We will be taking part in the 2026 City Nature Challenge, along with over 500 other urban areas worldwide! If your area doesn't already take part, you still have time to register! (until 30th January!) For more info, visit www.citynaturechallenge.org/organizers

Date for your diary! Read more about the City Nature Challenge and how to take part here: www.bbcwildlife.org.uk/CityNatureCh... (page yet to be updated for 2026)

Its almost time for our annual challenge, 28 Birds Later! 🦉 Try to record 28 different bird species during February in Birmingham and the Black Country! 🦆 Add your records to iNaturalist (both photos & audio count) via the link below, and check out the rules. uk.inaturalist.org/projects/28-...

Read reports from some of the Birmingham and Black Country Invertebrate Group surveys from last year, plus other updates: mailchi.mp/10b4765cac7c...

While the snow might be disrupting your day, its a great opportunity to check what wildlife has been exploring your garden! Here are some fox tracks spotted this morning! 🦊 www.wildlifetrusts.org/how-identify...

It's the final West Midlands Recording League Table of the Year! There's been a bit of change since last time, with Wolverhampton rising to 4th in the league by number of species! Solihull had a good month with the biggest increase in species (161) and biggest % increase in Observations (37%).

As the days get colder, our resident birds are joined by migrants fleeing the harsher weather of northern and eastern Europe. Redwings and fieldfares arrive in their masses, seeking out berries that provide a vital winter food source. This Fieldfare was spotted by @jsmithy1943 on iNaturalist.

Looking to grow your species ID skills? Join the list for the upcoming iNaturalist ID-a-thon event - a global initiative from mid-December to mid-January to help identify observations from around the world! For more info, join the mailing list at cdn.forms-content.sg-form.com/329e8835-c55...

Mild, wet weather means fungal fruiting bodies are popping up everywhere! Here's a few we found in Walsall. We think these are Hare'sfoot Inkcap, Alder Bracket and Spectacular Rustgill fungi.

The leaves are brown and the sky is grey, but there’s still plenty of wildlife to discover! Here are a few autumn sightings from our area, shared on iNaturalist this week: 1. Collared Earthstar (alexexploring on iNaturalist) 2. Knot Grass Moth (delrington) 3. Orange Peel Fungus (avoidasher)

Here's the latest West Midlands Wildlife Recording League Leaderboard! Places are ranked by number of species observed in each area in 2025 on iNaturalist. To take part, simply upload photos of wildlife you see using the free iNaturalist app/website!

One more 2025 Invertebrate Survey date? Oh go on then! mailchi.mp/636f2fb32a78...

Last Saturday we went hunting for Tigers at Shire Oak Park in Walsall and we found this wonderful Green Tiger Beetle, which is a heathland specialist. The survey was being carried out by B&BC Invertebrate Group as part of the Wild Walsall Project, made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund

Next week we have, not one, but TWO upcoming wildlife events: WEDS: Wildlife Walk & iNaturalist training session at Pelsall Common 🦋🌼🐦‍⬛📱 SAT: Invertebrate survey at Shire Oak Park 🐝🦗 Details here: mailchi.mp/9784bbbf5bdd...

Exciting News! We have now expanded our iNaturalist Wildlife Recording League to include some other towns and cities in the West Midlands region! Which place will record the most wild species by the end of 2025? It's currently very tight at the top!

Happy Black Country Day! Have you spotted this 'Black-Country' coloured moth this year? If so please let us know!

#InsectWeek There are almost 300 species of hoverfly in the UK. They are important pollinators and consumers of aphids, and although some of them might look like wasps, they are actually harmless! Many species are quite easy to identify - here's a selection below:

It's Insect Week! To celebrate we thought we'd share with you some of the interesting wetland beetles that we recorded on our field Visit to Ryder's Mere in Pelsall last Saturday. Thanks to Mark Webster for the brilliant photos!

