Well done! The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird in the world, capable of speeds of up to 240mph. It takes most of its prey on the wing.
Bad luck! The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird in the world, capable of speeds of up to 240mph. It takes most of its prey on the wing.
Peacock butterflies are one of the commonest butterflies in the wood – and one of the first to be seen in spring.
They live for just under a year and hibernate over winter, usually starting to emerge in March.
They feed on stinging nettles and nectar from plants including the buddleia bush and lay their eggs on the underside of nettle leaves.
Their reddish wings feature large eye spots – similar to those found on a peacock feather, which is where they get their name.
The pattern is intended to scare off predators by resembling the eyes of a larger creature but they still face a challenge for survival: out of an average of around 100 eggs laid by a female butterfly, very few make it to adulthood – and butterflies are a popular meal for birds, spiders and even dragonflies.
The males always have blue wings, but females can range from brown in the south of the UK to blue in Scotland.
They like to feed on birds foot trefoil – a low growing meadow flower with yellow leaves tinged with red, earning it the nickname eggs and bacon.
These small butterflies like sunny sheltered spots including woodland clearings. They start to emerge from the chrysalis from May onwards.
Comma butterflies hibernate in log piles and tree hollows, but can sometimes be seen on warm winter days.
Their favourite food is stinging nettles but they fatten themselves up for winter on fruit such as blackberries.
They are one of the species that has benefitted from climate change, with rising temperatures helping to boost their numbers in Scotland.
In Scotland the northern brown argus butterfly can usually be identified by the single white spot in the centre of the brown front wings.
They can be seen from June to August in areas and prefer areas where they can find their favourite food, the common rock rose.
They share communal roosts and live in colonies of no more than 50 butterflies.
The thistle has been Scotland’s national flower since at least the 13th century when, legend has it, a Scottish army was alerted to the presence of raiding Vikings when one of the attackers trod on a thistle and yelled out in pain. Legend does not record quite why the Vikings thought removing their shoes would be a good idea.
The prickles deter herbivores hoping to make a meal of thistles but they are an important species for other wildlife including bees – and goldfinches have been known to build nests in thistles, which also form a big part of their late summer diet.
The leaves and nectar provide an important source of food for caterpillars of the Painted Lady butterfly.