Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Anser ("goose") caerulescens caerulescens ("ceruleanish")

Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens) at Deeping Lakes, Lincolnshire - January 2026

Featured Subspecies: Unknown
Weight: 2-3kg  /  Length: 64-79cm  /  Wingspan: 135-165cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A species that breeds on the Arctic tundra of North America, just tipping over into Siberia, it is notable for coming in two morphs; the snow morph seen here has the bird as entirely white plumaged except the black tail, while the "blue" morph  have only white heads on otherwise dark grey bodies. While this bird was presumably a vagrant as it was associating with whooper swans, typically the Wintering range of Snow Geese is various pockets in the USA and Mexico.

Related Species: 
Order: Anseriformes 
Family: Anatidae 
Genus: Anser
SUBSPECIES: A. c. caerulescens, A. c. atlanticus

 
- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM 
 Rare vagrant and also feral breeding species
-  One bird seen at Deeping Lakes in January 2026 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola)

OTHER NAMES: Common Pratincole
Latin Etymology: Glareola ("gravel") pratincola ("inhabitant of the meadow")

Adult Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola) at Frampton Marshes, Lincolnshire - June 2025

Featured Subspecies: Presumed Glareola pratincola pratincola
Weight: 85g  /  Length: 24-28cm  /  Wingspan: 60-70cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Like other pratincoles, a perculiar wader with a more swallow like form and mode of feeding in the air. The Collared breeds around the Mediterranean and Central Asia, and Winters in Eastern and Equatorial Africa, although some populatons are resident, and, unsually, there are breeding migratory populations in Southern Africa. In the UK, it is the most frequent pratincole vagrant with usually a few records each year.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Glareolidae
Genus: Glareola
SUBSPECIES: G. p. pratincola, G. p. erlangeri, G. p. fuelleborni

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM -  A rare vagrant
 - Vagrant seen at Frampton Marshes in June 2025.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

Lapland Bunting (Calcarius lapponicus)

OTHER NAMES: Lapland Longspur N/A
Latin Etymology: Calcarius ("spurs") lapponicus ("of Lapland")

 

Adult male Lapland Bunting (Calcarius lapponicus) moulting into Summer plumage at Weybourne, Norfolk - March 2024

Featured Subspecies: Calcarius lapponicus lapponicus
Weight: 23-35g  /  Length: 15.5-17cm  /  Wingspan: 22-29cm
UK STATUS NOT EVALUATED/ IUCN Red List: Least Concern

While known in the UK as the Lapland Bunting, more accurately it is a Longspur, a small group of seedeating birds primarily found in North America and only distantly related to the true buntings such as reed bunting or yellowhammer.  They are a scarce Winter visitor in the UK where in most places they only turn up briefly and are hard to pin down before seeminly moving on.  

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Calcariidae
Genus: Calcarius
SUBSPECIES: C. l. lapponicus, C. l. coloratus, C. l. alascensis

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - a scarce and erratic Wintering species - (710 birds)
 - Seen at Waybourne (3 birds in March 2024) 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Aquila ("eagle") chrysaetos ("gold eagle")

Adult Golden Eagle (subspecies A. c. chrysaotus)  near Side, Antalya, Turkey - March 2025

Featured Subspecies: Aquila chrysaetos chryseotus

Weight: 4.2kg  /  Length: 66-102cm  /  Wingspan: 180-234cm

UK AMBER LIST  / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Golden Eagle is a large species and massively widely distributed across the Northern hemisphere and as such culturally fairly ubiquitous as an emblem in Northern Hemisphere cultures, being popular in heraldry, falconry, mythology and ritualism across North America, Europe and Asia.  While not necessarily the largest eagle, as a comparatively versatile species it can be found in a broader range of habitats than specialized larger species, although human encroachment has tended to force it to more remote locations dues to its need for large territories where it can hunt.  I first saw a Golden Eagle when I was young when I went to see the sole remaining bird in England, and while there is a full sustainable population in Scotland (and indeed, Japan), I finally caught up with this species in the hills North of Madrid, where this species is fairly scarce.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Aquila
Subspecies: A. c. chrysaetos, A. c. canadensis, A. c. homeyeri, A. c. kamtschatica, A. c. daphanea, A. c. japonica

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Rare breeding species now limited to Scotland (440 pairs)

 - The single resident bird seen at Haweswater in the late 90s, as of 2016, it is missing and so the species in probably extinct in England.

