Breeding Barn Owls 2020

September 11, 2020May 2, 2021 / Laura Tuke / 1 Comment

Feathers fluffy, downy, soft to the touch. A heart of feathers outlining inquisitive eyes. A new beginning, hints of the precious adult to come. A hope, a prayer, a future. An endearing beginning for the reticent guardian of twilight – Original Piece

As a very unusual summer comes to an end, with it also comes the end of another breeding season for the Barn Owls that call my family’s farm home. For many years now, Barn Owls have increasingly become an important species on the farm, giving an indication of habitat quality and changes in the environment.

Last year the Owls had their best year yet, with two separate pairs on the farm, one nesting in a tree and one in a nest box, fledging two chicks each. It was also the start of Barn Owl chicks being ringed on the farm, which was very exciting for us all. If you want to read more about these Barn Owls, take a look at my previous posts, including Barn Owls in the Depths of Dorset, and Barmy about Barn Owls.

This Year

This year has been another year filled with the joys of this species. From sightings around the farm throughout the seasons, to fledged chicks during the summer, it has been really special. This year we were not lucky enough to have 2 known pairs breed again on the farm, but we were lucky enough to have 1 pair breed in our Barn Owl nest box. In the end the pair hatched 4 chicks, with 2 surviving to successfully fledge in August, which was exciting nonetheless. Though no Barn Owls have bred in the old oak tree this year, it has also been actively used, becoming a popular roosting site for one or more individuals.

Conservation Action and the Barn Owl chicks

Following our Barn Owl chicks being ringed last year, I have now joined the North Dorset-based Conservation Action group, becoming a trainee bird ringer. Conservation Action is a group of experienced ornithologists and BTO trained ringers, dedicated to conserving and preserving the natural environment, ringing bird species to increase knowledge, and raising awareness of conservation efforts in younger generations. Focuses range from migrating species in Autumn to Owls and my favourites, the birds of prey.

Last year Conservation Action monitored a total of 47 Barn Owl nest boxes across Dorset, leading to 66 Barns Owls being successfully ringed (63 owlets and 3 adults). It was a great year for Barn Owls and Conservation Action alike!

Now a member of Conservation Action and a trainee bird ringer, this year I was very excited at the prospect of Barn Owls breeding once again on our land. For this breeding season I got the opportunity to become an accredited agent under a Schedule 1 Permit, meaning that I was fully licensed to assist with Barn Owl nest box checks and monitoring, including our very own box. So it was an absolute privilege to be able to ring, under supervision, my very own 2 Barn Owl chicks this year. Such incredible birds and such a special experience, which was made all the better by getting to experience it alongside my parents and 2 year old niece!

Their Importance

Barn Owls are one important indicator species for farmland and grassland in Britain, meaning that they can tell us a lot about the condition of these habitats. With Barn Owls having made a comeback to my family’s farmland, it has also shown how changes to land management can restore and create habitat for wildlife, including for other species with related habitat needs (for more information see my post Giving Nature a Home on the Farm).

Barn Owls have also helped me to find out more about the small mammal species living on our land. This has been through dissecting pellets left by the owls, that I have previously written about in my post: How to… Be a Barn Owl Pellet Detective. For example, pellets from the roost tree have shown remains belonging to Bank Voles, Field Voles, Common Shrews, and Brown Rats, whereas pellets from the nest box barn have shown remains belonging to Field Voles, Bank Voles, Common Shrews, Pygmy Shrews, and Mice.

Moving Forward

After this year’s Barn Owl breeding season, and the excitement of Barn Owls continuing to breed on the farm, things are looking exciting for the future! It will be interesting though, to see how Barn Owls fared across Dorset and the UK this year as a whole, and to see if the farm’s 1 breeding pair followed the general trend. I also look forward to now getting more involved in monitoring Barn Owls in Dorset, spreading word of the work Conservation Action are doing, and the potential of ringing more of my own Barn Owls next year!

On the farm we now aim to continue working with Barn Owls and other wildlife in mind, and to monitor the success of new projects, including putting up nest boxes for Kestrels, Tawny Owls and Little Owls. In many ways the future looks bright to me!

How to… Identify Chalkland Wildflowers

July 31, 2020April 4, 2025 / Laura Tuke / Leave a comment

Colourful, radiant, buzzing with life, a piece of paradise in the summer sunshine. All words to describe a small piece of chalk habitat nestled within the heart of my family’s farm in Dorset. Amidst a clay-dominated landscape, this small creation aims to emulate the approximately 41,000 hectares of lowland chalk grassland that can still be found across the UK. This super rich habitat contains over 40 species of flowering plants in every one square metre, giving chalk grassland its reputation as the tropical rainforest of Europe! Sadly though, 50% of chalk grassland has already been lost in Dorset alone since the 1950s.

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In 2017, my Dad made the decision to transform a small triangular area of land on our farm into our very own chalk paradise. Though we do not live immediately on chalk downland, it can be found to the North and South of us. This makes our location ideal to create stopover habitat or a wildlife corridor, for the myriad of species that rely on these diverse plant communities. Following bringing in 40 tonnes of quarried chalk and lots of wildflower plugs and seeds, we now have a thriving 10m by 3m and 2m in height chalk mound.

Though my family’s chalk habitat is still in its relative infancy, over time it is transforming into a wildlife haven. From Grasshoppers and Marbled White Butterflies to blue Butterflies and Carder Bees, new species are popping up each and every year. This mini habitat has also been a great place for my mum to teach me all about the plant species that call chalkland grassland home. With her inspiration, I have put together a simple guide to identifying just some of the many wildflower species that are appearing on our mound.

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Chalkland Wildflowers

Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare)

Family: Mint
Lifespan: Perennial (lives for several years)
Size: Short to medium height (30-60cm)
Stems: Erect, dark-red, downy and either round or square
Leaves: Oval, often slightly toothed, stalked, and 1.5-4.5cm in length
Flowers: Dark purple buds in loose clustered heads, opening to pale purple 6-8mm long flowers. Strongly aromatic. Flowers July-September
Range: Found throughout the UK (particularly in the South), but scarcer in Scotland
Fun Facts: This culinary herb is a symbol of happiness descended from Roman legend, with Origanum meaning ‘mountain joy’

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Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria)

Family: Legume
Lifespan: Annual (lives for one year) or perennial
Size: Sprawling and medium in height (up to 60cm), but very variable
Stems: Silkily hairy, round, and often greyish
Leaves: In pairs, they are silky white below and green above, and are 30-60mm in length
Flowers: Yellow, orange or a fiery red, and downy-white below. They are found in single heads (12-15mm across) or sometimes pairs. Flowers April-September
Range: Found throughout the UK, especially around the coast
Fun Facts: In the Middle Ages, it was known for speeding up wound healing, with vulneraria meaning ‘wound healer’. It was also once used to commonly treat kidney disorders

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Wild Thyme (Thymus polytrichus)

Family: Mint
Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Low to the ground, forming a mat of non-flowering rooting stems (up to 10cm in height)
Stems: Square with erect flowering stems
Leaves: Evergreen, short stalked, very small oval 4-8mm leaves in opposite pairs
Flowers: Faintly aromatic with pink-purple flowers in round and dense heads. Flowers May-September
Range: Widespread in South East England, but scattered distribution elsewhere
Fun Facts: Long regarded as the favourite flower of fairies, and associated with love. The Greek thumon though means ‘that which is included in a sacrifice’

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Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum) Lady's Bedstraw

Family: Madder/Bedstraw
Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Short to medium in height, often sprawling (up to 100cm)
Stems: Four-angled, almost hairless stems
Leaves: Dark green, long, narrow, shiny leaves in whorls of 8-12. Said to smell of new-mown hay
Flowers: Bright golden yellow, 2-4mm wide, in clusters, with a sweet honey-like scent. Only Bedstraw species in the UK with yellow flowers. Flowers June-September
Range: Widespread
Fun Facts: Associated with the story of the Virgin Mary giving birth to the baby Jesus, leading to the belief that a woman lying on a mattress of Lady’s Bedstraw would have a safe and easy childbirth

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Viper’s Bugloss (Echium vulgare) Viper's Bugloss

Family: Borage/Forget-Me-Not
Lifespan: Biennial (flowers in its second year before dying) or perennial
Size: Medium to tall in height (up to 100cm)
Stems: Roughly hairy and spotted (red-based bristles)
Leaves: Narrow, oval-shaped lower leaves
Flowers: Flowers in drooping clusters of pink buds that open to become erect, blue, trumpet-shaped, open-mouthed flowers, 10-20mm long, in branched spikes. Flowers May-September
Range: Scattered distribution across the UK, being most common in the South
Fun Facts: The plant’s name comes from a time when it was believed to be a cure for snake-bites, reinforced by the dead flower-heads resembling a viper’s head

