r/UKecosystem

Found in London, UK

I made two discoveries in my garden over the weekend:

- lots of bindweed

- baby slow worm

The slow worm was under some fabric sheeting over an overgrown veg bed where the bindweed is, and we need to rip up the sheeting and cut the growth back to be able to remove the bindweed. I'm thrilled to have a little slow worm guest (never seen one before and assuming theres probably others there too), and really want to avoid causing it any harm whilst essentially removing its home.

Once the work is done I'll try place some bricks/roof tiles to form little hiding spots for them, but I'm after some advice on if theres anything i could do/avoid doing whilst removing the sheeting and cutting stuff back. Is there a way i can gently encourage the slow worm(s) to leave beforehand, and if so how?

Thanks for any advice!

I’ve seen this alot lately and can’t find the name of it. It’s hardy and wild, growing out of walls and in flower rn!

TIA

Location is Berkshire if that helps, and it was about inch and a half in length

I’m lucky enough to have lots of slow worms in my garden. This one was right outside my front door, and is the longest one I’ve ever seen!

Google tells me they can live up to 30 years in the wild! Is this true, and if so, how old would you think this one is?

EDIT: It's a newt! Not a lizard! I had to be told, lol, which is slightly embarassing, but I'm just glad to learn the difference! Thanks to those who gave me the correct information!

(This was in Moore Nature Reserve, in Cheshire.)

I don't remember why we had some slate hanging about in the garden, but I decided to put it around the garden for the slow worms recently. I figured it would warm in the sun and be a nice place for them. I usually find them in my compost every year.

This bit of slate has been a hit, and there are baby slow worms underneath :)

Does anyone know what kind of creature created this hole? Looked too small to be a rodent, I could be wrong though. West Wales, Yesterday.

Thumb for scale

I’ve seen only one of these before, size of a pin head. What is it?

I heard these guys last night snuffling around the bird feeder - I could've cried with happiness. It's always been my dream to have hedgehog visitors!! I have a nature friendly garden, I don't use slug pellets or weed killer, I plant lots of pollinator friendly plants and it all finally paid off !! Any advice for keeping them happy?

Jumping spider of some description

I live on one of the Scottish islands so it's not something I see commonly here.

Really incredible, we were at the local RSPB reserve an spotted it at the base of the tree trunk. Then watched as it climbed higher and higher. Sometimes it would go inside the gaps between the ivy and the tree bark and the. Pop out again a few inches further up. We'd never seen one climb so high.

It stayed stock still hoping I wouldn't see it

Scotland, this morning