We had a great time exploring Goscote Valley on Wednesday! We were there carrying out a B&BC Invertebrate Group survey and highlights included tons of ladybirds and yellow and black longhorn beetles, as well as lots of day-flying moths.

Help us track Bell Heather and Cross-leaved Heath in Walsall! They may be present in heathy sites such as: Pelsall North Common, Rough Wood Chase LNR, Clayhanger Common and Shire Oak Park. Existing records of our Wild Walsall focal species are shown on this map: uk.inaturalist.org/observations...

Two more species we’ve highlighted as part of the Wild Walsall project: Bell Heather & Cross-leaved Heath! 💜 These heathland plants are key components of heathland, but are becoming increasingly rare locally. Tracking their distribution helps us target habitat work where it matters most.

This time of year is perfect for orchid spotting! In B&BC, there are records of 15 different species and one hybrid. See if you can spot some of those species using our quick ID guide. Here at Centre of the Earth, both the Common Spotted Orchid and the Bee Orchid are currently in bloom!

Help us track the Green Tiger Beetle in Walsall! Sites in Walsall where we think Green Tiger Beetle may be present include: Shire Oak Park, Beechdale Park and Pelsall North Common. Report your sightings either via the iNaturalist app/website or by emailing us at [email protected]

Another flagship species we’re focusing on as part of the Wild Walsall project is the 💚 Green Tiger Beetle 💚. We are asking your help in tracking the distribution of this species, which serves as an indicator of good quality heathland – one of our rarer and more important habitats.

Help us track the Willow Tit in Walsall! Sites in Walsall where we think Willow Tit may be present include: Rough Wood Chase LNR, Goscote Valley, Leylands Farm in Pelsall, Walsall Country Park and Park Lime Pits.

This summer, as part of the Wild Walsall project, we are asking for people to help us to learn more about the distribution of the Willow Tit in Walsall. The species has faced large declines in recent years. Knowing where the Willow Tit is will help us to focus our habitat work to best benefit it!

Help us track the Green Hairstreak! Report your sightings either via the free iNaturalist app/website or by emailing us at [email protected] Existing records of Green Hairstreak as well as our other Wild Walsall focus species are shown on this map: uk.inaturalist.org/projects/wil...

Help us track the distribution of the Green Hairstreak butterfly in Walsall! Suggested sites in Walsall where we think Green Hairstreak may be present include: Rough Wood Chase LNR (particularly The Piggeries & Oily Goughs) Goscote Valley Ryder's Mere Pelsall North Common Shire Oak Park

This summer, as part of the Wild Walsall project, we are asking for people to help us to learn more about the distribution of 💚Green Hairstreak💚 in the area. This butterfly, which is associated with good quality grassland habitats, is one of our Local Biodiversity Action Plan species!

Looking for a nature escape this bank holiday? Head to Smestow Valley LNR for a wildlife walk along the canal and old railway line. Help us record local wildlife by snapping photos of what you see, and upload them to iNaturalist! See what’s been spotted in 2025: uk.inaturalist.org/projects/exp...

Once again, a huge thanks to everyone who took part in the 2025 Birmingham & Black Country #CityNatureChallenge! Here are this year's top contributors for number of observations and species recorded - including those emailed to us and added to iNaturalist via the EcoRecord account.

The results are in for the 2025 Birmingham & the Black Country City Nature Challenge! Check out the top 10 plant, bird, insect, and arachnid species recorded across our region. 🌿🕷️🦉🦋

🎉 The 2025 City Nature Challenge is officially over! A massive thank you to everyone who took part and to all those who helped run and organise events. This year, we broke our record for the total number of different species recorded in Birmingham and the Black Country — incredible work! 🌿🦋🦊

It’s the final day of the City Nature Challenge!🌿 Birmingham & the Black Country have already recorded 1,000+ species — but we’re not done yet! Log your sightings on the iNaturalist app 🐝🌳 and help us beat our neighbouring regions! 😉 + Track our progress here: www.inaturalist.org/observations...

