Long-eared bat
ars,
e
ig
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s
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The brown long-ea
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H
.
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v
giving him very sensiti le ladybird walking
pick up the sound of a litt
across a leaf!
Up, up and away!
Bats belong to their own order of animals
Believe it or not, bats are mammals – just like you!
‘Chiroptera’, which means ‘hand wing’. called
They’re the only mammals capable of controlled
Hold out your hand and imagine the skin
flight, so they can dip, twist and dive to catch their
fingers going right down to your fingers between your
tip
dinner. Most bats only eat insects, like moths, midges, mosquitoes
much different to a bat’s flying apparatus: s. This isn’t
the bones
and beetles; but BeWILDerbats also love to eat nutbug crunch!
which support the skin on their wings are simply
In Britain, we have 17 species of bats. They’re very precious to
extended ‘fingers’, while the thumb forms a kind
us because as our countryside has disappeared, so has the bats’
of hook.
natural habitat. To make sure those that are left are protected,
A snooze over winter
the government made it illegal to deliberately hurt or disturb
All British bats hibernate. They build up a nice warm
them in any way. Bats love it at BeWILDerwood because the
layer of body fat during the autumn, then when the
Boggle Builders have made snuggly little bat boxes where
chilly winter starts, they settle down in a cool, humid,
they can roost. If you look up at the tall trees next to the Broken
imes that’s
et
m
So
r.
te
in
w
e
th
d
en
sp
to
e
ac
pl
d
re
Bridge you can see them for yourself!
te
el
sh
ite a
qu
be
n
ca
ch
hi
w
,
ed
sh
en
rd
ga
or
ft
lo
’s
ne
someo
r
fo
o
tw
or
ct
se
in
g
en’t expecting lodgers!
ar
u
yo
if
k
Bats like nothing more than a flyin
oc
sh
!).
es
gl
ig
Tw
of
e
st
ta
e
th
e
lik
t
n’
do
ey
th
ly
Bats may wake during mild
supper (thankful
The interesting thing about them is that they look for
spells in winter, have a fly about,
prey not with their eyes but with their ears! They do this
feed on some bugs or perhaps
by making very high-pitched “ultrasonic” squeaks (too
move to a different place to
high for us to hear) which ‘bounce’ off objects, sending
carry on hibernating.
an echo back to their ear. This means bats can find tasty
things to eat and avoid bumping into things
at the same time!
Pipistrelle
A single pipistrelle can eat 3,000
tiny insects in one night – that’s
one third of its body weight!
Find out more about our
endangered nocturnal friends
and how you can help protect
them on www.bats.org.uk.
…
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o
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B
e
r
u
t
n
Adve
“The world’s largest bat
is the Giant Golden-Crowned
Flying-Fox. Its wingspan
can be over 1.5 metres!”
s
’
e
t
t
e
fl
a
e
L
m
r
a
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c
t
los
Oak Leaf
“Trees release oxygen
into the atmosphere
helping us to breathe!”
Trees are our best friends here at BeWILDerwood.
They suck in all the nasty globules in the air and turn
them into lovely, clean oxygen. Close your eyes
and take a deep breath – how many words can you
think of to describe the smell of the woods?
Now look at the leaves on the trees. Look on the
ground too (you might even see a Thornyclod
Silver birch Leaf
spider if you’re lucky. They love leaves!)
It’s time for a BeWILDerwoody treasure hunt. Your
task is to name as many trees as possible by
looking at their leaves. Use the pictures and words
below to help you.
Oak tree leaves have a curvy outline, like a caterpillar
has been nibbling on it! The trees can live for hundreds of
years and in the autumn they make acorns –
very popular with squirrels (and Twiggles!)
s
’
e
t
t
e
fl
Lea
m
r
a
h
c
t
los
af
e
L
ch
Bee
Silver birch trees are easy to remember, because
there’s a BIG clue in their name: their trunks are
covered in a silvery bark. They grow very, very fast –
up to 20m tall (that’s about 5 crocklebogs end-toend!) and their leaves look like hearts – or arrows if
you hold them the other way up.
Beech trees like being stroked – they have
smooth bark and their leaves have a wavy edge.
In spring, they produce a kind of ‘fruit’ called
beechnuts. They don’t taste very nice to people, but
the lucky squirrels love them!
If you’ve ever had roasted chestnuts at Christmas time (they look a bit
like conkers and BeWILDerbats love them!), they will have come from the
Sweet Chestnut tree. Its leaves are long, glossy and dark-green with
quite prickly, ragged edges, so be careful if you touch one!
…
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l
k
o
o
B
e
r
u
t
n
e
Adv
For lots more information on
leaves, why not look at
www.british-trees.com
when you get home.
