The UK is entering its fifth heatwave of 2026 and, among other things, it's making Himalayan Balsam suffer.
In this episode we give Balsam the one-two punch and meet Alex and Silvia from. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to learn more about their rust fungus trial - a natural solution to the spread of Himalayan Balsam.
Probably need the volume all the way up for this sorry, but does anyone have any idea what’s making these noises. It’s obviously 2 animals responding to each other, but I don’t have a clue what it is. Only been happening the last week and a half, usually between 11.30 and around 2am and we live right next to a bunch of fields
I know that this goes without saying to most folk on here but it’s so important that I think it’s worth a post…
Animals are really struggling in this heatwave so please put water out for your local wildlife if you haven’t already!
I’ve noticed so many posts about birds trying to cool down by gular fluttering (it looks like panting) and mammals behaving unusually because they’re desperate for water. My family has been finding critters that are on death’s door due to dehydration and the water bowls they’re putting out are emptied each day and night by creatures just searching for something to drink.
Even if you don’t see anything visiting it, putting out a bowl of water can make all the difference to a struggling animal.
My local wildlife trust emailed this today, and I thought it was worth sharing.
"Wildfire risk is high right now, and we need your help to protect nature! Here are some key dos and don'ts:
❌ DON'T use BBQs in wild spaces
❌ DON'T throw cigarettes on the ground
❌ DON'T park on dry grass (a hot exhaust can spark a fire)
✅ DO take rubbish home, including glass and tins
✅ DO give wildlife space and stick to paths
✅ DO move somewhere safe and call 999 if you spot a wildfire, no matter how small (download What3Words app so you can give a precise location)"
They have an article on some of the impacts of wildfires here https://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/blog/dangers-bbqs-and-wildlife
I've made this quiz if anyone would like a go.
It's just a case of guessing whether each given animal that can be found in the wild in Great Britain is native or non-native.
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Scotland, today. I've never seen them in these numbers before
Would I be right in thinking a jay feather?
I noticed this morning that there was a bird in my greenhouse. A quick search suggests it is s sparrowhawk. It won't go near the door, so how can I tempt it out, before it injures itself?
Update. I managed to get it to step onto my hoe, and I pulled it out and it flew away.
I've recently obtained some old boxes of cereals, that aren't nice to eat, having lost some of their taste alongside their crispness. One of them is a box of shredded wheat. Is this suitable for leaving out for the local wildlife? Apart from the birds, I regularly see foxes, and less frequently, hedgehogs and squirrels, but a neighbour claims she saw what sounds like a ferret once.
The others are corn flakes, bran flakes and weetabix, which I'll probably put out with the food waste.
Found in an old birch wood in northern Scotland, near Dingwall. Approx. 4 cm long.
We're living in quite a remote house and every night a badger has been trying to get in through the cat flap, presumably to eat the cat food we have in the kitchen. We're worried that it's a starving young male who is short on food (earthworms...etc) as it's so dry here. We obviously don't want the badger coming into the house, but is there anything we can do to help it as we don't want it to starve? Any advice is much appreciated