9 blue tit chicks have hatched in one of our nest boxes! You can watch the live stream from a screen next to the children’s playground 👏🐣🪶

📣Spring guided walk at Highate Wood happening tomorrow at 11am (May 2) The wood is looking beautiful in the spring sunshine, and the honey bees are loving it. Flowers are blooming everywhere you look, and the sound of the birds and insects is incredible!💚

For safety, Highgate Wood is closed this morning (Wed 29 April) due to high winds. We'll update here when it opens.

Today is Earth Day 🌍🍃 A time to celebrate and reflect on the amazing green space we have in London, and how we can protect the wildlife that we live alongside 🐍🐸🦉 Thank you for being a part of Highgate Wood's community and helping protect our corner of the natural world 🐞

It's Bat Appreciation Day 🦇👏 These images were taken last month during a Bat Conservation Trust training day, to learn how fibrescopes help monitor bats safely and responsibly🦇

A beautiful tawny owl decided to have a nap in the playground this week! The owl was found by our team and was fine and well, flying away after a short break 🦉

We've had a staggering number of green longhorn moths in the wood recently! They've been displaying courtship behaviours, dancing in the sunlight, and feeding on leaf litter 🍃

A big thank you to the Heath Hands volunteers who helped put up the fence protecting our new wildflower meadow 👏 We can't wait to see what wildlife it attracts!

These brilliant videos were taken on our guided walk - Birds & Their Song - that happened last Saturday 🐦🌟 Those who joined us spotted nest building behaviours, such as this nuthatch adding mud to the entrance of its bird box! 📸 credit: Mark Albini

Happy Easter 🐣 We hope you're having a lovely long weekend and have been enjoying the outbursts of sun over the past few weeks as much as our trees have!☀️

Our first Spring Walk is coming up this Sunday (28 March). Learn more about the birds that live in the Wood and how to identify them by their song. Starting at 9am by the information hut near the café. 🍃 No booking required. #NatureWalks #London #AncientWoodland #HighgateWood

Swipe to see why we close in high winds ➡️ Earlier this week, we closed due to strong winds and these are just some of the photos taken the day after, of two hornbeams and an oak tree that had unfortunately come down. Hopefully with summer around the corner, we'll be in for brighter, calmer days ☀️

Today is the spring equinox, marking the start of longer, warmer days ☀️ As winter winds down and we prepare for summer, our team have been out dead hedging and creating natural barriers in the wood 🍃 This creates safety zones around veteran trees, and protects undergrowth and roots💚

Cauliflower slime mould! An essential part of the forest and nutrient recycling, when spring arrives, they puff up into these marshmallow-y forms on old logs. Then their skin cracks open to reveal a brown spore-filled pulp! Amazing? Or not your cup of tea? Let us know what you think of them!

A Ranger has spotted one of the first bluebells in Highgate Wood this year. A full carpet of flowers will soon follow. If you’re visiting, please stay on the paths to avoid trampling them and never pick wildflowers. Together we can protect these beautiful blooms for future years. 🥀💚

Highgate Wood has been checked and is open (Fri 13 March). There were a few tree failures caused by the wind gusts, including one oak and two hornbeam, but staff have checked for safety and cleared the paths.

For safety reasons, Highgate Wood will not open tomorrow (Thurs 12 March) due to high winds -which are forecast to last all day.

The Oak Beauty Moth 🦋 A clever spot from our ecologist, as these moths blend in brilliantly with their surroundings! A wingspan often exceeding 2 inches, they can be seen flying from late February to early April - next time you're in the wood, try and spot one! #LondonNature #HighgateWood

Remember to join our guided walks this spring 🏵️🪺☀️

Cubicle decay! Caused by the rapid breakdown of materials in the trunk by fungi, a fascinating and unique pattern is formed, proving that even in states of decay nature is beautiful 🍄‍🟫🪵

It's National Nest Box Week!🪺 Over the years, our nest boxes have seen a lot of action! They offer safe, sheltered places to raise young. By providing extra nesting sites, more woodland birds thrive and our local ecosystem is kept healthy and diverse. #HighgateWood #NationalNestBoxWeek

Happy Valentine's Day 💗 As we go through February and into March, keep an eye out in the wood for exciting signs of spring - there are some beautiful flowers popping up!🌻 #HighgateWood #ValentinesDay

It’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science 🌳🔬👩🏽‍🔬 Listen to our Senior Ranger, Cindy, talk about the most dominant tree species in the wood. Her and her team’s knowledge and work keeps this environment thriving, and are an inspiration to girls who look to a future in science. #IDWGS