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Rough Hawkbit (Leontodon hispidus)

Family: Daisy
Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Short to medium in height (up to 60cm)
Stems: Very hairy, unbranched, leafless, and slightly swollen at the top
Leaves: Form a rosette of bluntly lobed leaves at the base of the flowering stem
Flowers: Golden-yellow, though often orange or reddish beneath, solitary and 20-40mm wide. Forms seed heads that look like dandelion clocks. Flowers late May-October
Range: Widespread and fairly abundant across the UK, apart from in the far North
Fun Facts: In Greek, Leontodon means ‘Lion’s tooth’, referring to the toothed leaves. The flowers are also rich in nectar and smell sweetly of honey

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Greater Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa)

Family: Daisy
Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Medium to tall in height (30-120cm)
Stems: Erect and grooved
Leaves: Lobed, where the lobes are positioned in pairs either side of the leaf centre. The leaves are 100-250mm long
Flowers: Purple, solitary and 30-60mm across. Flowers July-September
Range: Scattered across the UK, but predominantly grows in England
Fun Facts: Commonly used to treat wounds, bruises, sores and similar conditions

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Common Bird’s-Foot-Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) Common Bird's Foot Trefoil

Family: Legume
Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Short or medium in height and sprawling (up to 50cm)
Stems: Solid not hollow, and trailing
Leaves: Greyish-green, downy or hairless, and oval-shaped tapering to a point
Flowers: Deep yellow or orange, often partly red, and 10-16mm long, often 2-7 per flower head. Flowers May-September
Range: Widespread
Fun Facts: It has more than 70 common folk names including Eggs and Bacon. The name Bird’s-Foot-Trefoil reflects the resemblance to a bird’s foot, and is a larval food plant of Green Hairstreak and Dingy Skipper Butterflies

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Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) Ox Eye Daisy

Family: Daisy
Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Medium in height (20-75cm)
Stems: Round, angled or square, erect, and slightly hairy
Leaves: Long-stalked, dark green, spoon-shaped, toothed and in a rosette around the base of the flowering stem
Flowers: White, 20-60mm across, solitary and on sparsely leafy stalks. Flowers May-September
Range: Widespread
Fun Facts: In past times, an extract was obtained by boiling the plant down, that was used in salves and medicines to cure a variety of ailments from liver disease to runny eyes. Largest native daisy species

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Common Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)

Family: Plantain
Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Short to medium in height (30-80cm)
Stems: Erect, grey-green, and hairless
Leaves: 30-80mm long, very narrow, untoothed, and spirally arranged up the stems
Flowers: 15-35mm long, yellow with an orange bulge and long straight spur, forming stalked spikes. Flowers June-October
Range: Widespread
Fun Facts: Most common Toadflax species in the UK, getting its name from previously being considered as useless, fit only for toads

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Meadow Crane’s-Bill (Geranium pratense) Meadow Cranesbill

Family: Geranium
Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Medium to tall in height (30-100cm)
Stems: Hairy, erect, and often reddish
Leaves: Have 5-9 lobes, cut nearly to the base
Flowers: Soft violet blue, petals not notched, 15-30mm wide. Flowers June-September
Range: Found throughout the UK, but rarer in South West England and East Anglia
Fact: With lesser known names such as ‘Jingling Johnny’ or Loving Andrews, it is a horticultural favourite dating back to before the Elizabethan times

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Black Medick (Medicago lupulina)

Family: Legume
Lifespan: Annual or short-lived perennial
Size: Low in height (up to 60cm), and sprawling or erect
Stem: Round or square and hairy
Leaves: Trefoil, downy, and 5-20mm in length, with minute teeth
Flowers: Bright yellow and small, with 10-50 to one short-stalked rounded head (3-8mm wide). Flowers April-October
Range: Widespread across the UK, but sparser in Scotland
Facts: Name means ‘plant of the Medes’, referring to an ancient Middle Eastern people, whilst lupulina means ‘hop-like’, due to similarities with Hop Trefoil

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Now get out there and see what you can find!

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Drawings and photos all my own

How to… Be a Barn Owl Pellet Detective

July 24, 2020May 2, 2021 / Laura Tuke / Leave a comment

Floating above the ground on silent wings. A white ghost standing out against the murky dark of dusk. Swooping to a stop on a standing post. Watching, waiting, listening for a rustle in the grass, before moving on. The reticent guardian of twilight – Original piece, September 2019

Though they can be found in a variety of habitats, the majestic Barn Owl (Tyto alba) traditionally conjures up the image of a ghostly shape floating through a farming landscape. Excitingly, they have now made their return to the farmland I call home, and we are lucky enough to have regular sightings of these birds. Previously, they have featured multiple times on this blog, with the last time being in my post ‘Barn Owls in the depths of Dorset’ from September last year. Now as part of my popular ‘How to…’ series, it is time for them to take centre stage once again, and for us to take a look at one of their more unusual sides.

Hunting on silent wings, the Barn Owl can be found at the top of the food chain, feeding mainly on rodents and shrews. Like most other birds, Barn Owls naturally produce pellets, thumb-length ovoid or sausage-shaped masses, that are regurgitated and ejected from the beak. It takes a Barn Owl about 6 to 8 hours to produce a pellet, with 1-2 being produced per day. As Barn Owls tend to swallow their prey whole, these pellets contain the parts of their diet that cannot be digested, such as bones, and are encased in softer material, such as fur. As pellets do not pass through the intestines like droppings, they are in fact odourless!

Pellets are one incredibly important source of information for the naturalist and scientist. They can tell us what a bird has eaten, how many different prey species and individuals have been caught, an individual’s hunting habits, and even information on its habitat. In this way, they allow us to play detective, giving us a really amazing insight into the world of the Barn Owl.

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Dissecting Barn Owl pellets is an unusual but fascinating activity, in which you never know what you may find. Previously pellets have featured on my blog in a 2016 post called ‘Barmy about Barn Owls: Owl pellets’, where I took a brief look at the Barn Owls now living on my family’s farm and had a go at identifying the species that the Barn Owls had been eating. Now I want to pass on what I have previously learnt and help you to play detective too, dissecting and analysing your very own pellets. Read on to find out more!

Dissecting Barn Owl pellets

To begin with, you will need to find some Barn Owl pellets. You can interestingly buy Barn Owl pellets online, but I think that it is more fun to go out and find your own. The best place to find pellets is either at a nesting or roosting site, such as a barn or old tree. The pellets are uniform in colour, black drying to grey, and are usually a couple of inches long. Fur and bones will also be noticeable within them.
Once you have found yourself at least one Barn Owl pellet, it is up to you to decide if you soak them first before dissecting. I find soaking them makes them easier to tease apart and extract bones intact, but it makes the job a little messier too! If you choose to soak them, place them in a pot of water for half an hour to a couple of hours before dissection.
Next, take a pellet and blot the excess water off its surface, before placing it on a hard surface, such as a tray. Now you can begin to tease the pellet apart using tweezers, taking care not to miss any bones. As you find one, carefully remove it from the pellet, and place it separate from the main mass. Do not be worried if you come across grubs in the pellets, as these are simply the larvae of Clothes Moths that feed on the softer material of the pellet, such as the fur.
Once you are sure that you have removed all the bones, carefully clean them using water with a bit of mild disinfectant,

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Analysing Barn Owl pellets

Identifying types of bones

To begin with, take a look at all the bones from the pellet together. Some of the bones will be easily recognisable to you, like the skull or lower jaw, but others will look a little more odd. Once you have an idea of some of the bones, try to identify the more obscure with some help.

Here’s a general example of some bones, Vole to be precise, to give you an idea of where each bone may be found in the body. In different species though, such as shrews, be aware that the bones may vary in size, shape and detail to these.

Vole Bones

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Identifying species

Now you have a good idea of the bones that can be found in your pellet, it is time to take a look at the skull and lower jaw bone halves in more detail.

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You will tend to find 2 groups of species in Barn Owl pellets: the insectivores and rodents.

For an insectivore, all the teeth are small and pointed and are found in a continous row. This is because they feed on insects, and need teeth that are able to break up their prey’s tough chitinous bodies.

A rodent on the other hand has two main types of teeth – the gnawing teeth (incisors) and the cheek teeth. These are separated by a notable gap.

