Monthly Archives: August 2023

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Wildlife of England

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England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. To the west, it shares a border with Wales, and to the north with Scotland. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the northwest and the Celtic Sea area of the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest. The North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separate England from continental Europe.

Official National Animal

Lion

The lion has been so honored because English people like to think their best qualities are strength, courage, dignity, and pride. In the Middle Ages lions were kept in the Tower of London.

Wild Animals in England

Red squirrels make their home here and can be seen in the pine forests of Northumberland and the Lake District. There are some populations also on the Isle of Wight.

There are six species of deer living wild in England. You can even see them in the capital London in Richmond Park which offers them idyllic wilderness. Over 600 fallow and red deer live in the park.

Wild ponies roam free in several areas of the UK. They make their home in the New Forest in southern England, on the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent, and in Dartmoor, and Exmoor National Park.

Badgers risk their lives along roadways. It is possible to see them darting about here and there.

Hedgehogs are cute little animals and can best be spotted at night from March to November. They are all over England.

Bank voles roam through woodlands and dense vegetation as they seek blackberries, nuts, and fungi.

Birds

White barn owls can be seen across the UK. Some of the best places to see them are Blakehill Farm in Wiltshire, Hickling Broad in Norfolk, The Great Fen in Cambridgeshire, and Blue Horse Farm in Essex.

White-tailed eagles are the largest birds of prey. They’re also known as sea eagles and prey on fish but also eat other birds and mammals. There is a growing population on the Isle of Wight.

Red kites have distinct forked tail feathers. They can be spotted flying between London and the Midlands.

Marine Animals

Eurasian beavers can be seen in South Downs National Park, Cornwall, Cheshire, and Devon. They make their home on the River Otter in Devon which is one of the most important rivers in England.

Otters are semi-aquatic mammals feeding on fish and amphibians. They can be seen in East Anglia and the southwest.

Killer whales are actually beautiful dolphins. They can be seen in the Shetlands waters north of Scotland. At times they travel to the English coast.

Basking whales are the world’s second-largest fish but are gentle giants, They swim about with their giant toothless mouths open to gather up plankton and other organisms to feed on. They can be seen in Cornwall between May and September when they migrate.

Both gray and common seals are seen along the English coastline. Some of the best places to see them are in Norfolk at Blakeney Point where you can find the largest colony of gray seals.

Puffins can be seen along the coastline as well with the best place to see them on Lundy Island off the coast of Devon.

Toads are seen all over England in and around ponds, particularly during the breeding season from March to October.

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Wildlife of Iceland

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Iceland is a Nordic Island country that lies between the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. The wildlife of the country survive in a hostile landscape.

Icelandic horses were brought to Iceland more than 1,000 years ago. They can be seen all across the country.

Arctic foxes make their homes in the remote corners of the Eastfjords and the Westfjords. These foxes are brown or gray in the summer and white in the winter.

Reindeer might not be native to Iceland but they can be found in wild herds in the southeast and eastern parts of Iceland.

Icelandic Sheep can be seen everywhere from late spring to autumn.

European rabbits live in the wild and can be found in large numbers in Reykjavik.

Icelandic sheepdogs have fluffy coats and curled tails. A majority of them can be found in the countryside.

Birds

Whooper swans are the largest birds in Iceland. They live here year-round and during the winter months, their numbers increase in the small lagoons and bays.

Gannets make their homes on the high seas cliffs with the largest colony being on Eldey Island.

Large numbers of seagulls can be found around Olafsvik, in the west of Iceland.

Snow buntings are regular visitors to the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland in the wintertime with their summer residence in the south of Iceland. Hiding from the elements they can be seen at the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon under the road bridge in the southeast of Iceland.

Arctic terns also known as Kria in Icelandic can be seen all over the country. Larger colonies can be found on Diamon Beach and in the Westfjords.

Visiting the Grotta Lighthouse outside of Reykjavik visitors have to be careful since terns nest here on the ground and can disturb them. Therefore, the lighthouse is best viewed from the mainland.

Eider ducks are lovely ground nesting birds that can be seen around Iceland, They are found in small groups and feed on mussels, crabs, and seaweed.