SPAIN - Spanish - Águila reál ("Royal Eagle")
Rare and local resident.

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: A single individual seen flying over at Patones 

TURKEY  -   Turkish: Kaya kartalı ("Rock eagle")
 - ANTALYA 2025 TRIP - One in mountains near Side

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

Common Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis)

OTHER NAMES: Red-headed Cardinal Beetle

Latin Etymology: Pyrochroa ("fire ?") serraticornis (?)

Adult Common Cardinal Beetle (subspecies P. s. serraticornis) at Geddington, Northants - May 2011

Featured Subspecies: Pyrochroa serraticornis serraticornis
Length: 10-18mm 
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

The Common Cardinal Beetle is a pretty common beetle species found throughout much of the UK - normally present around the edge of woodlands they are highly tied to trees for their habitat inhabiting both live and dead wood.  There are three Cardinal Beetles found in the UK, but the Common is, as one would expect from the name, the most common of the three.

Related Species:
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Pyrochroidae
Genus: Pyrochroa
SUBSPECIES: P. s. kiesenwetteri, P. s. serraticornis

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A common resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington and various other sites

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

24-Spot Ladybird (Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata)

OTHER NAMES: Alfalfa Ladybird, Alfalfa Lady Beetle

Latin Etymology: Subcoccinella ("sub-ladybird") vigintiquatuorpunctata ("twenty-four spotted")

Two adult 24-Spotted Ladybird (Subcoccinella vigintiquatuorpunctata) at Geddington, Northants - May 2011

Featured Subspecies: ?
Length: 3-4mm
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

The 24-Spot Ladybird is another highly variable species capable of having a wide range of spots up to 26.  More unusually though, unlike all other British ladybirds, its shell has a somewhat velvet-like quality with tiny downy hair like structures giving it a bit more of a matte appearance.  Also unusual is that this ladybird is often flightless - a sample in the UK found that none had wings under their wing cases, while individuals in other countries may have a portion of the population be winged.

Related Species:
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Coccinellidae
Genus: Subcoccinella
SUBSPECIES: None - monotypic

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Roesel's bush-cricket (Metrioptera roeselii)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Metrioptera (?) roeselii ("Roesel's")

Adult Roesel's bush-cricket (subspecies M. r. roeselii) at Geddington, Northants - September 2011

Featured Subspecies: Metrioptera roeselii roeselii
Length: 13-26mm  /  Wingspan: N/A
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

Rosesel's Bush Crickets are a medium sized cricket with a distinctive bright green edging to their thorax.  Named after a German entomologist called August Johann Rösel von Rosenhof, they are one of the most common species in Britain.  Mostly found on tall grasses, particularly in ungrazed fields, grass forms a significant portion of its diet along with seeds and small insects.

Related Species:
Order: Orthoptera
Family: Tettigoniidae
Genus: Metrioptera
SUBSPECIES: M. r. roeselii, M. r. vasilii

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A fairly common resident seen in Summer

 - Common around Geddington

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae)

OTHER NAMES: Cinnabar

Latin Etymology: Tyria (?) jacobaeae (after the family name of Ragwort - it's foodplant)

Adult Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae) at Geddington, Northants - July 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Length: ?  /  Wingspan: 32-42mm
UK Status: Not Evaluated / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

The Cinnabar Moth is a fairly common but distinctive species found throughout much of UK - wherever ragwort is found.  Care should be taken to differentiate it from the similarly coloured but more abundant Six-Spot Burnet, which for a long time when I was younger was told was this species.  To differentiate, compare the patterns on the black fore-wings of the two species - the burnet has 6 spots on each, while this has two spots and a long red bar.