Insectivore vs Rodent

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If you find the skull or jaw bones of an insectivore, it will most likely be that of a Shrew, or even possibly a Mole. You can work out if it is that of a Shrew by taking a look at the colour of the teeth, as they will have red tips. This is from iron found in the enamel that adds to their strength. There are then 3 British shrew species that you could find (Water, Common and Pygmy), which all vary in their jaw size and shape of the lower end tooth (the incisor).

Insectivore Jaws

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If you find a rodent skull, then there are a few more choices. Take a look at the cheek teeth of the lower jaw bone and see if there are grooves on the sides of the teeth and if there is a zigzag pattern across their top surface. If so, then this is most likely one of 3 species of Vole.

For a Water Vole, the size of the lower jaw bone is a give away, with the species being the largest of the 3, otherwise you will need to extract one of the cheek teeth from the jaw. Bank Vole cheek teeth have a more rounded zig-zag pattern, with two small roots, and grooves that do not run all the way down the teeth. Field Voles on the other hand have a sharper zig-zag pattern, grooves running to the base of the teeth, and no roots at all.

Voles

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If the rodent’s cheek teeth look more ordinary with cusps (knobs), then the lower jaw or skull belongs to a Rat or Mouse. A large lower jaw will belong to a Brown Rat, whereas a small jaw will belong to a Mouse.

If you have a skull for a Mouse, then you can also attempt to identify the exact species. First, extract the front cheek tooth of the skull and then take a look at the number of holes (sockets) left behind. Five sockets means Harvest Mouse, four means Wood or Long-Tailed Field Mouse, and three means House Mouse.

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How did you get on?

For some extra help analysing the contents of the pellets, you can find some other great ID guides and matrices online. For example head over to either the RSPB or Barn Owl Trust websites for more information.

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Important:

Make sure you always ask a landowner’s permission before entering private land, and be careful.
Do not disturb Barn Owls at their breeding site, as they are protected by law making it illegal to do so.
Always wash your hands after handling pellets or their contents, or consider wearing gloves.

Giving Nature a Home on the Farm

July 10, 2020May 26, 2022 / Laura Tuke / 2 Comments

‘Give fools their gold, and knaves their power; let fortune’s bubbles rise and fall; who sows a field, or trains a flower, or plants a tree, is more than all’ – John Greenleaf Whittier

‘Your deepest roots are in nature. No matter who you are, where you live, or what kind of life you lead, you remain irrevocably linked with the rest of creation’ – Charles Cook

My family and I live on a 250 acre mixed dairy farm in the heart of beautiful Dorset, complete with sheep and beef cows. My parents took the farm on from Dorset County Council in 1995, at a time when it was only 50 acres, and have now expanded it to the 250 acres it is today. As long as I can remember, the farm has been my home. It is a part of who I am, providing the backdrop for me to learn about the natural world, to make informed decisions about how I live my life, and to become passionate about conservation. I have my parents to thank for this.

In 2019, the latest State of Nature report showed that agricultural change has been the largest driver of biodiversity loss over the last 45 years in the UK. With 72% of UK land area being used for agriculture and food production, land management changes have had a significant impact on the wildlife that call these areas home. As we now move forward, we need to focus on agriculture, not with contempt and negativity, but with optimism. If we are to continue to produce food in the UK, we need to focus on working with farmers to make farming sustainable, cost-effective, and most importantly with wildlife in mind.

Growing up on a farm, I have always been aware of how agriculture is heavily intertwined with the environment. My Mum and Dad have always believed in their roles as guardians for the wildlife and natural habitats that call our land home, and are dedicated to conserving and increasing biodiversity. Though it can be tough to create a balance, my Dad believes that farming, through careful management, can produce food in an economically sustainable way, whilst supporting and enhancing the natural environment. Here are some of the examples of how my family are successfully working to give nature a home on our farm.

(1) The Bridge Field

Project:

The field is a small, triangular-shaped, 3 acre field, bordered by hedges and a river. It was taken on in 2014 with some other land, and is less ideal for agricultural use due to its shape and often being wet. Hence, it has been left untouched, apart from one late cut of haylage each year and dock management. This year my parents decided to begin the process of restoring the land, with the aim of giving it back to nature.

So far:

At the beginning of the year, we bought in and planted 219 native tree and shrub saplings of 9 species, including Goat Willow and Rowan. The hope is to create a rich and valuable habitat for wildlife.
We began managing the grass in the field, which is mainly Yorkshire Fog, to increase species composition. The grass has formed a dense stand across the field and is currently excluding nearly all other species.

Next aims:

See how the trees and shrubs grow on
Plant natural wildflower species using plugs, bulbs and seeds
Create a water source, such as a pond

(2) The Chalk Mound

Project:

Towards the centre of our land you can find a small triangular area of land that is bordered by hedges and a track. My parents took on this area with some other land in 2014, but it was not anything special. In 2017, my Dad decided to use it to make a small piece of chalk habitat, in our clay area, acting as a perfect stopover location between chalk downland to the north and south of us.

So far:

We bought in 40 tonnes of quarried chalk and shaped it into a mound which is 10m by 3m, and 2m in height.
We planted a selection of plant plugs and seeds gifted to us, ranging from Quaking Grass and Kidney Vetch to Rough Hawkbit and Lady’s Bedstraw.
For the first year, the mound was regularly watered as the plant plugs and seeds became established, but after that they were left to grow on, with minimal management.

Next aims:

Continue to enjoy the now thriving habitat that is attracting lots of insects, from butterflies to bees
Boost numbers of certain species such as Wild Thyme
Complete autumn management of the encroaching Yorkshire Fog grass at the mound’s edges

(3) Wildflower Verges and Rough Areas

Project:

As part of managing our land, my Dad leaves areas and verges uncut and able to thrive, providing valuable habitat for wildlife. One of my Dad’s inspirations for doing this is to provide rough grassland habitat for his favourite bird, the Barn Owl. Barn Owls use such areas to hunt, as it provides cover for their rodent prey. It is also great habitat for other species, such as the majestic Brown Hare.

Different forms so far:

Fenced off areas to keep livestock out but allow wildlife in.
Verges and strips left to grow up and increase in species diversity.
Wildflower verges planted to provide food for different species at different times of year.
Field margins created, maintained and protected, meaning a field is never worked up to the hedgerows.

Next aims:

Allow areas to continue to increase in diversity and composition
Continue to create a mosaic of habitats on the land

(4) Trees and Woodlands

Project:

I am a huge fan of trees, and my family are no different. Throughout our land you will find lots of different species, such as Ash, Alder, Wild Cherry and Oaks, varying in size, shape, and age. They play very important and varying roles in the landscape, from singular trees in fields and hedgerows, to the many growing in copses and woodlands around the farm. We now want to continue to preserve them and increase their numbers.

So far:

Over many years, we have been planting more trees wherever we can, with this year’s main project being the Bridge Field.
We continue to look after and manage the small woodland areas on our land.
We are putting up lots of different nest boxes around the farm, from small Tit boxes to larger Owl boxes.

Next aims:

Put up more nest boxes, including Little Owl and Kestrel
Monitor nest box use each year
Allow trees, such as mature Oaks, to naturally age and return to the ground

(5) Hedgerows

Project:

On my family’s land there are a lot of hedgerows, which are a hugely important habitat for a whole host of wildlife. They range in age and composition, including species such as Spindle, Blackthorn, Ash and Dog Rose. They also provide different services, such as food and shelter, throughout the course of a year, for lots of different species.

So far:

We carefully manage hedgerows with wildlife in mind each year.
Hedgecutting is practiced on a rotational basis and in late winter if the ground holds up. They are only cut by my Dad or brother who are skilled at cutting the hedges correctly and with care.
We annually manage and maintain field margins and ditches.
Hedgelaying has been used in the past but only when a hedge is in need of restoration.

Next Aims:

Maintain the high standard of hedgerows
Allow diversity to continue to increase

Future Aims

With 41% of species in decline since 1970, biodiversity loss and the latest State of Nature report cannot be overlooked. Whilst there is still hope that we can bring things back from the brink, and reverse the decline, to do so we need to act now. We need to create more homes for wildlife, protect what is left of our natural environment, and manage land with wildlife in mind.

On the farm this process is in full swing and gaining momentum each year. In this way, we are trying to make our land more wildlife friendly, managing and creating habitats for wildlife. Now, Skylarks can be heard singing all around the farm each morning, Brown Hares are increasing in number, Butterfly and Moths are becoming more species diverse, and Yellowhammers are becoming increasingly common. There are so many more examples from the big to the small, from Hedgehogs to Newts, but my Dad’s favourite has to be his Barn Owls. Over the last few years Barn Owls have made our land their regular home, with 2 Barn Owl pairs successfully breeding last year!