Sweet Chestnut
Leaf
The slippery-smooth Tench has
olive-green skin and lives near
the bottom of the lake, chomping
away on algae and small creatures –
mainly at night. In
winter, they’re even
less sociable as
they actually
sleep in
the mud!
If you like all things sparkly and shiny,
look out for the Roach. They have dark
Many fish live in the Scaaa
a
a
r
y
Lake. If you look carefully
,
you might be able to see sh
in
y
golden Rudd swimming in
shoals (that’s the proper
name for a group of fish)
or a Roach jumping quickly
out and into the water. Here
are some of the fish that live
at BeWILDerwood.
Pike are masters of disguise. They use their grey-green
camouflage to hide quietly among the reeds
at the water’s edge (unlike our noisy Mildred the
Thorny Crocklebog!), so you’ll have to look very,
very carefully if you want to see one. Pike have
big, scary teeth and a habit of ‘pouncing’ on their
prey like a fishy torpedo! That’s why many people
call them the freshwater shark.
brown or grey backs, a bluish/
greenish shimmer, silvery white
sides and white belly – easy to spot
as they dart quickly through the
water. You won’t just find
them in the Scaaaary
Lake either – they’re one of the
UK’s commonest fish, so look out
for them in other places too.
Rudd are very pretty; they look a bit like large, fat
goldfish, with a green-tinged back. Smaller ones
tend to hang out near the surface
of the water looking for
tasty, live snacks (insects
for example), while
larger fish mostly
nibble plant
material.
Fish Size Facts
Rudd – 2-3lbs
Roach – 5lbs
Tench – 7lbs
Pike – The biggest of the lot,s!
can weigh over 40lb
…
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B
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Adven
y
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k
i
“No two P
r
o
s
g
n
i
k
r
a
m
the same
patterns – like
human fingerprints!”
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Le
m
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…
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B
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Adv
Swallowtail
butterfly
Chrysalis
Egg
n
he
w
ve
lie
be
to
rd
ha
–
s
ct
se
in
st
tie
et
pr
r
Butterflies are some of ou
a
ce
On
s!
ar
ill
rp
te
ca
y
gl
ig
w
as
es
liv
r
ei
th
t
you think that they star
a
in
f
el
its
ps
ra
w
it
y,
rfl
tte
bu
a
to
in
rn
tu
caterpillar is ready to
wings
ps
lo
ve
de
it
re
he
w
,
lis
sa
ry
ch
a
d
lle
ca
e
us
protective little ho
and grows into its colourful adult self.
The life cycle of the butterfly
Most species of butterfly do their flying during the
daytime. They come in many shapes, sizes, colours and
patterns and the Twiggles love watching them fly
gracefully about on warm summer days.
k
c
o
c
a
Pe
Red Ad
miral
Tortoiseshell
e
Cat
r
la
l
i
p
r
If you’re really lucky you may see a Swallowtail –
it’s the largest butterfly in the UK with a wingspan
of over 7 centimetres! Look closely at its back wings
and you’ll see where it gets its name: the wings are
forked, like a swallow’s tailfeathers. Swallowtail
butterflies lay their eggs on Milk Parsley leaves
(maybe they remember how good it tasted when
they were a caterpillar!). These eggs hatch into large
striped caterpillars like the one in this drawing.
Although they’re a rare sight in the UK, Swallowtail
butterflies have been seen near BeWILDerwood before –
especially around the calm waters of the Norfolk Broads.
You’ve probably read about
BeWILDerwood’s Bluefrill butterflies
in the books. They’re a very special
creature because you can’t see them with your eyes – you have to use your
imagination instead! See how many
real-life butterflies you can spot and
name – starting with the ones
pictured here.
about
There’s lots more to discover
our colourful friends at
on.org
ti
a
rv
se
n
co
yrfl
e
tt
u
.b
w
ww
what
Why not take a look and see
n!
ar
le
n
ca
u
yo
s
ct
fa
g
in
at
in
sc
other fa
“Adult butterflies
use their tongues
like straws to sip
nectar from flowers!”
s
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fl
Lea
m
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a
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c
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s
lo
Acorn
es most
lik
)
at
rb
De
IL
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Be
ef
hi
(c
g
an
ef
gl
ag
Sn
at
One of the things th
ts of
lo
e
ar
e
er
th
d
an
,
em
th
s
ve
lo
He
.
ts
nu
e
th
about BeWILDerwood is
urite: sweet
vo
fa
s
hi
to
ts
nu
h
ec
be
d
an
ns
or
ac
om
fr
–
different sorts
chestnuts. It’s a shame he doesn’t have them all to himself, as
the squirrels love them too.
