea-coloured waters of the puddle.

male stag beetle

In June we saw this fantastic stag beetle (right) in mum's garden in Dibden Purlieu, New Forest, Hampshire. There were lots flying about in the evening looking like clumsy black fairies! We did not manage to snap one in flight, but here is one from Wikipedia (left) which shows just how fairy-like they are!!

wheatear

In the last week of April we saw five wheatears including two pairs in the fields next to Cole Green Lane Cycle Path in Welwyn Garden City. Once we got into May we did not see them again so they must have moved on. The birds were a long way off when we saw them so there was no chance for a photo, but I have included one which I found on the Surrey Bird Club website at www.sbclub.ukonline.co.uk

pintails at rainham marshes

We went on a trip to Rainham Marshes RSPB reserve on a coach trip with the local Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust group. We saw loads of bird including Pintails which was the first time we had ever seen these. Unfortunately we did not get a good picture of them so I have included a picture I found at www.uvm.edu instead.

Species list for this trip:
Black-headed gull, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Cormorant, Fieldfare, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Kingfisher, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Little Grebe, Mallard, Moorhen, Pied Wagtail, Pochard, Reed Bunting, Shelduck, Snipe, Stonechat, Wigeon, Wren, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Coot, Dunnock, Gadwall, Great Tit, Kestrel, Lapwing, Little Egret, Magpie, Mistle Thrush, Mute Swan, Pintail, Redwing, Robin, Shoveler, Starling, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon (39 species)