My Dad now wants to continue my Mum’s and his work dedicated to the environment, from helping farmland birds to reducing our carbon footprint. He wants to continue to show how conservation and increasing biodiversity can go hand in hand with conventional farming, allowing food to be produced whilst looking after the environment. A great example of this is the RSPB’s Hope Farm in Cambridgeshire, an arable farm where careful and targeted management is now having results. It makes me optimistic that if we now focus on working with farmers to give nature a home on their farms in the right way, then this could make a real difference to reversing species decline in the future.

30 Days Wild 2020: My Wild Month

July 3, 2020May 2, 2021 / Laura Tuke / 1 Comment

I have always lived a wild life. For this I have my family to thank, being raised in the middle of the beautiful Dorset countryside, immersed in everything Mother Nature has to offer. It has been my playground, my classroom, my escape, and my counsellor. It is a part of who I am. This is why I am so passionate to protect and conserve our natural world, and why I now make it my mission to share all it has to offer with the rest of the world.

So when I heard about 30 Days Wild, I just had to get involved! The month-long challenge aims to bring people closer to nature, get people learning and exploring, and make a positive difference for wildlife in the UK. This year I made it my goal to spread the word, and before the month started, I began blogging about the challenge in the hope of inspiring others to also get involved (check out How to… Get involved in the June 30 Days Wild challenge). The response was amazing!

Once June was under way, I also made 30 Days Wild a focus of each and every day for the whole of the month. I got to try some new things, learn some new knowledge, help some worthy causes, share with others about nature and wildlife, and most importantly, I got to explore and spend valuable time out in nature. I enjoyed every minute, so join me now as I take a look back at how wild my month of June really was!

Wall Chart

30 Days Wild – June 2020

Day 1 – Monday 1st (Work):

For the very first day of my 30 Days Wild, I started with a bang, showing my support for my local Wildlife Trust by becoming a member. By joining Dorset Wildlife Trust, I have joined 25,000 other members helping to conserve and safeguard wildlife in Dorset and on my doorstep. I look forward to now doing my bit!

Day 2 – Tuesday 2nd (Work):

For my second day, I was faced again with the challenge of completing a Random Act of Wildness alongside a busy day at work. I achieved this though, by taking a break in the evening to watch a wild webcam in the form of BBC Springwatch’s live nest cams. It was amazing to get a different perspective of the nests, such as being right inside a Jackdaw’s nest!

Day 2

Day 3 – Wednesday 3rd (Day off):

On my first day off during the challenge, I was able to go for a long walk out in nature, seeing what I could discover on my way. Despite it being a rainy day, the wildlife did not disappoint, with lots of different birds and insects making their presence felt, from families of Long-Tailed Tits to chattering Magpies.

Day 4 – Thursday 4th (Day off):

With another day off work, I decided to combine taking in nature with another of my passions, horse riding. On a hack with my next door neighbour’s mare Marsha, I got to get some really great views of the beautiful countryside near where I live, combined with views of some great bird species, such as my favourites, the birds of prey.

Day 5 – Friday 5th (Work):

Over the last couple of months I have tried to regularly upload a new post to this blog every Friday. To combine 30 Days Wild with my recent How to… series, on this day I uploaded a piece about making a home for wildlife, and in particular a hotel for bees. To do this post, I got to make my very own hotel, which was very rewarding, so if you would like to make your own, why not check out my easy guide: How to… Make Your Own Bee Hotel

Day 5

Day 6 – Saturday 6th (Day off):

I love growing my own fruit and vegetables, and then being able to pick and eat them! So I was happy on this day off, that I got the pleasure of picking my family’s first gooseberry crop, though it took a while after to top and tail all of them! I also spent time listening to my bird songs and calls CD to do some revision before going out for a walk to test my knowledge. I now love being able to instinctively know when I can hear certain species, such as a Blackcap or Yellowhammer singing in the landscape!

Day 6

Day 7 – Sunday 7th (Work):

I spent the whole of my Sunday making a note of the species that I came across as I went about my usual day before, during and after work. I was able to realise just how lucky I am to work outside and spend so much time out in nature everyday!

I also spent the evening catching up on Springwatch with the company of one of my house cats!

Day 8 – Monday 8th (Work):

During my 30 Days Wild, I wanted to donate to a wildlife cause. I decided that one cause I wanted to support was the Marine Turtle Conservation Project, which without funding would not be able to continue their important work. It was also well timed as the 8th of June was World Oceans Day!

I as well finished my day excitingly helping with Barn Owl nest box checks in my local area, now that I am fully licensed. This included the Barn Owl box on my family’s own farm and it is definitely looking positive for them this year!

Day 9 – Tuesday 9th (Work):

On this day, I was lucky enough to go out hacking on horseback whilst at work, and rode through some really spectacular countryside. It was one very busy day at work, so when I got home I also relaxed with some wild reading, including a great fictional book by zoologist Delia Owens called Where The Crawdads Sing. Her imagery of the North Carolina marshland is absolutely stunning!

Day 9

Day 10 – Wednesday 10th (Day off):

For my day off, I wanted to spend time really taking in the natural world around me and exploring the finer details. In this way, I got to see some incredible things from a hunting Sparrowhawk and Digger Bee nests to strong smelling Honeysuckle and mating Yellow Shell Moths. There is just so much to see if you give yourself the time to take it all in!

Day 10

Day 11 – Thursday 11th (Day off):

The day before during my walks, I had collected some Barn Owl pellets from beneath two nest sites, a tree and a nest box, on my family’s land. I then spent the next day soaking the pellets and teasing them apart to see what they held inside. From the nest box site, there was Field Vole, Mouse and Common Shrew bones, whereas from the tree site there was Field and Bank Vole, Common and Pygmy Shrew, and Brown Rat.

I also spent some time identifying plants that I had seen out and about, including learning to identify a Male Fern that my cat was very interested in helping me with!

Day 11

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Day 12 – Friday 12th (Work):

This Friday, I once again combined 30 Days Wild with my recent How to… series, uploading a post on making small changes to your own life to help our planet. For example, walking and cycling more, thinking before you buy, and cutting your water usage. If you want to get inspired yourself, check out my post: How to… Help the planet one small step at a time.

I also spent some time on this rainy day, appreciating the beauty of the falling rain.

Day 12

Day 13 – Saturday 13th (Day off):

I spent my Saturday wild and busy. My activities ranged from identifying pollinators to organising equipment ahead of the autumn bird ringing season. I am always happiest doing something but doing something outside is even better!

Day 14 – Sunday 14th (Work):

There is nothing more valuable than your own parents passing down their knowledge to you, and with mine it is no different. I have my Mum to thank for the foundations of all my wildlife knowledge today, from bird song to plant species. This year my Mum has been teaching me about chalkland species, using the chalk mound my Mum and Dad have created themselves on our farmland. It has been so enjoyable listening to my Mum as she IDs and teaches me each and every species on the ridge!

Day 15 – Monday 15th (Work):

The ever-changing sky is a source of wonder and life. I took time over the course of a whole day, appreciating it and watching it change, from cloud watching with white fluffy and dark rain clouds to an unexpectedly beautiful sunset!

Day 16 – Tuesday 16th (Work):

One of the acitivities I definitely wanted to do during 30 Days Wild, was to make my own bird food, taking me back to my childhood. I kept it simple with lard and bird seed, and packed the food into different shaped recycled containers for some variation. I then left it in the fridge overnight with the aim of testing it the very next day!

Day 16

Day 17 – Wednesday 17th (Day off):

I began my day off by putting out my homemade bird food in the garden. Unfortunately it was a bit hot, and the food kept melting off its strings! It was a hit with the local fledged Starling chicks though, and eventually disappeared within 48 hours.

I also took my mum and dad to my bird ringing trainer’s private nature reserve for a a different walk. It is such a lovely place to be, and gave us all some inspiration of how we can make more homes for wildlife on our own land. To finish the day, I helped pick some of the fruit growing in my family’s garden, my favourites being the strawberries!

Day 17

Day 18 – Thursday 18th (Day off) :

People who read my blog will know that I love the woods! It’s a place I go to when I want a break from the world or just to watch the seasons change in a place where it’s at its most noticeable. So as part of my 30 Days Wild, I headed into the woods for a spot of forest bathing and a refresher. The day’s rain did not even stop me!

Day 18

Day 19 – Friday 19th (Work):

Due to my love of spring and wildlife photography, for this Friday on my blog, I uploaded a post about my favourite photos from spring 2020. It was great to reflect on my own spring and to look back on some great moments, making it easily one of my favourite posts so far this year! If you want to take a look, check out my Spring 2020: In Photos.

