Alan Cann reports on the latest Knighton Wild foray into the wild. It never occurred to me when I suggested Knighton Wild might like to run a Big Bug Weekend that people might be expecting to find big bugs – tarantulas, praying mantis, etc. Instead of jungle giants, on our bug hunt we found tiny […]
Author: Knighton Wild
Shieldbugs in the Garden
The forthcoming Big Bug Weekend made me think about some of the bugs I have found in my garden in Knighton. In this piece, I’ll look at what a bug is, what shieldbugs are, what shieldbugs you might find in your garden, and what other insects there are around that might be confused with shieldbugs […]
Knighton Nature Notes 8: Early morning birdsong at Knighton Park
Sunday 7th May was National Dawn Chorus day so a week before on the 1st of May Stuart Mucklejohn went to Knighton Spinney to record the birdsong there. Stuart returned to Knighton Spinney on National Dawn Chorus day to repeat the recording. He writes: I went for an early morning walk around Knighton Park on […]
Getting the meadows ready and an interesting find
If you have walked through Knighton Green recently you may have noticed a rectangular bald patch on the edge of the grassy area. This is not a case of creeping alopecia but the start of what we hope will be another swathe of summer colour. On Saturday 15th April a small band of volunteers set […]
The Changing Birds of Spring
As we move into spring the birds around us are changing. Birds that have visited us for the winter move back north or east to their breeding grounds. Birds that have wintered in southern Europe or Africa return to Britain to breed. The birds that are resident all year round change their behaviour: becoming more […]
Citizen science reports: Otter monitoring down the Wash Brook
Jenny Rowe reports on the first monitoring survey along the length of the Wash Brook/ Saffron Brook The otter is a key indicator species for the restoration of the Saffron Brook. A preliminary survey showed that there were signs of otters along the length of the brook. A team of volunteers have been trained by […]
Toxic to fleas is toxic to bees
Did you know that a single dose of flea treatment for a large dog contains enough pesticide to kill 25 million bees? New research from the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College asks if urban areas are hotspots for pollution from pet flea and tick treatments (parasiticides). The answer is […]
Knighton Nature Notes 7: Succession
Not the TV series – ecological succession! A successful wildlife garden (or nature reserve) aims to create a wide variety of ecological habitats so that a rich range of species can survive and prosper. This is possible even in a small space such as a garden because the plan is to create a mosaic – […]
Have you seen Parakeets in Knighton?
Have you seen parakeets in Knighton? Do you know where they nest or roost? Do they come to your garden or a nearby green space to feed during the day? We’d like to know. How you can help. Parakeets in Leicester People are often surprised to learn that there are parakeets in Leicester. Ring-necked Parakeets […]
Saving the Saffron Brook works on Knighton Green
Over the last few months (December 2022 through to March 2023) Trent Rivers Trust and Leicester Environmental Volunteers have been working on and around the watercourse as it passes through Knighton Green. Trent Rivers Trust have been contracted by the Saving the Saffron Brook project to carry out works on the watercourse of the Wash […]
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