Get ready!⏳ In just over a week, Birmingham and the Black Country will join cities across the globe in the City Nature Challenge 🌎 — a worldwide effort to record urban wildlife, and an opportunity to get wild! Want to take part? Attend an organised event and help put our region on the leaderboard!🏆

Looking to boost your butterfly ID skills? 🦋 Now’s the perfect time of year to get outside and start practising! 🔍 Check out our handy butterfly ID guides – they’re great for helping you get to grips with a few of the species you’re likely to spot.

🚨 Wildlife recording challenge alert! 🚨 Which area of Birmingham & the Black Country can record the most wildlife? 🌿🐦 Join the competition and help us find out! ⬇️ uk.inaturalist.org/projects/b-b...

This year there are 26 UK areas taking part in the City Nature Challenge – more than ever before! ☘️🏙️ The City Nature Challenge is a global competition to see which city’s residents can spot the most wildlife over four days. ⏳🦋 For more information visit: www.bnhc.org.uk/city-nature-...

This time of year is great for spotting some of our early-emerging bee species – including bumblebees, hairy footed flower bees and mining bees! 🐝🌾 You may also spot species that mimic bees such as the Broad-bordered Bee Fly! 🤯 Have you seen any yet?

Spring draws close, and nature is ready to burst into life! 🌿🌼 In just over a month, it’ll be time to record that wildlife for the Birmingham and Black Country City Nature Challenge! Start practicing with iNaturalist now by exploring some of our wildlife recording suggestions! 📷🐝

2025 marks the Black Country Geological Society's 50th Anniversary! 🎉 To celebrate, they are launching a poster competition with entries open till the 1st June. ⏳ More information can be found here: bcgs.info/pub/the-soci...

Our 28 Birds Later recording challenge has officially come to an end! A huge thank you to everyone who took part, and a special well done to those who completed the challenge. 🎉🦆

Take part in our 2025 SpawnWatch survey! 🐸 Spotted frog or toad spawn in Birmingham & Black Country? Let us know! Your records will help EcoRecord keep our information up-to date 🕰️ and improve our knowledge of the distribution 🗺️ of these key species. ✅ www.bbcwildlife.org.uk/Spawnwatch

⏳ It’s the final day of the 28 Birds Later 🦆 recording challenge! This is your last chance to climb the leaderboard and tick off 28 bird species before February flies away. 🔍🦉 #28BirdsLater www.inaturalist.org/projects/28-...

Our hearts are fluttering this Valentines Day ❤️ as we're now halfway through the 28 Birds Later recording challenge and have already documented an incredible 70 different bird species across Birmingham and the Black Country! 🦢 Photo by jmc223 on iNaturalist.

Get ready for the City Nature Challenge! 🌍🔍 In just a few months, cities worldwide will compete to record the most wild species. Let’s secure B'ham and the Black Country's spot on the leaderboard and start practicing now! 🏆🐝🌿 🔗 www.bbcwildlife.org.uk/CityNatureCh... #CityNatureChallenge #Wildlife

This year for the first time, we’ve decided to allow both photos and audio recordings to count towards our February 28 Birds Later challenge! Here’s how you can use the free Merlin app to ID bird sounds, and then add those records to iNaturalist!

Whether in your garden or out on a woodland walk, take part in our 28 Birds Later recording challenge! Find the rules by following the link below. Check out this fantastic shot by Andraycook on iNaturalist—a Moorhen foraging in the mud for a snack. Wonderful! uk.inaturalist.org/projects/28-...

River Rea Kingfisher Great! #birds #wildlifephotography #wildlife #ukbirding #ukwildlife #ukbirds #birding #nature #naturephotography #photography #wmbirds @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social @ecorecord.bsky.social

There’s still time to take part in the Birmingham and Black Country 28 Birds Later recording challenge! Try to photograph 28 bird species over the 28 days of Feb and upload the photos to iNaturalist. So, fly into action and get snapping. It’ll be a hoot! uk.inaturalist.org/projects/28-...