Among their protected areas is around Hraunhafnartangi Lighthouse in the grassy area. The lighthouse is located northwest of Raufarhofn and is the most northerly area of mainland Iceland.

Slavonian grebes can be seen around the shoreline of Lake Myvatn. They’re small diving water birds and feed on larvae, small fish, and aquatic invertebrates.

Marine Animals

American minks have made their way to Iceland and make their homes around the waterways feeding on rodents, fish, crustaceans, and birds.

Seals live around the coast of Iceland raising their young in the freezing waters. Among them are harbor seals and gray seals.You can also spot harp seals, bearded seals, and ring seals with the best place to seal watch being the Vatnsnes Peninsula in northwest Iceland.

The rarest seals are the hooded seals ranging from the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada to Svalbard, Norway.

Atlantic puffins can be seen at Latrabjarg in the Westfjords, the Westman Islands off the south coast and at Hafnarholmi. They can be seen on land from May through early August.

Iceland is one of the best places for whale watching with tours starting at Reykjavik and Husavik in the north. You can spot minke and humpback whales.

In the Westman Islands you can see Beluga whales at the Beluga Whale Sanctuary.

Iceland is home to six species of marine dolphins among them Atlantic White-sided dolphins, white-beaked dolphins and short-beaked common dolphins.

Harbor porpoises are the world’s smallest marine mammals and can be seen on whale watching tours in Iceland. Occasionally they can be seen in river estuaries.

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For the Love of a Lizard

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Asian Water Monitors are large varanid lizards. They’re native to South and Southeast Asia. These are among the most common monitor lizards in Asia. Asian Water Monitors are semiaquatic and are great swimmers. They have powerful legs and claws to climb trees to escape predators. They’re carnivores and their diet consists of fish, frogs, rodents, birds, crabs, and snakes.

Bengal Monitors are large terrestrial monitor lizards. These lizards range from Iran to Java and can be found in river valleys in eastern Iran, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Burma. They make their homes in both dry semiarid desert habitats to floodplains, scrubland, and moist forest. They live on the ground and dig burrows but are good tree climbers. They’re carnivores and have a diet that consists of beetles, grubs, scorpions, snails, ants, and other invertebrates. Being scavengers they’ll also feed on carrion.

To read more and see these amazing lizards please follow the link below:

https://vocal.media/earth/for-the-love-of-a-lizard?utm

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Wildlife of Estonia

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Estonia is one of the Baltic States along with Lithuania and Latvia. It is one of the least inhabited countries in Europe. There are many beaches, pasturelands, marshes, and forests where wildlife make their homes.

Estonia is known as one of the world’s great bird-watching destinations since it’s located on the East Atlantic migratory pathway. You can see swans, geese, ducks, divers, cranes, and Arctic waterfowl.

Official National Animal

Gray Wolf

Animals Native to Estonia

Eurasian pygmy shrews live all over Eurasia. They eat invertebrates and small insects.

Wolverines are solitary animals. They’re carnivores and great hunters.

European bison are a species of bison native to eastern Europe and western Asia.

Mountain hares are a species of hare native to mountainous and polar areas of Europe and Asia.

Eurasian beavers are widespread all over Eurasia.

Eurasian lynxes are a medium-sized species of wild cats native to Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe.

Gray wolves are the largest species of all canids.           

European hedgehogs are native to western Europe, Scandinavia, and northwestern Europe.

Siberian flying squirrels are native to northwestern Europe and northern Asia.

Red foxes are widely spread out in the Northern Hemisphere and are considered to be one of the most successful species on the planet.

Brown bears are a large species of bear native to Eurasia and North America. Estonia has the biggest density of brown bears in all of Europe.

Central European boars are among the most classic animals found in Europe.

Red deer were once becoming rare in parts of Europe but have recovered.

Birds

Common kingfishers are a small species of bird native to Eurasia and North Africa.

Barn owls are one of the most widespread species of bird on the planet.

Marine Animals

Eurasian otters are the most widely distributed members of the weasel family. They inhabit rivers and feed on fish.

European water voles are a species of semi-aquatic rodent. They live in burrows next to rivers, ponds, and streams.

European sea sturgeons are a species of fish endemic to Europe.

Sea lampreys are also known as vampire fish due to their sharp teeth.

Gray seals are native to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea.