I also headed out into my family’s land after work, to revisit a favourite camera trapping spot from this spring. Once there, I set up my camera trap again, and looked forward to seeing what I might catch this time around.

Day 19

Day 20 – Saturday 20th (Work):

After work, I signed up to the BTO’s Garden BirdWatch, which is currently free for everyone to take part, and allows me to upload what I see in my garden at home every week. I also took time out to focus on my mental health, and completed a wild guided meditation, lying on the grass in my garden. I picked this particular meditation as it incorporates taking in the sounds around you, such as the sounds of nature. It was so surreal for me to relax outside and then reopen my eyes to see lots and lots of baby starlings looking back at me!

Day 21 – Sunday 21st (Day off):

As it was Father’s Day, for my Sunday off, I got to spend lots of time with my dad. This included two walks also with my mum, where we tried to see what nature had to offer us, which included birds of prey and wonderful Skylarks. To top off an active day, I also pulled on my trainers for the first time in a couple of weeks, due to an injury, and went for a run through the countryside around my home. I just cannot get enough of being outdoors!

Day 21

Day 22 – Monday 22nd (Work):

For my Monday, I completed two different Random Acts of Wildness. Firstly, I began writing down all the birds I saw in my garden during the day as part of the BTO’s Garden BirdWatch.

I then made a donation to charity. I may not have a lot of money, but at times like these I realise how lucky and fortunate I am in life. So when I saw another great cause, I had to get involved and donate!

Two years ago, during my Master’s in Conservation and Biodiversity, I got the opportunity to go on a field course to Kenya, with a lot of organisation from Adventure Upgrade Safaris. They even got me a cake for my birthday! Now without tourism, the company are struggling and without our support, they will not be able to continue for the future. They need our help to survive!

Day 22

Day 23 – Tuesday 23rd (Work):

This day was an exciting day for me! It was the day that, after work, I got to retrieve my camera trap that I had put out last Friday!

Though I had previously captured my best camera trap photo this year in this location (a fox cub), I did not know what to expect this time around. My camera trap did not disappoint though, and the photos included those of the fox cub I had previously seen, a rabbit and some really great photos of some badgers!

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Day 24 – Wednesday 24th (Day off):

On a day when I really needed it, I got to spend my day off doing some things I love. My bird ringing group starts the autumn migration ringing season on the 1st of August and so to start my Wednesday, I helped with some of the preparation for the season. For example, we completed an important but often overlooked job, re-dying our mist nets with a special dye mix.

I also excitingly spent some of my day ringing Kestrel chicks and, now that I am fully licensed, helped with Barn Owl nest box checks. This led to me also getting to ring Barn Owl chicks and getting some great views of some Little Owls!

Day 24

Day 25 – Thursday 25th (Day off):

Another activity I really wanted to do during my 30 Days Wild, was to do some wild baking. I decided on making some simple vanilla cupcakes and decorating them with minibeasts in different colours.

My time spent baking was not without some drama though, as I ended up modelling icing during an afternoon of over 30 degrees heat! Despite this, I soldiered on through runny icing, with the much needed help of my mum, and had some great fun, whilst making some yummy cakes topped with interesting and colourful creatures!

Day 26 – Friday 26th (Work):

For my last Friday of 30 Days Wild, I uploaded to my blog another brand new post. This time my post followed on from last Friday’s spring upload, and focussed on how spring unfolded this year. If you want to have a read about how my extra special spring actually turned out this year, check out my Spring 2020: How It Happened.

Day 26

Day 27 – Saturday 27th (Day off):

This day was another day of relaxing in nature. This included watching and recording the birds in my garden, going for a long horse ride through the Dorset countryside, and exploring the flowers growing in my garden and on my currently ‘no mow’ lawn.

Day 27

Day 28 – Sunday 28th (Work):

With it being especially rainy during my day at work, I made it my priority to spend my lunch break outdoors during a break in the weather. It was a much needed refresher! Also, having completed my first week of the BTO’s Garden BirdWatch yesterday, I spent my evening uploading my results to their website. It was exciting to see how the week actually went!

Day 28

Day 29 – Monday 29th (Work):

I spent this Monday rushed off of my feet at work. To keep my brain relaxed though, I came up with the plan of spending my day attempting to noticing the wildlife around me and seeing if I could find a species for each letter of the alphabet. I had a very successful day of it, alongside being very productive at work, leading to only one species missing (the letter X)!

The response to me completing this activity was absolutely amazing on Twitter. It gave me a real sense of joy to see everyone’s support, so thank you everyone!

Day 30 – Tuesday 30th (Work):

Today was the last day of June and the final day of 30 Days Wild. However much I would have liked to have finished with a bang, it would not have fit my true and busy day. Instead, today was a day of appreciating and being grateful for the natural world around me. This may be in the form of what I encountered on my travels or seen out of my window, or by taking in other people’s experiences such as through books and on twitter. I treasured them all!

Day 30

My Highlights

This June has been a wild rollercoaster which I have absolutely loved! Spending time focussing on nature each and every day has enriched my days, relaxed me, and allowed me to connect further with the wild world around me. If I had to pick some highlights, these would include my wild alphabet becoming popular on Twitter, making wild cupcakes with my mum, expanding my knowledge of plants, ringing my first Kestrel and Barn Owl chicks, and sharing my 30 Days Wild on social media.

I have learnt and experienced so much this past month, and I am now inspired to continue making the natural world an important part of each and every day, and to share my passion with as many people as I possibly can. I hope that if you participated in this year’s challenge, that you also had a great month. Otherwise here’s to next year’s 30 Days Wild!

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Spring 2020: How It Happened

June 26, 2020June 16, 2021 / Laura Tuke / Leave a comment

Walking through the trees, in dappled early morning sunlight, through swathes of brilliant blue. Standing rooted to the spot, hearing the first Chiffchaff, Swallow, Cuckoo. Sitting in breezy sunshine, learning to identify Hawkbits, Vetches and Viper’s-Bugloss. These are just some of the highlights of my spring this year, wild and full of life. With each new day, there was a new wild highlight to be had.

Following on from my post last week about my favourite photos from this spring (check out Spring 2020: In Photos), I wanted to continue celebrating the lifeline that has been spring and the natural world for me during lockdown. This week I am looking at how spring unfolded this year in my local area and how it looked now the summer is hitting our shores.

Since 2015 I have been writing down a lot of my observations about spring each year. This means I can now look at spring 2020 in light of how the last few years have actually looked and see if anything interesting comes up. Last year I did this in more detail, so for that check out my post called: How Spring Happened 2017-2019.

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So, did a favourite of my mum’s, the Chiffchaff, return by Mother’s Day this year? Did the Oak burst into leaf before the Ash (and so are we in for a splash)? And did the song of the Cuckoo return to my family’s land for another year? As spring now slips into summer, it is time for me to reflect on an extra special spring.

Trees

One of the very first trees to start showing signs of life each spring at my home in Dorset, is the Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum). This year the first buds burst on the 18th of February, which shows a gradual shift forwards over the last few years, being 6 days earlier than last year, and a month earlier than 2018. The first leaf then unfurled on the 10th of March (9 days later than 2019), followed by the first flowers on the 2nd of April (13 days earlier than 2019).

Due to a cold start to spring and a very wet winter, which left the ground cold and waterlogged, Pedunculate (English) Oaks (Quercus robur) were late to make a start, with the first budburst seen on the 2nd of April, 37 days later than 2019. They got going quickly though, with leaves bursting forth by the 8th of April (4 days earlier than 2019) and flowers blooming by the 12th of April (13 days earlier than 2019).

Despite the ground, the trend this year was towards earlier budburst, first leaves and first flowers. Silver Birch (Betula pendula) buds burst on the 15th March, 15 days earlier than 2019; Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) flowered on the 2nd of April, 18 days earlier than 2019; Field Maple (Acer campestre) buds burst on the 5th of April, 13 days earlier than 2019. Grey Willow (Salix cinerea) bucked the trend though, first flowering on the 24th of February, later than last year by 10 days.

This year I added Alder (Alnus glutinosa), Beech (Fagus sylvatica), Lime (Tilia x europaea), Wild Cherry (Prunus avium), and Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) to my spring records, but I did not make observations for Sycamore as in previous years. Lime buds burst on the 14th of March, followed by the first leaf on the 3rd of April; Wild Cherry buds burst on the 15th of March, followed by the first leaf 1 month later and first flower 15 days after that; Norway Maple first flowered on the 21st of March; Alder buds burst on the 6th of April; and Beech buds burst on the 10th of April.

Shrubs

Hazel (Corylus avellana) is one species that flowers early in the year, providing a first hint of colour in a wintry landscape. This year I first saw the male catkins on the 8th of January, followed by the female red flowers on the 1st of February (5 days later than 2019). The first hazel leaf then unfurled 43 days later on the 14th of March.

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is another species that flowers before it produces its leaves, cloaking hedgerows in drifts of snowy white and accompanying a ‘blackthorn winter’ in early spring. This year the first flowers burst open on the 6th of March, 5 days later than last year, but 24 days earlier than 2018.

After the early flowering species have brought colour to our countryside, Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is one of the first shrubs to burst into leaf in the hedgerows. This year its buds first burst on the 2nd of March, 5 days later than 2019, followed by the first leaf unfurling 10 days after (28 days earlier than 2019). Their flowers then followed a month after, on the 18th of April, 10 days earlier than 2019.

A similar trend was shown with Lilac (Syringa vulgaris), where budburst took place on the 8th of March, 13 days later than 2019. The first leaf then unfurled 3 days later too, on the 25th of March, and the first flowers bloomed on the 15th of April, 7 days earlier than 2019.

The flowers of Elder (Sambucus nigra) are well known and iconic in our countryside, popular for making elderflower cordial. This year Elder flowered early, with the first flowers being seen at home on the 25th of April (22 days earlier than 2019). Just like Elder, the Dog Rose (Rosa canina) is another late bloomer, which opened its petals for the first time on the 17th of May this year (11 days earlier than last year).

Flowers

The very first flowers to be seen blooming in the countryside is the dainty snow white Snowdrop (Galanthus spp.). Over the last few years the drooping heads of snowdrops have been flowering earlier each year. This year though, it appeared only 1 day earlier than 2019, welcoming in the year on the 3rd of January.

Snowdrops were soon followed by other iconic spring species, in the form of the first Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna) on the 18th of January (44 days earlier than 2019), the first Primrose (Primula vulgaris) on the 27th of January (8 days earlier than 2019), and the first Daffodils (Narcissus spp.); on the 2nd of February (the same day as last year!).

As spring went on, the Snowdrops and sunshine yellows were joined by Wood Anemones (Anemone nemorosa) on the 22nd of March, Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) on the 28th of March, Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum) on the 6th of April, Cuckooflowers (Cardamine pratensis) on the 18th of April, and Oxeye Daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) on the 18th of May, all occurring 6-17 days earlier than last year.

This year I also included three new flowering species to my spring records: Cowslips (Primula veris), Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea), and Early Purple Orchids (Orchis mascula). I saw the first Cowslip flower on the 20th of March, the first Greater Stitchwort on the 28th of March, and the first Early Purple Orchid on the 6th of April.

Grasses

This year I was so busy in May and the first half of June that I completely overlooked the flowering of 3 common perennial grass species in my local area: Cock’s-foot (Dactylis glomerata), Timothy (Phleum pratense), and Yorkshire Fog (Holcus lanatus). I did though catch Meadow Foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis) flowering, which first occurred on the 22nd of April (23 days earlier than 2019).

Birds

With the start of every new year, I begin to keep my eye out for the start of the Rooks (Corvus frugilegus) nesting in the bare and skeletal forms of large oak trees near my home. This year they kept me waiting awhile though, with the first signs of nest building appearing on the 15th of February, 17 days later than 2019.

Unlike the start of the Rooks nesting though, the start of male Song Thrushes (Turdus philomelos) singing crept even earlier than last spring. This was 13 days earlier in fact, with me hearing my first on the 15th of December in 2019! This was not reflected by Blackbirds (Turdus merula) though, as I heard my first male singing on the 23rd of February, 17 days later than 2019.

One of my favourite first signs that spring has begun has to be the return of the Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita). This year they returned to my home in Dorset on the 1st of March, 17 days earlier than 2019.

The glorious return of the Chiffchaffs were then eagerly followed by the first Swallow (Hirundo rustica) on the 5th of April (1 day later than 2019), the first House Martin (Delichon urbicum) on the 12th of April (12 days earlier than 2019), the first Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) on the 22nd of April (11 days later than 2018), and the first Swift (Apus apus) on the 6th of May (19 days earlier than 2018). A Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) did make its exciting return to my family’s land too, which I heard for the first time on the 28th of April (24 days earlier than last year).

Insects

This year the majority of the insects I observed, emerged later than they did last year in 2019. I saw my first Brimstone Butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni) on the 24th of March, my first Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io) on the 4th of April, my first Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly (Aglais urticae) on the 5th of April, my first Orange-Tip Butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) on the 13th of April, my first Red-Tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) on the 1st of May, and my first queen Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) on the 7th of May, with all ranging anywhere between 4 and 37 days later in date than last year.

The ones that did not follow this pattern though, were the Speckled Wood Butterfly (Pararge aegeria) first seen on the same day as last year on the 22nd of April, and the Red Admiral Butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) that was first seen 29 days earlier on the 22nd of April. This year I also added Buff-Tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) to my observations, seeing the first at home on the 13th of March.

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This Year

This year it has definitely been an interesting and joyful experience to watch how spring unfolded. It started with early signs during the winter, before arriving with a blaze of glory in March.

This last winter was a warm, wet and windy one, which left the ground cold and waterlogged for quite a while into spring. A number of species such as Oak trees struggled with this, but for many it did not stop them from emerging on time or earlier, such as snowdrops and field maples. This variation continued with bird species, some arriving and beginning breeding earlier and some later. For a lot of the insect species though, they emerged late, which will have had a lot to do with the less than ideal weather conditions this spring, for example frosts in April. Thus, how spring is changing year-to-year definitely has a lot to do with changing weather conditions.

So as spring fades to summer heat, I can now say that the Chiffchaff made its return to the British Isles by Mother’s Day, the Oak burst into leaf before the Ash (and so we are in for a splash!), and a Cuckoo made its return to my home. It has definitely been a great spring this year!

Spring 2020: In Photos

June 19, 2020August 5, 2020 / Laura Tuke / Leave a comment

As the world was thrown into disarray with the full force of a pandemic, our daily lives were hit by lockdown, slowing and grounding to a halt. For the natural world outside our windows though, spring was just beginning, with days warming, buds bursting, and migrants making their return. Even when our own lives were being disrupted, the natural world was carrying on.

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For me, spring has been a real lifeline this year. With the natural world bursting with life, I was able to draw real strength from the return of the swallows, the flowering of the bluebells and the trees becoming cloaked in delicate new leaves. Every moment I could spend out in nature gave me the strength to continue as if nothing had changed, cherishing every moment for what it was. For this I am grateful, and I really appreciate that I am lucky to have the beautiful Dorset countryside right on my doorstep.

As spring begins to make its exit, I wanted to take some moments to reflect on a time that has taught me a lot, brought me some real magic through the natural world, and will be remembered for as many good memories as those eclipsed by Covid-19. To begin with, here are a selection of my favourite photos from this spring. They range from spring wonderment to heart-warming moments, that all mean something to me.

Spring 2020 in photos

1) Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly – The photo featured above was taken only last week, and reminds me of how valuable the time I spend expanding my knowledge of nature really is, including the identification of butterflies and flowers. I found this Small Tortoiseshell butterfly on a 10m long chalk mound that my parents have created for wildlife within our farmland, and it really is coming into its own this year!

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2) Bluebell & Spider – When the bluebells are flowering, it has to be one of my most favourite times of the year. As the woodland floor transforms to a carpet of blue purple, I feel at my happiest and enjoy noticing new details each year, such as the spider hunting on these drooping bells.

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3) Goldfinch – I love the simplicity of this photo of a Goldfinch taken back in March. The bright colours of the bird vividly stand out from the swelling buds and bare twigs of the hazel in this hedgerow. It was enough to brighten a moment on a decidedly chilly spring day.

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4) Stitchwort – Every flower is unique and different in its own way. With Greater Stitchwort, every flower stands out like a small white star, carpeting verges, hedgerows and woodlands alike.

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5) Dandelion Seeds – Now as an adult I still hold on to the child-like curiosity that a dandelion invokes. With hundreds of parachuting seeds waiting to fly, this dandelion creates a beautiful fluffy silhouette in the spring sunshine.

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6) Lleyn Lamb – This photo is as it seems, a photo of a sleepy newborn lamb, born earlier this year. I am proud to say that I come from a farming background in the heart of Dorset. It has been this that has provided me with a spectacular backdrop to learn about the natural world around me, given me the knowledge and experiences to be able to make informed decisions about how I live my life, and given me an understanding of the important relationship between the environment and modern agriculture.

