The aim of our wildlife gallery is to display a range of interesting wildlife that can be seen by anyone, be it from garden, local park, town, city or nearby countryside.
We have purposely decided not to show photography from the more 'spectacular' UK locations in order to demonstrate that you don't have to travel miles to see some fascinating wildife. Many have been taken from in and around Hedge and Habitat nurseries.
Hope you enjoy the photographs! They are displayed with the most recent additions at the top.
The familiar Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is a fascinating mammal that seems to divide opinion. Our fox below spends much of its time in and around the adjacent sand quarry, and is much more shy and wary than its more urban cousins. Foxes tend to look their most vibrant during their mating season, which will shortly be coming to an end. The photo below was taken just before the onset of a heavy snowfall. (04/02/12)
The attractive Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) can be surprisingly difficult to spot, yet has an unmistakable black cap and orange-red underparts. A shy bird of woodland scrub, hedgerows and mature gardens, it feeds on insects, seeds and berries - but can also be a pest by feeding on the buds of fruit trees in spring. 
The beautifully vibrant Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis) is often easier to spot in the winter months when the trees are bare of foliage. The female below was first heard (with its familiar loud 'laughing call'), and then spotted in its highly distinctive undulating flight, before settling down high in the tree tops. Suprisingly for our largest woodpecker, the Green Woodpecker feeds mainly on the ground, and usually feeds on ants. 
A deer in full flight across a Bedfordshire field on a beautiful November morning. This is not a native deer, but the naturalised Chinese Water Deer - probably a descendent of an escapee from nearby Woburn Deer Park. Normally a resident of the reed beds of rural China, the Chinese Water Deer is now equally at home in the open fields and ditches of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. It can be distinguished from other deer by its lack of a white rump when in flight and its large rounded ears. 
The majestic Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) is well suited to the rolling grassy hills and scattered woodland that make up a large proportion of our countryside. However, compared to other birds of prey they are actually not brilliant hunters, and will often be found perched on roadside telegraph poles or fence posts looking for an easy meal, such as carrion, injured rabbits, or earthworms from a recently ploughed field. 
The Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) is a relatively common butterfly in England, and inhabits tall grassy places, for example alongside hedgerows or within woodland rides. It's flutter of orange-gold wings will visit gardens if there is a range of open vegetation and nectar sources such as thistles, knapweeds and bramble. 
In early July Hedge and Habitat gardens are inundated with small, perfectly formed froglets no bigger than a centimetre or two in length. They tend to seek out areas of long damp grass, or little nooks and crannies such as the brick pile below to shelter from wide range of predators, including blackbirds, crows, and hedgehogs. 
One of the regular summer sights over Hedge and Habitat HQ are the spectacular and noisy acrobatics of the House martins (Delichon urbica), who feed on insects on the wing. Present between April and October, they are famed for their mud-built nests, commonly constructed under the eaves of houses. 
The beautiful Orange tip (Anthocharis cardamines) is a common butterfly of hedgerows and woodland margins. The male below was spotted on the edge of a local sand quarry, and despite the name, displays its more intricate underside patterning.
One of the harbingers of spring, the beautifully coloured Peacock butterfly (Inachis io) is a common visitor to gardens, grassy places, and the woodland edge, where it finds its favoured nettle breeding habitat. It is also one of the longest lived butterflies, often surviving from late July through to late spring the following year. The speciman below was spotted on a large bank of blackthorn flowers.
If you are lucky enough to live near an area of heathland, then April is a great time of year to view our native reptiles. Semi-open heather and bracken habitat with south-facing banks are good places to locate these fascinating yet shy animals, which often shed their skin in spring shortly after hibernation. Photo below shows a Common lizard (Lacerta vivipara) completing the skin shedding process.
Close to the common lizard above we spotted the recently shed snake-skin (or 'slough') of an adder (Vipera berus). The empty skin (or exuvia) clearly shows that unlike lizards, snakes tend to shed the complete outer skin as a whole. There is a clear distinction between the larger ventral scales of the underside of the snake and the smaller topside dorsal scales. 
We finally came across the former owner of the snake skin, a intricately patterned male speciman. Adders are arguably one of our most beautiful native animals, yet are unfortunately threatened due to the shrinkage and isolation of their 'island' heathland habitat. Any adder sightings should be recorded on the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation website in order to build up a picture of nationwide adder populations. 
A wonderfully textured Common Toad (Bufo bufo) emerges into the sunlight in Hedge and Habitat gardens. Toads prefer drier conditions than frogs, and are renowned for travelling relatively long distances to reach their preferred breeding ponds...often crossing roads in the process. 
Whilst the Blackbird (Turdus merula) may be one of our commonest birds, it is fascinating to watch, and has a tuneful and beautifully mellow song. The photo below was taken in Hedge and Habitat gardens and shows the browner female collecting dried grass for her hedgerow nest. It is always the female that builds the nest. 
Taken in the low light of early morning, this pair of House sparrows (Passer domesticus) are lively residents at Hedge and Habitat HQ, tending to nest in the eaves. House sparrows are still very common in our area, but are now a Red List species due to their downturn in nationwide numbers. Building improvements are removing many of their nesting sites. 
Garden ponds have made a real difference in providing breeding sites for the Common Frog (Rana temporaria). This photo shows the Hedge and Habitat wildlife pond in early March.
A lively Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) alongside the Houses of Parliament in Central London. These reptillian-like birds are fascinating to watch and supreme catchers of flat fish and eels, which appeared to be numerous in the River Thames. The white thigh patch suggests a bird in breeding plummage. 
Close up of a Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera) collecting nectar from a crocus flower on beautiful late February morning. Pollinating insects are currently suffering from a decline in numbers.
Yellowhammers (Emberiza citrinella) - small winter flock heard and then spotted on fencing alongside grassy fields, though only one male seen. Recent decline in population make it a red list species.
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) - spotted circling high above our local sand quarry on a clear, crisp day following widespread snow. Buzzards are often seen during good weather, using thermals to gain height.
A pair of Chinese Water Deer spotted early in the morning in local fields in late autumn. Not a native deer but a small naturalised deer following introduction and escape from Woburn Park. 
Common Toad (Bufo bufo) - perfectly camoflaged (and looking grumpy!) amongst shingle in Hedge and Habitat gardens.
Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum) - a large and beautifully ornate dragonfly spotted perching alongside a series of ponds in Marston Vale. 
Common Frog (Rana temporaria) - we have a large community of frogs in our pond at Hedge and Habitat. 
The beautifully patterned Speckled Wood (Parage aegeria) butterfly basking in the sunshine in a local hedgerow in June.
Whilst we are not experts in relation to bee identification, we think this is a Garden Bumblebee (Bombus hortorum), collecting nectar in early June from catmint - a favourite bee plant. 