Download our Nature`s Calendar recording guide

Combined edition | Please keep for future seasons
Guide to recording spring
and autumn events in
Nature’s Calendar
BBC weather forecaster,
Isobel Lang, says:
“Becoming a recorder of Nature’s Calendar is
easy and fun. You will be contributing to over
300 years of observations and helping
scientists and conservationists to understand
the impact of climate change on our favourite
plants and animals. Every observation logged
will enable the Woodland Trust and the UK
Phenology Network to make this exciting
project even more significant. I’m thrilled to
be supporting this unique undertaking.”
Many thousands of people across the UK are now recording
nature’s calendar as part of the UK Phenology Network, to see
what effect climate change is having on our woods and our wildlife.
You don’t have to be an expert to take part, you can record as
much or as little information as you are able.We will be pleased
to receive forms with only one or two records.
Our spring and autumn guides to recording events have
proved so popular that we have combined them, to make a special
edition for you to keep from season to season. New recorders
will receive a free copy, but a small charge will be made for
additional copies, available from the Woodland Trust – see contact
details on the back page.
An interactive recording form where you can enter your
records and find species information, illustrations, and resources
is also available online at www.naturedetectives.org.uk
for those aged 4-18 years, their teachers and leaders and at
www.phenology.org.uk for older recorders.
UK Phenology Network
Introduction
How to use this guide
It should be used in conjunction with the online or paper recording form.
An explanation of the terms used on the recording form can be found in
the first pages of this guide – spring first then autumn. Species are then
listed alphabetically and spring and autumn identification information is
given as appropriate.
When to record
If you are finding it difficult to decide when to record, wait until the event
is occurring in three plants of the same species in close proximity
to each other. Record the trendsetters rather than the extraordinary.
If you are not 100 per cent sure of your identification of a particular species
/event, or it may be more than two or three days since it could first have
been observed then please DO NOT RECORD. If in doubt, leave it out!
Key to symbols used in the Guide:
Record this species or event in spring
Record this species or event in autumn
Description of the species, including colour, bark and any other special
features which might help to identify it.
Where you are most likely to find that particular species.
When you should be looking out for particular events related to that
species.The months given are intended as a guide and may vary
depending on where you are in the UK and the weather.
Volunteer safety
By donating your skills and time you are enabling the Woodland Trust and the UKPN
to achieve so much more than it would otherwise be able to.We aim to provide, so
far as is reasonably practicable, safe and healthy conditions for staff and volunteers
whilst carrying out their duties, by anticipating risks and removing or avoiding
hazards.You should be aware of the need for taking care whilst carrying out activities
on behalf of the Trust, no matter how small the task is.The majority of you will be
recording whilst you go about your daily lives and so need little reminder from us
that common sense is the order of the day. However, when you are out and about
you should be aware of the risks posed by extreme weather conditions, and should
ensure your personal safety by letting someone responsible know where you
are going and when you expect to be back. For more information visit
www.woodland-trust.org.uk/getinvolved
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Spring recording
Guide to terms used in the spring
Budburst: The colour of the new green leaves is just
visible between the scales of the swollen/elongated bud.
First leaf: First leaf fully open, and recognisably the
shape, if not the full size of the adult leaf. For compound
leaves like ash for example the leaf
must be erect but the pinnate
leaflets don’t yet need to be. For larch first leaf is the
start of needle forming.At the base the needles are still
joined in the bud cover but the tops of the needles
have separated.
www.moorhen.demon.co.uk
Use mature trees (30 years old or more), as young trees show
different responses. Even trees of the same species, close to each
other can behave very differently.
First flower: Please record this when the petals have opened sufficiently
for you to see inside the flower. Look for a trend setting flowering, not an
abnormally early one.
Some flowers are in clusters (called an inflorescence),
such as lilac and horse chestnut, please record these
when the petals of the first individual flower in the
cluster are open sufficiently for
you to see inside the flower.
Catkins are tight clusters of tiny flowers found on
many tree species including hazel, silver birch and oak.
Please record first flowering when the catkins release
their powdery pollen.You will notice this on a breezy
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Spring recording
day, or by lightly tapping the branch with your finger.
Grass flowers are also very small, with numerous
flowers in the clusters. Please record first flower when
the anthers (a tiny club-like structure), is dangling from
one of the tiny flowers.A magnifying
glass may be very helpful with grass flowers.
Roy Battell
Snowdrop: avoid cultivated snowdrops (often planted
in gardens), and record wild-type plants (with green tips
on the interior petals and one flower per stem) found in
the countryside in damp woods, stream sides and
meadows as well as shady gardens.
Blackthorn: please do not record cherry-plum (Prunus
cerasifera), which looks similar to blackthorn in spring,
but has different fruit in the autumn and does not have
thorns. Instead look for native blackthorn in hedgerows
and woodland, it is very thorny and commonly forms
dense thickets.
First seen: The first time you see a live, active individual of a species.
3rd date: The date by which you have seen three separate live individuals
(this may be all at once). However, if you can’t tell them apart, assume those
seen on three separate days are different.
All year: As our climate changes some events are being observed all year
round, e.g. blackcap and chiffchaff overwintering in some areas, and song
thrush singing all year round. Instead of a first seen date you will need to tick
the ‘All year’ box.
Last seen: The date on which you last see the bird before it leaves for
more northerly climes. As the departure time gets closer (see guide
entry) keep a note of the dates when you do see the birds. Do this until
you no longer see them and then you have your ‘last seen’ date.
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Spring recording
Nest building: When you first see adult birds gathering nesting
materials in their beaks.
Feeding young: Look for adult birds with beaks full of insects,
and numerous daily movements to and from nest sites.
Young birds seen: Look for birds that may still have downy
heads and yellow edges to their beaks.The adults will probably
still be feeding them and to stimulate this, they may ruffle their
feathers and shake their wings.
Cuckoo: The cuckoo is in decline. If you usually hear the cuckoo but didn’t hear it this
year, please tick the box.
Early events: If you recorded any spring events before the start of the year then
please enter the date on which you observed them.
Tadpoles (frog): Please only record frog tadpoles where
you have already recorded frog spawn. Spawn is easy to tell
apart- frog spawn is a mass of eggs; toad spawn is a string of eggs.
Returning newts: Any newts.They hibernate in rough areas of
the garden and so record when you first notice them in the
pond again, or moving around the garden.
Date lawn first cut: The date on which you give your lawn
its first cut of the season.This may relate to ground conditions rather than the
length of the grass; don’t worry, just record the first date you were able to cut it. If
you mow all winter then please tick the ‘All year’ box.
For more help see illustrations on following pages.
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Colin Varndell
www.butterfly-crazy.fsnet.co.uk
Butterfly identification: The small white, green-veined white
and female orange tip butterflies can appear very similar in
flight.Wait until the butterfly has come to rest before
attempting to identify – see the special butterfly guidance
information on pages 38-41 for
more information. If in doubt,
please leave it out!
Autumn recording
How to record tree phenology
Use mature trees (30 years old or more), as young trees show
different responses. Even trees of the same species, close to each
other can behave very differently.
If you are finding it difficult to decide when to record, wait
until the event is occurring in three trees of the same species in
close proximity to each other. Record the trendsetters rather than
the extraordinary.
Leaves may fall off before you have recorded any significant colour
change.This may be the species or the weather conditions.
Don’t worry! Just record when the tree is bare.
The effects of drought: In dry summers some species such as beech and
birch may show the effects of drought, which can be confused with the
onset of autumn.These include early colour changes and shrivelling and
falling of leaves. Record the date you see first tint whatever the cause.
Guide to terms used in the autumn
First tint: when several leaves on the
same tree or branch have started to change colour –
first indication of autumn colouring.
Full tint: when all the leaves on a tree have
changed colour – full autumn colouring.
Leaf fall: Beginning of autumn leaf fall, some bare
twigs or branches.
Bare: Completely bare except for shrivelled leaves.
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Autumn recording
Fruit ripe: Soft to touch, full coloured or falling naturally (oak and
horse chestnut) – see illustrations for more help. For elder,
blackthorn and blackberry this means very dark berries. For
hawthorn (right), rowan, holly and dog rose this means red
berries.They will also feel softer. Birds eating the fruit
should not always be taken as an indication of ripeness.
