The courtship behaviour of the silver-washed fritillary, Argynnis paphia (Heliconiinae, Argynnini), is described in most books or websites about butterflies.…
In praise of Peacocks!
There has been no shortage of Peacock butterflies this summer! People have been commenting on social media about the large…
Just a bunch of weeds? Birds and bees on the slopes of the Futurist site, Scarborough
This site was created following the demolition of the old Futurist theatre on Scarborough seafront. Demolition of the building began…
Life on a ledge
I have been following Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) at a number of sites around Scarborough this summer, but one particular location…
Silly seabird season! Herring gull chicks.
It’s what I call silly seabird season here in Scarborough. The time of year when seabird chicks fall off the…
I want to get close to you! Habituation in butterflies
Red admiral, Vanessa atalanta, butterflies are notoriously territorial, particularly when they occupy their favoured spots in the late afternoon. I…
Where’s the nectar? Butterfly nectaring behaviour
Butterflies are nectar feeders and require frequent access to the sugars and amino acids that nectar provides. How do they…
Enter the dragon! Bumblebees and snapdragons
A bumblebee has to open a snapdragon flower (Antirrhinum majus) to get inside. Antirrhinum flowers have five petals arranged into…
Buttercup bedfellows
Plodding a regular path near my home, I have been enjoying the emergence of buttercups over the past few weeks.…
Nest building kittiwakes
Over the last few weeks, kittiwakes – or Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) to give them their full name – have been…