…
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B
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Adv
a red
s
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on
:
el
rr
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sq
of
s
pe
ty
n
ai
m
o
tw
e
ar
There
lots of
coat, the other grey. You’ve probably seen ees in
Grey Squirrels darting up and down tr
your garden or local park, but smaller Red Squirrels are
very rare, so you won’t see any here at BeWILDerwood.
Look up and you’re bound to see a cute Grey Squirrel
ng
ri
du
ts
nu
ing lots of
er
th
ga
s,
re
tu
ea
cr
er
ev
cl
sitting on a branch or leaping from tree to tree. You
e
ar
s
el
rr
ui
sq
e
th
In fact,
r
te
t during win
ea
to
s
st
ne
r
ei
th
in
ay
aw
may even spot its ‘dray’ – a cosy nest of twigs
em
th
g
in
or
st
d
summer an
g
Snagglefan
dy
ee
gr
s
op
st
It
t.
ou
ab
and leaves.
od
fo
ss
le
s
e’
er
th
n
whe
gobbling them all up too! Squirrels also
love to eat sunflower seeds, tree bark,
Lots of people care very much about red
fungi, buds, leaves, shoots and flowers.
squirrels. If you’re one of them, have a
look on www.saveoursquirrels.org
Sweet
when you’re next allowed to use the
Chestnut
Oak Tree
computer. Just don’t tell Snagglefang
Tree
or any of the other BeWILDerbats!
Beech Tree
“40% of all the
world’s mammals
belong to the
squirrel family!”
Chestnut
s
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Lea
m
r
a
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c
t
s
lo
|
s
r
M
r
o
r
M
n
e
Have you se
w
o
n
k
d
’
u
o
Y
?
t
e
y
Grey Heron
t
s
e
g
g
i
b
e
h
t
e
r
’
y
if you had – the
.
d
o
o
w
r
e
D
L
I
W
e
B
t
a
d
n
fi
l
l
’
u
o
y
s
d
bir
Grey Herons love marshes – especially
fishing for a spot of supper in the
shallow water at the top of the Long Lagoon near Dismal Dyke. They’re
very good at it too – standing very still
on one leg isn’t easy when you’re trying
to catch a slippery, wiggly fish or frog!
Water voles, insects and other little
birds make tasty treats too.
Treecreepers aren’t creepy at all – they’re
rather cute actually! These little, busy birds
have a long curved beak – a very useful
tool for picking all those delicious insects
and spiders from their hiding places in the
and
s
d
e
se
y
jo
n
e
y
e
th
,
r
te
in
trees. During w
trees
e
th
n
o
e
n
o
t
o
sp
n
a
c
u
o
fruit too. See if y
ail
r
T
s
u
o
r
e
h
c
a
e
r
T
e
th
g
in the marsh alon
e
th
p
u
s
e
lv
se
m
e
th
g
a
r
d
– they tend to
at
th
g
n
si
u
,
in
a
g
a
s;
e
in
v
g
hangin
em.
th
lp
e
h
to
k
a
e
b
ty
if
n
y
ll
wonderfu
Have you seen Mr or Mrs Grey Heron yet?
You’d know if you had – they’re
the biggest birds you’ll find at
…
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BeWILDerwood.vGrey
Herons
love
marshes
r
e
h
t
t
a
s
t
e
l
k
o
o
B
e
r
u
t
n
e
Ad
e
th
in
er
p
p
su
f
o
t
o
sp
a
r
fo
g
in
sh
– especially fi
n
o
o
g
a
L
g
n
o
L
e
th
f
o
p
to
e
th
Shhhhh! Listen
shallow water at
o
to
it
t
hear
a
tap-ta
a
d
o
o
g
y
er
v
e
’r
ey
h
T
.
e
k
y
D
l
a
near Dism
probably
listeni
“
T
en
h
h
e
w
T
r
sy
e
e
ea
cr
’t
e
n
e
is
p
er likes to pull
g
le
e
n
o
n
o
l
il
st
y
er
v
g
in
d
n
– sta
Great Spotte
it
se
lf
u
r
o
p
th
sh
fi
e
ly
t
g
r
ig
u
w
,
n
y
er
k
p
s
ip
sl
o
a
f
h
tc
commonly foun
you’re trying to ca
t
r
e
e
s
i
n
Although
the
s
a
d
ir
s
b
p
le
i
tt
li
r
a
er
l
th
o
!
”
d
n
a
s
ct
se
in
s,
le
o
v
frog! Water
make tasty treats too.
they
Shhhhh! Listen very carefully…Can you
hear a tap-tap-tapping noise? If so, you’re
probably listening to one of BeWILDerwood’s
Great Spotted Woodpeckers – one of the most
commonly found woodland birds in the UK.
