Come to a free talk about Hedgehogs at Lancaster Academy, Knighton Lane East Leicester LE2 6FU on Tuesday 27th February. Tea, coffee, and light refreshments available from 17:30, with presentations starting at 18:00. Organised by the Sustainable Schoold Team, the meeting will hear from local hedgehog expert Bev Hart, and Paul and Janey who are […]
Tag: wildlife
Waxwings in Knighton – January 2024
Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus) are one of those birds that get birdwatchers jumping in their cars and driving to a location to try to see them. They are a stunningly attractive bird with bright yellow, white and red markings against a pinkish buff background, black on their face and throat, and a fine crest. They are […]
Parakeets in Knighton – Winter 2023
Residents who live on Welford Road between Aberdale Road/Overdale Road and Asquith Boulevard/Palmerston Way are no doubt well aware of their presence, but other people who live round Knighton may not know that up to 60 Ring-necked Parakeets or Rose-ringed Parakeets (Psittacula krameri) gather in trees on Welford Road every evening to roost. Ring-necked parakeets […]
Tree Snot?
What is the source of this mysterious alien jelly in Attenborough Arboretum? If you’ve been missing Autumnwatch on the telly after the BBC cancelled it, you may have been catching up with Chris Packham’s free online alternative, 8 Out Of 10 Bats on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@8OutOf10Bats If you’ve been watching the series you’ll already know the […]
Mammal Spotter Competition – August 2023
Leicestershire and Rutland Mammals Group is running a competition to get people to record as many mammals as possible during the course of August 2023. The competition is run in conjunction with NatureSpot, where participants can record what they see, and aims to get as many people sending in records of mammals in Leicester, Leicestershire […]
Small but perfectly formed
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Knighton Nature Notes 4: The Mistletoe Mystery
What lies behind the mystery plant taking over Knighton? Observant nature watchers may have noticed abundant quantities of Mistletoe (Viscum album) in Knighton, and not just at Christmas parties. Almost all of the Lime trees on Welford Road now sport colonies of this parasitic plant, as do other trees in the area. (Don’t worry, it […]
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