Fruiting score (if in doubt, please leave it out!): Should be
recorded from untrimmed bushes or trees.This refers to the amount of
fruit (or seeds) on a tree or shrub:
1 = no fruit, 2 = meagre, 3 = moderate, 4 = good crop, 5 = exceptional
First seen: The first time you see a live, active
individual of a species.
3rd bird: The date by which you have seen three
separate live individuals (this may be all at once).
However, if you can’t tell them apart, assume those
seen on three separate days are different.
If in doubt, please leave it out! | www.phenology.org.uk | www.naturedetectives.org.uk
Margaret Barton
This is a subjective assessment of the fruit crop,
similar to when people say it is “a good year” for
blackberries, or that there aren’t many holly berries
this year. Please don’t record this until you feel
confident to do so – if you are not used to looking
it may take a number of seasons to “get your eye in”.
If so, don’t worry, just record when you do feel confident. It is not
strictly phenological, however it is an indicator of winter food availability
for birds and mammals, as well as the seed source available for natural
regeneration of trees and shrubs, and may be linked to climate variables
in preceding seasons.
7
Autumn recording
Last seen: The date on which you last see the
bird before it leaves for warmer climes. As the
departure time gets closer (see guide entry) keep
a note of the dates when you do see the birds. Do
this until you no longer see them and then you
have your ‘last seen’ date.
Ivy First flowering: Flower open to the point
where the centre is visible.
Lawn cut: The date on which
you give your lawn its last cut
of the season.This may relate
to ground conditions rather
than the length of the grass;
don’t worry, just record the last time you were able
to cut it.
Early events, including spring events in autumn
For more help see illustrations on following pages.
There are always exceptions to every rule - a swallow or butterfly seen
in mid-winter, or a flower, weeks ahead of others.These are abnormally
early events and are not to be recorded, as we are looking for
trendsetting events. You may however notice genuinely trendsetting
first spring events before the end of the year. If so, then please keep a
note of them and enter them onto your spring form when it arrives, or
enter them online as you see them.
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Trees & shrubs
Tree, shrub and winter twig illustrations by J.Oldham, Andrew May and Jonathan
Panter (except dog rose and blackthorn) donated by Field Studies Council:
www.field-studies-council.org (see inside back page of booklet for more details).
Alder
Alnus glutinosa
M
adg
ett
A grey-brown bark with a network
of shallow fissures. Very rounded, dark
green, shiny leaves, with male and
female catkins, the latter look like
miniature cones.
P
Germinates particularly where
soils are seasonally waterlogged. It is
often found beside streams. Its seeds
actually f loat and are distributed by
streams to germinate in muddy banks.
Flowers in March, leaves in
April/May.
Ash
Fraxinus excelsior
Elegant deciduous tree growing
up to 40 metres high with talldomed, open crown. Young
trees have smooth, grey bark
that becomes dark and
fissured with age.
Buds are black, and the leaves usually have
about 3-6 pairs of leaf lets that are distinctively pointed. Flowers, which look
like coral growths, appear before the leaves. Record leaf budburst only.
Leaves turning yellow in autumn. Winged fruits hang in clusters (keys) and
turn brown after leaf fall.
Found on all but the poorest and most
acid ground. Common in woods, along
hedgerows and in streets and parks. Rare in
northern Scotland.
Flowers in April, leaves in May.
Leaves drop around late October.
e
aic
Peter P
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9
Trees & shrubs
Beech
Fagus sylvatica
Magnificent deciduous tree that can grow up to
40 metres tall. The bark is smooth, silvery-grey.
The leaves are pointed ovals, with slightly wavy
edges. Cigar shaped buds open to reveal the young
leaves which are a delicate yellow-green, turning to
shiny dark green by late spring/early summer.
The leaves turn from pale yellow through to deep
orange/red in autumn. The triangular nuts ripen
to a shiny rich brown and are held in a prickly,
four-lobed casing.
Either in mixed woodland or
standing alone, usually on chalky or
sandy soils.
ar
ton
Flowers and leaves in April/May.