Although they like to make themselves heard,
t
they’re quite shy so they hide in amongsh
tc
the trees. Look hard and you might caeir
a glimpse – things to look out for are th funny
pretty black-and-white feathers and the .
way they bounce up and down as they fly
When you get home today, visit
www.rspb.org.uk to find out
more about birds and hear
what they sound like.
s
’
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t
t
e
fl
Lea
m
r
a
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c
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los
the t
a glim
pretty
way th
Common Hawker
Dragonfly
In BeWILDerwood, you’ll see both dragonflies and
damselflies fluttering about. They’re from the same
family of insects (clever nature bods call them
‘Odonates’), so both look quite similar – big eyes
that look too big for their heads, long bodies and filmy
wings. They fly and hover in the air like little helicopters,
swooping down from time to time to munch on a
mosquito or maybe a gnat. How many different species of
dragonfly and damselfly can you spot here today?
y
fl
n
o
g
a
r
d
e
h
t
,
t
“In Norfolk dialec
is sometimes known as a
‘Jackie Breezer’!”
Empreror
Dragonfly
If you can’t get close enough to see small
details like this, there’s one really easy way to
tell the difference. Watch carefully when he
or she stops for a little sit down. Dragonflies
almost always rest with their wings spread
fully open, whereas damselflies close their
wings over their backs – a bit like a blanket.
k
.u
rg
.o
oc
ys
nfl
go
ra
.d
w
w
w
at
le
op
pe
The nice
you.
have put lots more information online for
Why not have a peek later and
test your knowledge!
Common Blue
Dragonfly
Know your damsels from your dragonflies
Despite their name, dragonflies don’t look much like
dragons! They’re up to 10cm long, with a thick tail
(though that’s actually its tummy or ‘abdomen’!)
and broad wings. Their big eyes look a bit like
sunglasses because they join in the middle of
their head!
Damselflies are smaller and much daintier. They also
have a long, thin abdomen and narrow wings
which get narrower where they meet their body. Like
their dragonfly cousin, they have funny-looking eyes;
although they look more like earmuffs than sunglasses
because they stick out from the sides of their head! .
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B
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Adve
Large Red
Damselfly
s
’
e
t
t
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fl
Lea
m
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a
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c
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s
lo
…
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o
o
B
e
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u
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e
Adv
“Common garden spiders c
atch
flying insects by weaving
webs that are bigger
than a dinner plate!”
e
th
er
nd
wo
a
s
it’
,
er
id
sp
y
dl
en
fri
a
ch
Su
d.
clo
ny
or
Th
Poor
d
Twiggles (and some people too) are so afraid of it! Thornyclo at’s
(th
s
id
hn
ac
ar
t
ou
ab
cts
fa
ng
ati
in
sc
fa
e
m
so
wn
do
has written
u!
yo
e
ris
rp
su
ht
ig
m
em
th
of
e
m
So
s).
er
id
sp
for
e
m
na
sh
po
the
The Thornyclod’s six spidery facts:
and they’re
–
rld
wo
the
t
ou
gh
ou
thr
der
spi
of
s
cie
spe
nd
usa
tho
35t
ou
There are ab
are
re
the
nk
thi
s
ffin
bo
der
spi
e
Som
t!
ou
ab
ow
kn
ks
fol
n
ma
just the ones the hu
ered!
cov
dis
be
to
g
itin
wa
t
jus
ts,
res
nfo
rai
the
in
ing
hid
ves
ati
many more of my rel
Out of around 600 species in our country, the one you’re mo
likely to see is the common garden spider – and not just in st
you
garden, but woodland and parks too. They’re about the size r
peanut and a similar colour too – sandy or dark-brown, som of a
with a cross-shaped arrangement of white spots on their baetimes
cks.
We make the silk for our webs using glands in our
tummy. It’s pretty tough stuff. If we had the choice
between spinning our webs with steel or silk, we’d
still choose silk – it’s actually much stronger!
We’re not insects – we’ve got our own special name:
arachnids. That’s because we have 8 legs, not 6 – and that,
of course, makes it even harder for me to find enough shoes!
Another thing you’ll notice is that we don’t have antennae or
wings like some insects do. Instead of flying, we get around by
walking or ballooning through the air on strands of silk –
a bit like a bungee rope!
Garden
Spider
Most spiders like eating insects, but I prefer
marshmallows (using real marsh, of course!)
For lots more information about spiders
(and loads of spidery pictures!!) why not
look at www.britishspiders.org.uk
when you get home.
s
’
e
t
t
e
fl
Lea
m
r
a
h
c
t
los