Related Species:
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Erebidae
Genus: Tyria
SUBSPECIES: None - monotypic

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A common resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington and several other sites

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

OTHER NAMES: Red Squirrel
Latin Etymology: Sciurus ("squirrel") vulgaris ("common") 

Adult Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) at Vienna, Austria - October 2024

Featured Subspecies: ?
Weight: 10-15g  /  Length: 34-43cm
UK STATUS NOT EVALUATED/ IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The indiginous tree squirrel of Europe, the Red Squirrel is somewhat paradoxical in that overall it has an enormous range but within the UK specifically it is significantly struggling due to competition with the non-native grey squirrel which outcompetes it and carries pathogens which are fatal to reds. The result has led to a catastrophic population collapse and Reds are largely extipirated from England. While the population in the UK does have the namesame red fur, other populations are more variable into black, grey and brown such as the individual pictured above.

Related Species:
Order: Rodentia 
Family: Sciuridae 
Genus: Sciurus 
SUBSPECIES: S. v. alpinus, S. v. altacaicus, S. v. anadyrensis, S. v. arcticus, S. v. balcanicus, S. v. chiliensis, S. v. cinerea, S. v. dulkeiti, S. v. exalbidus, S. v. fedjushini, S. v. fusconigricans, S. v. leucourus, S. v. lilaeus, S. v. mantchuricus, S. v. martensi, S. v. ognevi, S. v. orientis, S. v. rupestris, S. v. ukrainicus, S. v. varius, S. v. vulgaris

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A localised and declining resident
 - Seen in the Lake District

AUSTRIA - Austrian: esguilu - "Squirrel"

Common resident

 - VIENNA 2024: Seen in Vienna  

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

Small Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia)

OTHER NAMES: Emperor Moth
Latin Etymology: Saturnia (for Saturn) pavonia (?)

Adult male Small Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia) at Geddington, Northants, UK - April 2022

Featured Subspecies: 
Weight: ?  /  Length: ?  /  Wingspan: 6-8cm
UK STATUS NOT EVALUATED/ IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

In the UK, this species is more generally known as the "emperor moth" as it is the sole representative of its family found here. They have a wide range of food plants, some notable examples in the UK including alder, birch, heather, hawthorn, beech, starberry, ash, walnut, oak and assorted fruit trees. They are sexually dimorphic, with the female having a greyer colour scheme.

Related Species:
Order:  Lepidoptera
Family: Saturniidae
Genus: Saturnia
SUBSPECIES: S. p. homophora, S. p. lapp,archica, S. p. postrosacea

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Widely distributed
 - Seen at Geddington

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

.

Pellucid Fly (Volucella pellucens)

OTHER NAMES: Pellucid Hoverfly

Latin Etymology: Volucella (?) pellucens (?)

Adult Pellucid Fly (Volucella pellucens) at Geddington Chase, Northants - June 2010

Featured Subspecies: ?
Length: 15-16mm  /  Wingspan: 30mm
NOT EVALUATED IN UK / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

A large and bulbous species of hoverfly with a distinctive large black and white set of markings, the pellucid fly is found across Northern Eurasia.  They are mainly found in woodland and is a brood parasite for wasps - entering their underground nests and laying their eggs where the hatching larvae feed on the remains of dead wasps.  It generally favours brambles as one of it's main plant choices.

Related Species: 
Order: Diptera
Family: Syrphidae
Genus: Volucella 
Subspecies: Unknown

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)

OTHER NAMES: Marmalade Fly

Latin Etymology: Episyrphus (?) balteatus (?)

Adult Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) at Geddington Chase, Northants - July 2014

Length: 9-12m
Wingspan: 14-18mm
NOT EVALUATED IN UK / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

The marmalade hoverfly is a very widely distributed species found across Europe, North Africa and North Asia.  They are a fairly common species - often found in gardens.The distinguishing feature of this particular species is the moustache like markings on the body.  It is potentially the most common hoverfly species in the UK.

Related Species: 
Order: Diptera
Family: Syrphidae
Genus: Episyrphus
Subspecies: Unknown

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A resident species which is seen in Summer

 - Seen in Geddington

Further Notes: Arkive, BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .