Grey Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

Family: Sciuridae

Habitat: Woodland and gardens and parks.

Size: Length 23-30 cm (9.1-11.8 in). Tail 19-25 cm (7.5-9.8 in).

Food: Tree bark, buds, berries, seeds, acorns, walnuts, and other nuts, and fungi.

Season: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Each grey squirrel makes several thousand small caches of hidden food every summer. Their nests or dreys are made of twigs and leaves often in the forks of trees. They are crepuscular and do not hibernate.

Common Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pipistrellus

Family: Vespertilionidae (Vesper Bats or Evening Bats)

Habitat: Farmland, marsh and woodland.

Size: Length 3.5-5.2 cm (1.4-2.0 in)

Food: Small insects, such as moths and gnats.

Sound: Call of 45 kHz for an average duration of 5.6 ms.

Season: Early April to late September.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

In the UK, if you find a sick or ailing bat, do not approach or handle the animal but seek advice from the Bat Conservation Trust (bats.org.uk).

Moorhen

Gallinula chloropus

Family: Rallidae (Rails)

Habitat: Lakes and reservoirs, ponds and rivers and streams.

Size: Length 30-38 cm (12-15 in). Wingspan 50-62 cm (20-24 in).

Food: Water plants, seeds, fruit, grasses, insects, snails, worms, small fish, small rodents, amphibians and eggs.

Season: All year round.

Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

Family: Fringillidae (Finches)

Habitat: Gardens and parks, grasslands, woodland and hedgerows.

Food: Insects and seeds.

Voice: The fink call of the chaffinch gives the finch family its name.

Season: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Prefers open woodland and spends a lot of time foraging on the ground. One of the most colourful of the finches.

Mandarin Duck

Aix galericulata

Family: Anatidae (Swans, ducks and geese)

Habitat: Lakes and reservoirs and ponds.

Size: Length 41-49 cm (16-19 in). Wingspan 65-75 cm (26-30 in).

Food: Insects, vegetation and seeds.

Voice: Low pitched roo-roo-roo.

Season: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

A perching duck originating from East Asia.

English Oak

Quercus robur

Family: Fagaceae (Beeches, oaks et al)

Habitat: Woodland, grassland and hedgerows.

Flowering Period: All year round.

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

The English Oak, a large deciduous tree,is also called the pedunculate oak due to its pedunculate (stalked) acorns. Its leaves have a very short stalk 38 mm. It is the most common tree species in the UK with one specimen, the Majesty Oak havinga circumference of 12.2 m.

Bowthorpe Oak in Lincolnshire is estimated to be 1,000 years oldmaking it the oldest in the UK.

It provides a habitat for 170 species.