Places · 46 species

Garden and town wildlife in Britain: what to see, and when

Millbrook is the game’s home town, made up but typical of an English market town: back gardens with feeders, a park with a pond, a canal, a churchyard and farmland at the edge of town. It’s where most people meet most of their wildlife.

Best known for

Season by season

What’s worth looking for, quickest to see first, with the best time of day.

Spring March to May

Robin dawn, day and dusk
Blackbird dawn, day and dusk
Blue tit dawn and day
House sparrow dawn, day and dusk
Mallard dawn, day and dusk
Grey squirrel dawn, day and dusk
Starling dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Goldfinch dawn and day
Great tit dawn and day
Dunnock dawn and day
Wren dawn, day and dusk
Chaffinch dawn and day
Buff-tailed bumblebee day
Rabbit dawn and dusk
Buzzard day · keep still
Magpie dawn and day
Grey heron dawn, day and dusk
Common frog day, dusk and night
Peacock day
Great spotted woodpecker dawn and day
Swallow dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Mute swan dawn, day and dusk
Red fox dawn, dusk and night
Swift dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Common pipistrelle dusk · keep still
Song thrush dawn, day and dusk
Smooth newt dusk and night · red torch
Peregrine falcon dawn and day · keep still
Barn owl dawn, dusk and night · keep still
Kestrel day
Brown hare dawn, dusk and night · keep still
Red kite day · keep still
Common toad dusk and night · red torch
Badger dusk and night · keep still
Tawny owl dusk and night · keep still
Hedgehog dusk and night · red torch
Sparrowhawk dawn and day · keep still
Stoat dawn, day and dusk
Kingfisher dawn, day and dusk
Water vole dawn, day and dusk · keep still

Summer June to August

Robin dawn, day and dusk
Blackbird dawn, day and dusk
Blue tit dawn and day
House sparrow dawn, day and dusk
Mallard dawn, day and dusk
Grey squirrel dawn, day and dusk
Starling dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Goldfinch dawn and day
Great tit dawn and day
Dunnock dawn and day
Wren dawn, day and dusk
Chaffinch dawn and day
Buff-tailed bumblebee day
Rabbit dawn and dusk
Buzzard day · keep still
Magpie dawn and day
Grey heron dawn, day and dusk
Red admiral day
Peacock day
Great spotted woodpecker dawn and day
Swallow dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Mute swan dawn, day and dusk
Red fox dawn, dusk and night
Swift dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Common pipistrelle dusk · keep still
Song thrush dawn, day and dusk
Smooth newt dusk and night · red torch
Southern hawker day
Peregrine falcon dawn and day · keep still
Barn owl dawn, dusk and night · keep still
Kestrel day
Red kite day · keep still
Badger dusk and night · keep still
Tawny owl dusk and night · keep still
Hedgehog dusk and night · red torch
Sparrowhawk dawn and day · keep still
Stoat dawn, day and dusk
Kingfisher dawn, day and dusk
Water vole dawn, day and dusk · keep still

Autumn September to November

Robin dawn, day and dusk
Blackbird dawn, day and dusk
Blue tit dawn and day
House sparrow dawn, day and dusk
Mallard dawn, day and dusk
Grey squirrel dawn, day and dusk
Starling dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Goldfinch dawn and day
Great tit dawn and day
Dunnock dawn and day
Wren dawn, day and dusk
Chaffinch dawn and day
Buff-tailed bumblebee day
Rabbit dawn and dusk
Buzzard day · keep still
Magpie dawn and day
Grey heron dawn, day and dusk
Red admiral day
Peacock day
Swallow dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Mute swan dawn, day and dusk
Red fox dawn, dusk and night
Common pipistrelle dusk · keep still
Long-tailed tit dawn and day
Song thrush dawn, day and dusk
Southern hawker day
Peregrine falcon dawn and day · keep still
Barn owl dawn, dusk and night · keep still
Kestrel day
Brown hare dawn, dusk and night · keep still
Red kite day · keep still
Badger dusk and night · keep still
Tawny owl dusk and night · keep still
Hedgehog dusk and night · red torch
Sparrowhawk dawn and day · keep still
Stoat dawn, day and dusk
Kingfisher dawn, day and dusk
Water vole dawn, day and dusk · keep still

Winter December to February

Robin dawn, day and dusk
Blackbird dawn, day and dusk
Blue tit dawn and day
House sparrow dawn, day and dusk
Mallard dawn, day and dusk
Grey squirrel dawn, day and dusk
Starling dawn, day and dusk · keep still
Goldfinch dawn and day
Great tit dawn and day
Dunnock dawn and day
Wren dawn, day and dusk
Chaffinch dawn and day
Rabbit dawn and dusk
Buzzard day · keep still
Magpie dawn and day
Grey heron dawn, day and dusk
Common frog day, dusk and night
Great spotted woodpecker dawn and day
Mute swan dawn, day and dusk
Red fox dawn, dusk and night
Long-tailed tit dawn and day
Song thrush dawn, day and dusk
Peregrine falcon dawn and day · keep still
Barn owl dawn, dusk and night · keep still
Kestrel day
Brown hare dawn, dusk and night · keep still
Red kite day · keep still
Tawny owl dusk and night · keep still
Sparrowhawk dawn and day · keep still
Stoat dawn, day and dusk
Kingfisher dawn, day and dusk

Rare visitors

Not here most of the time. When one turns up it stays a day or two.