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7) Wild Garlic & Insect – I love to notice the details in nature and get down to the level of the ‘small things’. This may be noticing the curl of an unfurling fern, the patterns on the petals of a tiny flower, or the jewel-like colours of an insect exploring a cluster of star-shaped wild garlic flowers.

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8) Sunrise – One of the best times of day has usually come and gone by the time most people have woken up in the morning. A sunrise is a golden time though to get out, listen to the birds singing and watch as the world wakes up around you. There is nothing like it!

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9) Dark Rabbit – One of my more unusual sightings this year has to be this rabbit, that has notably darker fur compared to the usual European rabbit. It was small in size, and though showing wild instincts, it was slightly less fearful of us humans. Everyday it could be found sunning itself in a small open area within vegetation situated behind our farm buildings.

8) 16_04_20_Horseshoe_Woods_Flower_Moschatel_8

10) Moschatel – Every year I try and learn one new species of flowering plant that can be found in our woodlands and surrounding countryside. This year it was the turn of Moschatel. An often overlooked flower due to its greenish colour, Moschatel is also known as Townhall Clock, due to its flowers having 5 faces that make it look like a cube or townhall clock in shape.

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11) Chiffchaff – One of my highlights of spring every year is the return of the Chiffchaff. When I hear this bird sing for the first time each year, I feel like spring has truly arrived, so I am particularly saddened when their singing finally falls silent as autumn grips the landscape.

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12) Feather – This photo is a good example of the beauty of detail. It is simple, but a spot of light highlights the real elegance of this contour feather, now left to lay amongst the vegetation.

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13) Aberdeen Angus Calf – This inquisitive and interestingly marked calf is another photo that connects with my farming roots. Spring is synonymous with new life, from on the farm to the wider countryside, and this little one was just one of many, precious and to be celebrated.

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14) Spider & Hart’s-Tongue Fern – Some days I walk along in my own world and the wildlife around me merges into one. Other days the world becomes bigger though and I see every detail pop out at me, such as with this spider making its home on a Hart’s-Tongue fern.

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15) Fox Cub – As people who follow my blog or social media will already know, this spring I have had fun yet again using my camera trap on my family’s land. This has to be one of my favourite photos from this year! It was a totally unexpected surprise when this fox cub turned up on my camera trap.

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16) Vole Bones – With the return of breeding barn owls to my family’s farm, I had some fun one afternoon dissecting the pellets left by these owls. It is definitely a very rewarding feeling when you are then able to identify the species the bones you find come from. Here I believe this mandible to be from a bank vole.

17) Field Rose – I have always loved taking photos of flowers and capturing their small details. Here a field rose, you can clearly see the reproductive organs from the stamens to the stigma.

How to… Help The Planet One Small Step At A Time

June 12, 2020June 18, 2020 / Laura Tuke / Leave a comment

Currently there are approximately 7.8 billion people living on this planet, and so it is not surprising that humans have had a significant influence on the environment. For example, 1.76 planets a year are now needed to meet resource and waste absorption demands. Over time, this has heavily impacted our natural world, from massive deforestation and loss of species to large scale pollution and global warming.

Though it can feel like a losing battle, there is still time for us to try and make a difference. By making small and often easy changes within our own lives, then this could be the start to making a big difference on a larger scale. For this to work, to preserve our planet for future generations, we all need to do our bit now.

To help make this seem a little less daunting, I wanted to put together some examples of small things that I have changed in my own day-to-day life or I am now inspired to do. This could be thinking about where your food comes from, giving your old clothes new lives or even volunteering your time for the environment. It’s your life, your world and your choice, but reducing your footprint on this planet is important and a rewarding thing to do now moving forward.

This does not mean you need to do all the things I suggest, but why not see what you can do to do your bit! By making a positive change, you could reduce waste, save money and help the planet. So be active, think globally and act locally!

Food and Drink

Food and drink is an important part of all of our lives. Vital for our survival, it has a major influence on our society and more significantly, the environment. Therefore, your choices can make a real difference to our planet, which could include considering what you are eating and where your food actually comes from.

Food & Drink

Home

There are lots of small things you can change in your own home that can reduce your footprint. Often involving the reduction of energy and water usage, some changes will even save you some money in the long run.

Home

Travel

Getting from a to b is an essential part of many people’s lives in today’s world, so these choices can have a significant impact on the environment. By being smart with the choices you make each time you travel, in the long run it could add up to making a big difference, such as to pollution and resource usage.

Travel

Reduce, reuse and recycle

One of the easiest ways to try and help the planet is to reduce how much waste comes out of your own home. This could either be by disposing of items properly or more importantly by thinking before you buy.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

General Life

As well as making small changes in your own home and on the move, it is important to be aware of the environment in general. By being informed about what is going on in the world, by being active in what you do, and just by being connected, this can make the greatest difference of all

General Life

All photos and drawings are my own

How to… Make Your Own Bee Hotel

June 5, 2020July 3, 2020 / Laura Tuke / Leave a comment

As the planet continues to experience the loss of plants and animals on an unprecedented scale, it is now increasingly important that we all try and do our bit for nature. Though it can be disheartening and tough to know what to do sometimes, making one small step could be a real start to making a difference. For example, one easy thing you could do, is to provide a home for wildlife, such as a wildflower area, pond, or even a bee hotel.

Comma Butterfly

Bumblebee

The increasingly popular bee hotel is a home that is made for solitary bees, which include Leafcutter and Mason bees, and are those that live on their own rather than in colonies, make up about 90% of UK bee species, and are very important pollinators. With the loss of 97% of wildflower meadows since the Second World War, along with other factors such as pesticides and intensive farming practices, solitary bees are now heavily under threat, with less suitable habitat currently available to them.

One way we can help, is to produce nesting sites in the form of bee hotels. These structures are made up of a frame filled with tubes mimicking the natural cavities solitary bees use to nest in, which are typically tunnels in dead wood or hard soil. From spring to summer, different species will build inside these tubes, lay their eggs, add a supply of nectar and pollen, and block up the entrance. The eggs will then hatch, feed, and pupate, before emerging the following spring.

RSPB Bee Hotel

Homemade Bee Hotel

Though spring is the best time to make and put up a bee hotel, you can make one anytime you wish. There are also no set rules on how to make or use a bee hotel, as they are a relatively new phenomenon and advice on them is changing all the time. For now though, here’s some guidance I can give to help you make your very own bee hotel. They can take some time to make, but are very rewarding, and are also a great activity to currently do as part of your 30 Days Wild challenge!

Cherry Blossom

How to make a bee hotel

Examples of considerations include:

Simple or aesthetically pleasing and complex design?
Vertical or horizontal?
Sloped or flat, overhanging roof?
For your garden or a small space e.g. a window sill?
Use only recycled and reclaimed resources?

Always think of the bees when making your decisions though!

What you need:

Offcuts of planks of untreated wood, about 1.5cm thick
Tape measure and pencil
Saw
Hammer and nails
Sand paper
Tubes varying in size from about 2-12mm, with a length of at least 10mm, though ideally about 16mm. For example: bamboo canes, hollow plant stems such as sunflower stems, or bespoke bee tubes
Chunks of untreated hardwood or logs
Drill
Bits to hang up the bee hotel e.g. T bracket, screws, screw driver, Rawlplug wall plugs

Step by step guide:

Decide on your bee hotel design. Bear in mind, that smaller is better to be able to easily move the bee hotel around and to encourage bees to nest at lower densities
Use a tape measure and pencil to mark out the pieces of wood you need; the most simple designs have 5 pieces. Then use a saw to cut your wood, and sand paper to sand down any rough or uneven edges
Use a hammer and as many nails as you need, to create the frame of your bee hotel
Cut your chosen tubes to the right length to fit into the frame of your bee hotel, and sand paper off any rough ends. By using several different sizes of tubes, you increase the chance of attracting a wider range of bee species, due to variation in their preference for nest tunnel size. You can also drill holes into chunks of untreated hardwood or logs to create some more variety in your bee hotel
Carefully build up your frame with your tubes and drilled wood, until it is filled. I suggest lying your bee hotel on a tilted surface to make this easier to do
Decide on a suitable location for your bee hotel. It is important to place it in full sunlight, for example facing south or south-east, at least 1 metre above the ground, and not covered by vegetation
Hang your bee hotel up. For mine I used a t bracket, screws, screw driver, drill and rawlplug wall plugs to attach it to the south side of my house
Then wait for the bees to come to you!

