Brancaster and Brancaster Staithe

Brancaster is actually made up of 2 villages, Brancaster and Brancaster  Staithe. Brancaster is mainly residential, with all the interest centered on Brancaster Staithe, a working fishing village. Many local families still make their living by fishing from the staithe, which has always been famous for its first class shellfish. You can buy their catch from stalls either at the staithe or on...

‘Speckled Wood’ Butterfly

The Speckled Wood butterfly occurs in woodland, gardens and hedgerows. Butterflies often perch in sunny spots, spiralling into the air to chase each other. The aptly named Speckled Wood flies in partially shaded woodland with dappled sunlight. The male usually perches in a small pool of sunlight, from where it rises rapidly to intercept any intruder. Both sexes feed on honeydew in the tree...

The Wren is a tiny brown bird, although it is heavier and not as slim as the even smaller Goldcrest

A tiny brown bird, the Wren is dumpy, almost rounded, with a fine bill, quite long legs and toes, very short round wings and a short, narrow tail which is sometimes cocked up vertically. For such a small bird it has a remarkably loud voice. The Wren is one of our most widespread breeding birds, found in all but some of the most remote and high-altitude parts of the...

Blue Tit

Smaller than the great tit, the blue tit is also a bird of woodland, parks and gardens. It nests in holes in trees, but is just as happy to use nestboxes. Blue tits are active feeders, hunting out insects and spiders among the smaller branches and leaves of trees in woodlands. But they are also well-adapted to gardens and towns and will visit birdtables and peanut feeders; they are even famed...