Harbor porpoises are one of the smallest species of cetaceans.

Endangered Animals in Estonia

Eurasian otter

European mink

Garden dormouse

Flying squirrel

Greater-spotted eagle

Red-footed falcon

Small lappet moth

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Wildlife of Latvia

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Latvia is a small Baltic country that lies between the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga. It has boundaries with Estonia to the north, Russia to the east, and Lithuania to the south. Over half of the country is forested and known for its lakes, rivers, and waterfalls.

Official National Animal

White wagtail

The forests of Latvia are home to squirrels, badgers, arctic foxes, rabbits, lynxes, and other mammals.

Conservationists have reintroduced elk, deer, and beavers successfully to the wild.

Among the birds that are native to Latvia include woodpeckers, blackbirds, nightingales, owls, orioles, larks and quails.

In the lakes and marshes you can see storks and herons.

National Parks

At Razna National Park which is a protected area on Lake Razna, the second largest lake in Latvia you can see a variety of wildlife. Among them large animals like lynxes and wolves.

At Kemeri National Park, a huge wetlands sanctuary with raised bogs, transitional bogs, and fens you can see wild horses and wild cows grazing on the land.

There is a bird watchtower so you can spot many bird species.

Native Animals

In the forests you can see the Eurasian brown bear.

Eurasian lynx are a medium-species of wild cat that live in the mountains of European and Asian countries.

Eurasian wolves are the most common wolves that range from southwestern Europe to northeastern Russia. These wolves are the largest of Old World gray wolves.

European bison also referred to as the zubr. They are the heaviest wild land animals in Europe.

Mountain hare are a species of hare adapted to mountainous and polar habitats. 

Roe deer are a small deer species that live in dense forests.

Moose are the largest and heaviest species of deer in the world. With broad antlers they live in the northernmost parts of the globe.

The red fox is among the most successful species in the world.

Marine Animals

Eurasian otters are a species of semi-aquatic mammals native to much of Eurasia, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and the extreme northwestern parts of Africa, in Morocco and Algeria.

Gray seals are a large species of seals native to the coastlands of the Atlantic, from the United States and Canada to Iceland, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and the Baltic Sea.

Harbor porpoises are among the smallest species of cetacean. They inhabit river estuaries and coastal areas.

Birds

Peregrine falcons are a large species of falcons. They are known for being the fastest animals in the world. These birds can be found everywhere in the world.

Snowy owls are the most beautiful species of owl in the world. They can be found in all northern regions from the North Pole as far south as the Baltic States. These type of owls are featured in the Harry Potter saga.

Greater spotted eagles are a large species of birds of prey that breed in Eurasia and migrate to Africa and southern Asia during the winter.

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Wildlife of Lithuania

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Lithuania is a European country that is located in the northeastern part of the continent, next to the Baltic Sea. It is one of the Baltic States with the other two being Estonia and Latvia. The country is bordered by Poland, Latvia, and Belarus. Its forests, wetlands, meadows, and fields are home to 45 mammal species, 9 reptile species, 13 amphibian species, 50 fish species, and 392 bird species.

Official National Animal

White stork

Places to See Wild Animals

Many amphibians make their home in Zemaitija Nationa Park like the Great crested newt.

At Dzukija National Park you can find many gray wolves in the forest and around the wetlands.

It is also home to many elk.

As well as wild boars.

Aukstaitija National Park is home to white storks.

Krekenava Regional Park is home to European bison.

Animals Native to Lithuania

Eurasian beavers also called European beavers are a species found in central and eastern Europe and western and central Asia.

Moose are the largest and heaviest species of deer in the world. They have very broad antlers and inhabit boreal and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests of the Northern Hemisphere.

European bison are a large species of bovid and one of two species of bison in the world. They are the heaviest land animals in Europe.

Stoats are also called ermines or short-tailed weasels.

Gray wolves are the largest species of canid in the world. They are the most emblematic animals in Europe and play a prominent part in local folklore and literature.

Red foxes are the most widely distributed species of carnivores in the world.  

Eurasian lynxes are medium-species of wild cat that are native to northern, eastern, and central Europe.

Western barbastelles are a species of bat that is native to much of Europe and parts of North Africa and the Middle East.

European badgers are a species of badger native to Europe and the Middle East.