Tips

The smaller the bee hotel is, the more effective it will be!
Create an overhang to give the bee hotel tubes some better protection from the rain
Every autumn take down your bee hotel and store it in a cool and dry location, to reduce risks such as of fungal infections
For best results, clean the bee hotel out every year, including removing, cleaning and preparing any pupae for release the following year

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The bee hotel I made is far from perfect, but I hope it gives you some inspiration to help make yourself an even better bee hotel!

How to… Get involved in the June 30 Days Wild challenge

May 29, 2020June 21, 2020 / Laura Tuke / Leave a comment

‘ we need nature and nature needs us’

With our current world turned on its head, what we all need right now is a pick-me-up and a purpose. So with the Wildlife Trusts’ 30 Days Wild challenge beginning next week , this might be just what we all needed. To get involved, you do not need to be an expert on wildlife, an environmental warrior or have lots of time on your hands, just up for a challenge. So I wanted to take a moment to introduce this month-long challenge and provide you with a little inspiration, to help you get into the spirit for all things 30 Days Wild!

30 Days Wild

In 2015, the Wildlife Trusts, a grassroots movement of 46 independent charities sharing the same vision across Britain, created their first annual nature challenge: 30 Days Wild. Over the last five years, the one-month long event (1st-30th June) has considerably increased in popularity, with more than a million people now having taken part. At present, with greater emphasis being placed on how nature can help us through these tough times, the Wildlife Trusts hope that this year could be their biggest year yet!

The goal overall for 30 Days Wild is to bring people closer to nature, gain new skills and knowledge, and make a positive difference for wildlife, its conservation and future generations. It also has some amazing benefits for people too. Through a 5 year review by the University of Derby, it was found that involvement in 30 Days Wild led to increases in people’s connectedness to nature, health, happiness, and pro-nature behaviour, during and after the month. This is such a great result which shows the power of going wild.

Adventure with my mum

Getting involved in 30 Days Wild is easy and a bit of fun, with something for everyone. The aim is to try and do one wild act a day (known as a Random Act of Wildness) for the whole month of June. Acts may last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, but your month is totally shaped by you! For more information and inspiration, go to the Wildlife Trusts’ 30 Days Wild action page, sign up and get a free downloadable digital pack. Then I look forward to you sharing what you get up to and inspiring others whilst you do so!

30 Days Wild

30 Random Acts of Wildness for 30 Days Wild

Bake a nature-themed cake – It could be butterfly cakes, a cake made from natural ingredients or a cake shaped like a hedgehog. Whatever you choose to make, it is sure to be tasty though
Make a wildlife diary – By making a record of what you see day-to-day or on specific trips, you will be able to track what exciting things you have seen and observe if changes take place over a period of time
Forest bathing – This ancient Japanese process of relaxation, refers to taking in a forest through your senses, savouring the sights, sounds, smells and feeling of the forest around you. Through spending a little time being calm and quiet amongst the trees, it is a great way to de-stress, pause and refresh
Exercise out in nature – For example a walk, bike ride or on horseback
Look for signs of wildlife – Looking for the signs animals leave behind, such as fur or droppings, is a great way to discover what lives near you. For some help on animal footprints, check out my How to… Identify Animal Footprints guide on my blog now
Listen out for bird song – Though identifying bird song can often feel really tough, when you get one right however simple, it feels really rewarding. There are now lots of handy guides online that will help you to get started
Plant some wildflower seeds – Why not plant some seeds, ready-made native mixes are great for this, and grow some flowers to provide a food source for the butterflies and bees
Go on a minibeast hunt in your local green space – An adventure such as this can be made more fun and interesting by making your own sweep net or pooter beforehand to take along with you
Make a home for wildlife – Whether this be a pond, hedgehog house, insect hotel, bird box, or bat box, making a home for wildlife is a great way to bring nature to you. Check out my How to…Make Your Own Bee Hotel post for some inspiration and to help you make your very own bee hotel.
Go stargazing – Stargazing can be done anywhere from a window, your garden or a local green space. The best way though, is to find a place where you can lie down, look up at the sky and see what you can see
Go for a wild walk – Take some time out of your busy day, such as with a furry friend, and head outdoors. You could explore your local woods, find a place you have not been before or walk to your nearest lake or river
Do a mini litter pick or beach clean – Choose an area in need of some care, and spend some time, however long you choose, completing a clean up. Stay safe though!
Identify wildflowers – A great way to connect with the natural world day-to-day is to be more mindful and pick out the wildflowers that you can recognise, such as in a hedge or woodland. For some help, check out my blog’s handy How to… Identify Woodland Flowers and How to… Identify Hedgerow Plants guides
Join your local Wildlife Trust – For more information on how to do this, head over to the main Wildlife Trusts website
Sit and watch a sunrise or sunset – Consider the weather conditions before you head out, to ensure you see the best sunrise or sunset possible during those Golden Hours. For example, high cloud cover, low humidity and low wind make for the best conditions
Eat outside under the sky – Take a meal or picnic outside, enjoy the world around you, and see what you can see whilst you eat
Camera trapping – Camera trapping is another great way to monitor what animals live in your local area and can be highly addictive! For some guidance, check out my blog post on How to… Use and Make the Most of a Camera Trap
Leave a wild corner in your garden – Why not attract more wildlife to your garden by dedicating a corner for them. You could let the plants grow up, leave dead wood, plant flowers for the insects, or put up a bird feeder. The choice is all yours!
Admire a wild view – Take some time out of your day to stop, step back, and really take in your surroundings. This way you can really appreciate the wonder of the natural world around you
Donate to a wildlife cause or charity – Select a cause or charity of your choice, such as the Wildlife Trusts, and donate as little or as much as you like, to try and help make a difference
Sketch something from nature – Unleash your inner artist, take inspiration from what you can see around you in the natural world, and see what you can create!
Have a plastic-free day – You could choose to change just one item, such as start using a reusable drinks bottle or use less bath products in plastic packaging, or you could even go completely plastic-free for a whole day
Explore an urban wilderness – If this is safe for you to do so, why not go on a wild adventure to see the wildlife that calls your urban area home. From wildflowers growing in the cracks of the pavement to deer living in green spaces, urban areas are full of life!
Watch a wild webcam – Other people’s online webcams are a great way to get up close and personal with some wildlife you would not usually get the opportunity to. Some great websites include the Springwatch live cameras and the Wildlife Trust webcams
Read a wild book, poem or blog – Whilst we cannot go on trips to see further afield wildlife and wild landscapes at the moment, a great way to spark your imagination is to read a wild book, poem or blog. Some great wild books I suggest are David Attenborough’s Adventures of a Young Naturalist or Helen Macdonald’s H is for Hawk, or for a blog suggestion, why not check out my wild adventures!
Write to your local MP on a wild issue – Writing to an MP is a great way to bring an issue that you are passionate about to their attention. It is their job to listen to what you care about, so they want to hear from you
Make bird food – Making homemade bird food is a fun and easy activity to do with lots of different ideas out there, from pine cone feeders to crumbly pastry maggots

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Do a mini bio-blitz – Pick a manageable area, such as your garden, and see how many species of animals and plants you can identify within a set amount of time. You will be able to test your ID skills, whilst getting outdoors and maybe discovering some unexpected species
Make a nature table – Nature tables are a great way to lay out and show off what you have found on your wild adventures, for example feathers, skulls or even fossils

Field Vole skull
Take a step to reduce your carbon footprint – Now is as important a time as ever to think about the impact we are having on our environment. Why not try and do something now to make a difference, by making small changes to your own life, such as walk or cycle more or cut down on your water usage. For some more inspiration, check out my How to… Help The Planet One Small Step At A Time post.

To see what I get up to during the month, check out my Twitter page: @laura_tuke

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Laura's Wild World

Blogging about my wild adventures

Breeding Barn Owls 2020

This Year

Conservation Action and the Barn Owl chicks

Their Importance

Moving Forward

How to… Identify Chalkland Wildflowers

Chalkland Wildflowers

Now get out there and see what you can find!

How to… Be a Barn Owl Pellet Detective

Dissecting Barn Owl pellets

Analysing Barn Owl pellets

How did you get on?

Giving Nature a Home on the Farm

(2) The Chalk Mound

Spring 2020: How It Happened

Trees

Shrubs

Flowers

Grasses

Birds

Insects

This Year

Spring 2020: In Photos

Spring 2020 in photos

How to… Help The Planet One Small Step At A Time

How to… Make Your Own Bee Hotel

How to… Get involved in the June 30 Days Wild challenge