Leaves drop around late October,
ripe fruit in October.
B
ret
Marga
Silver birch
Betula pendula
Slender deciduous tree up to 30 metres tall with
smooth, silvery-white bark that develops deep, dark
fissures with age. Oval leaves have double-toothed
serrations along edges and neither leaf stems nor
leaves are hairy (that’s downy birch).
Catkins – the male ones are long, drooping and
yellow; the female ones are slender, green and are
upright when f lowering, drooping in fruit. Leaves turn
yellow and then golden in autumn. The gherkin-shaped
fruiting catkins turn brown in winter and, helped by
birds, release tiny winged nutlets.
Light sandy soils in woodland, heath and moor, also
colonises wasteland
March/April for leaves and catkins. Leaves drop in November.
N.B. Silver birch and downy birch frequently hybridise.
10
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Trees & shrubs
Blackberry
Rubus fruticosus
A very familiar, vigorous and
thorny scrambling shrub, with
numerous different microspecies.
The edible fruits go from green
through red, to deep purple and
finally black when ripe.
Common in woodland, hedges,
scrub and wasteland.
Ripe fruit from late August.
Blackthorn
Prunus spinosa
m
on
.co
.uk
A deciduous, thorny shrub
that forms dense thickets by sending
up shoots (suckering). Often found in
.de
www
.mo orhen
hedges and can form small trees up to
10 metres tall. Smooth, bright bark. Cascades of white
f lowers which emerge before the leaves and help to
distinguish it from hawthorn. Can be confused with the
cherry-plum – but only the blackthorn has thorns.
The oval blue-black fruits or “sloes” have a powdery
surface bloom and an extremely bitter taste. The ancestor
of our cultivated plums.
Common in woodland, scrub and hedgerows.
Flowering March-April. Leaves drop in November,
ripe fruit in October.
Lovely sloes; cloudy drop of dusty blue
that drip like rain from thorny spikes
and bloom from leaves of thicket green
small and dark and fine
Extract from Nipping sloes, Jenny Gladstone. 11
Trees & shrubs
Horse chestnut
Aesculus hippocastanum
A stout tree up to 30 metres tall, with a huge domed canopy
and grey-brown, fairly f lakey bark. Distinctive leaves, with
five or more long leaf lets. Large red-brown sticky buds
Clusters of white f lowers (not pink/ red – that’s
a different species) that make it look like a
huge candelabra.
n
The big mahogany-brown conkers burst from a
green spiky fruit. (Smooth cases tend to be the
pink/red f lowered species). Leaves turn from
orange to scarlet in autumn.
to
Marga ret Bar
Common in parks, gardens, streets and
village greens. It was introduced from
Turkey in the late 16th century and widely
planted here.
Leaves from April, f lowers in May. Leaf drop
late October, falling ripe fruit from September to October.
Elder
Sambucus nigra
Deciduous shrub with browny-grey, twisted
trunk and branches. Leaves similar to Ash, with
toothed leaf lets opposite one another. Clusters of
tiny white f lowers that smell unpleasant.
Drooping clusters of round, green berries
ripen to black in autumn.
ar
to
n
Very common in hedges, waste ground,
woodland edges and scrub on fertile, moist soils
throughout the UK.
Leaves from March, f lowers in June. Leaves
drop in October/November, ripe fruit in
September/October.
tB
are
Marg
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Trees & shrubs
Hawthorn
Crataegus monogyna
Deciduous thorny shrub with
grey, fissured bark on a knotted,
twisted trunk. Quite distinctive,
toothed leaves that appear before
a mass of wonderful scented blossom.
The deeply lobed leaves, turn orange and
dark-red in autumn. Fruits ripen to red
berries (haws).
Very common in hedges, scrub
and woodland.
Leaves from March to April,
blossom from May to June. Leaves
drop in November, ripe fruit from
October to November.
Hazel
Corylus avellana
Deciduous shrub with multiple stems
growing to some six metres tall. Smooth,
brown-grey bark that splits and f lakes
with age. Distinctive round, slightly hairy,
pointed-tipped leaves. In spring it develops
yellow catkins. Female catkins look
more like leaf buds with red styles
protruding from the tip.