European pine martens are a species of mustelid native to Europe, the Caucasus, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and western Russia.

Roe deer are a species of deer found in all of Europe except for Ireland and Sardinia and Corsica Islands. 

Wild boars are a species of suid native to most of Eurasia and North Africa. They are the most widespread and common animals in Europe.

European hedgehogs are a species of hedgehog native to most of Europe, the Iberian Peninsula, the British Isles, and Scandinavia.

Birds

Great cormorants are a large species of birds native to a wide range in the Northern Hemisphere.

Western marsh harriers are a large species of birds of prey living in temperate and subtropical areas in Eurasia and Africa.

Ospreys are found on any continent but Oceania. They are large raptors.

Marine Animals

Eurasian otters are a species of semi-aquatic mammals native to much of Eurasia, southeastern Asia, northwestern Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.

Harbor porpoises make their homes near river estuaries and coastal areas.

Gray seals are a large species of seals native to both shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

White-beaked dolphins are a species of marine mammals native to the northernmost parts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea.

Endangered Species

European mink

Saker flacon

Aquatic warbler

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Wildlife of Denmark

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The Northern European country of Denmark is a small Nordic country that is part of the Scandinavian countries along with Norway and Sweden. The country borders Germany to the south and the rest of the country is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean including the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The northern part of Denmark is comprised of a large peninsula called Jutland that connects to the European mainland and over 400 smaller islands.

Official National Mammal

Red Squirrel

Official National Bird

Mute swan

Official National Butterfly

The small tortoiseshell

The Thy National Park is situated on the west of Jutland. It is home to deer, toads, cranes, wood sandpipers, and rare breeding birds.

The Mols Bjerge National Park is located in eastern Jutland on Mols Hills. Wildlife making their homes here are foxes, hares, deer, lizards, snakes, nesting birds, sea birds, wading birds, and birds of prey.

The Wadden Sea National Park is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site in the Wadden Sea. It is home to many migratory birds, a large number of fish, and semi-aquatic mammals.

The Kongernes Nordsjaelland also referred to as the Royal North Zealand National Park is located to the north of the capital, Copenhagen on the island of Zealand. The park consists of the forest of Griboskov and the Esrum So Lake. Animals here are deer, red foxes, badgers, woodpeckers, owl, eagles, and other species of birds.

The Skjoldungernes Land National Park is located directly west of Copenhagen. The park includes local fjords, forests, and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Roskilde Cathedral. In the forest you can find deer and foxes. In the fjords are gulls, terns, swans, eiders, geese, and ducks.

The Northeast Greenland National Park is the largest national park in the world. Here is a vast variety of animals including polar bears, walruses, Arctic foxes, Arctic hares, collared lemmings, Greenland wolves, and seals.

Animals Native to Denmark

Siberian chipmunks are a species of rodents native to northern Asia, central Russia, China, Japan, and South Korea. They were imported as pet to Europe in the 1960s.

Nutrias are also referred to as the coypu. They are a species of large, herbivorous rodents. The animals are semiaquatic and feed on river plant stems.

Red foxes are one of the most widely distributed species of carnivores in the world. They live in pairs or small groups.

European polecats are a species of mustelids native to North Africa and western Eurasia. They are ancestors of ferrets.

Roe deer are also known as European roe or western roe deer. This species of deer is native to Europe. They are small deer that have adapted well to cold environments. They can be found in various habitats like agricultural lands, dense forests, and grasslands.

Raccoon dogs are a species of canids that are native to Vietnam and eastern Asia. They have been introduced to eastern Europe.

Gray wolves are a large species of canine that is native to Eurasia and North America.

Raccoons are medium-sized mammals that are native to North America and other parts of the world like Europe.

Beech martens are mammals that are native to most of Europe and Central Asia.

Wild boars are also known as Eurasian wild pigs.

Rarest Animals

Hooded seals are native to Denmark and Greenland. They are known for having large red sacks extending from their noses. They dive and swim in deep water to get food. Their diets consist of fish, squid, sea stars, mussels, shrimp, and octopuses. They are solitary animals and prefer cold climates and live on floating ice packs in the Atlantic.

Endangered Animals

Hooded seal

Eurasian beaver

Polar bear

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