In late September, I wrote a piece about the discovery of the Ivy Bee Colletes hederae in our Oldbrook garden. I asked for fellow members to let me know if they had found this bee in their local patch and have since continued to look for it elsewhere in Milton Keynes. Shortly after the article […]
Many of us have been enjoying wildlife in our own gardens this year with the restrictions that have been imposed on us. Perhaps you have found something unusual or uncommon in your garden that you were not aware of until now. We have been blessed with fantastic, settled weather in spring at the height of […]
This page provides links to articles which members have submitted to share with others about what’s happening in our local area, from April 2020 to date. 2021 The joy of allotments and how I make mine wildlife-friendly – Jenny Mercer (8 February 2021) Duke of Burgundy Butterfly and Blue Lagoon LNR – Martin Kincaid (3 […]
16 members and friends joined the 10th April Sunday morning walk through Linford Wood. A map was handed out to show the paths and compartments of this 39ha (97 acre) wood. As soon as we had left the TV-mast car-park a few newly-emerged Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea came into view beside the path. This plant […]
Click on images to enlarge. Click here for previous year’s sightings : 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 If you haven’t already done so, we encourage you to submit your sightings to become a record. Guidance on how to do this, and who to submit it to, can be found in the Recording section. (https://mknhs.org.uk/recording/) MKNHS does […]
(Photo above: Goosander at Wolverton Mill © Julian Lambley) Autumn has been generally mild locally but with heavy rain and floods in October and December. However, this has not discouraged members of our Society from exploring the local countryside and enjoying and recording the local wildlife. This is a summary of members` observations noted mainly […]
Some 41 years ago my wife Hilary and I had the opportunity to plan our garden from scratch: the area was an arable field growing barley immediately before development took place in the south west quadrant of Stony Stratford. The soil is a heavy loam over clay and is slightly alkaline. The original plan was […]
Please submit your sightings to sightings@mknhs.org.uk Click on images to enlarge. Click here for previous year’s sightings: 2019 2018 2017 December 2020 31st Tawny Owl: Male, heard calling in Bradwell Village (Kerry Garratt) 30th Snipe: Floodplain Forest NR (Joe Clinch) 30th Short-eared Owl: a lone bird seen 2pm and again at 4.30pm in flight. Hazeley Wood […]
Although we are all familiar with the important role that bumblebees and honeybees play in pollination, over 90% of the UK’s 267 bee species are in fact solitary bees. Pollinating animals are responsible for one third of the food we consume and solitary bees are particularly efficient pollinators. Unlike other bees solitary bees do not […]
Please submit your sightings to sightings@mknhs.org.uk Click here for sightings for other years: 2017 2018 2019 December 2018 31st Mistletoe: in tree, CMK (Mart Sarre) 30th Otter: Teardrop Lakes, MK (Emma Cobb) 30th Goosander: (3m 3f) – Tongwell (BuBC) 30th Short-eared Owl : Dunton (BuBC) 30th Bittern : Left channel hide 1.Calvert BBOWT Lake (BuBC) 30th Brambling : on garden feeder […]
Click here for sightings for other years: 2017 2018 2019 December 2017 31st Goosander: (6m, 7f) – Manor Farm Quarry. (BuBC) 31st Pintail: (1m, 1f) – Manor Farm Quarry. (BuBC) 31st Goosander: 5 – Tongwell (BuBC) 31st Otter: at the reedy end at 9.45 – Tongwell (BuBC) 31st Stonechat: (pair) – Hyde Lane (BuBC) 31st Goosander : Hyde Lane (BuBC) […]
Please submit your sightings to sightings@mknhs.org.uk October 2019 30th Goldeneye: 3 – Calvert BBOWT Lake (BuBC) 30th Woodcock: Flushed by dogs – Stoke Goldington (BuBC) 30th Goldeneye: 2 – Foxcote Reservoir (BuBC) 29th Great White Egret: 2 – Linford Lakes NR (BuBC) 29th Brambling: Back Wood (BuBC) 29th Marsh Tit: Stowe (BuBC) 29th Merlin: Flying […]