The edible nuts, held in green, leafy
cups, turn brown when ripe.
Found throughout the UK in woodland, scrub
and hedgerows.
Flowers January-March, leaves in April. Leaf drop
in November, ripe fruit in October.
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13
Trees & shrubs
Holly
Ilex aquifolium
Evergreen shrub or small tree
growing up to 10 metres tall with
numerous garden varieties. Characteristic
tough, dark green, spiny leaves and
clusters of scarlet red berries. Fruits often
stay on the bush overwinter and are
popular with many birds.
May form the undergrowth in woods
but is also found in woodland edges,
hedges and scrub.
Leaves evergreen, ripe fruit
from October.
Ivy
Hedera helix
A common, evergreen climber that also
sprawls over the ground. Dark green, glossy leaves
are three- or five-lobed, like a maple leaf, on young
stems and heart-shaped on the f lowering stems. The
yellowish-green f lowers are borne in small clusters.
Grows well almost anywhere throughout the
UK – woodland, scrub, isolated trees, wasteland,
walls and rocks.
Flowers in September/October. Ripe fruit,
November to January.
Ivy f lowers are September suns that rise from glossy leaves.
Their yellow spokes like 'lion clocks make landing fists for bees.
Leaves so bright that light returns like silvered glass to watching eye,
and robin's whispered autumn song lisps above the curling frond,
and wren f licks home behind the shine to shadowed pool of thickened vine.
14
Extract from Ivy, Jenny Gladstone.
Trees & shrubs
European larch
Larix decidua
A deciduous (drops
adg
ett
its leaves) conifer and a
M
tall, graceful tree with bright
pink, feathery female f lowers (larch
P
roses) and vivid green needles. Smells strongly of turpentine. Can be
distinguished from Japanese larch which has rose-like cones with scales
turned back.
Forestry plantations – grown both for timber and as a ‘nurse’ for
other species. Seeds blow on wind to spring up in sheltered
hollows and upland valleys.
Leafing March-April, f lowers March-May.
Purple lilac
Syringa vulgaris
Clusters of light purple f lowers set amongst
smooth, dark green, heart-shaped leaves and a
wonderful scent. The colour is important.
White, pink, blue and dark purple are
cultivated lilacs, so please do not record them.
Open, well-drained, unshaded places.
Very popular with gardeners. Survives severe
cold and thrives in a frost.
Generally f lowers from April through June.
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15
Trees & shrubs
Field maple
Although often shrub-like in hedges,
it can grow up to 20 metres tall and has
hard green-brown, fissured bark. Leafing
in April in opposite pairs, leaf stalk with
milky sap. The lobed leaves show striking
autumn colours and are much smaller than
the related sycamore. The paired, winged
fruits, like helicopter blades, are yellowgreen tinged with crimson.
ar
to
n
Acer campestre
et
gar
Mar
B
The only native maple in the British
Isles, found naturally in
lowland England and Wales.
Flowers and leaves
appearing together April.
Leaves drop in November.
Pedunculate oak
ice
Quercus robur
Pa
This is the classic English, or common oak,
Peter
complete with acorns and distinctively-shaped leaves.
The leaves have almost no stalks but the acorns do,
making it easy to tell from the sessile oak. Male f lowers in
drooping yellow catkins, female f lowers in inconspicuous
stalked spikes have reddish colour
Mostly found in mixed woodland, but huge, isolated
specimens are also seen in fields, hedgerows and parks.
The dominant oak in the lowlands.
Flowers and leaves in April/May. Leaves drop in
November, ripe fruit from September to October.
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Trees & shrubs
Sessile oak
Quercus petraea
It’s the opposite to pedunculate oak – the acorns don’t
have stalks but the leaves do. Oaks can grow 40 metres high
and live for more than a thousand years. Male f lowers in
drooping yellow catkins, female f lowers in inconspicuous
stalked spikes have reddish colour.
It likes lighter, well-drained soils and is the
dominant oak in the uplands most common in the
north and west. It doesn’t tolerate f looding,
unlike the pedunculate oak.
Flowers and leaves in April/May.
Leaves drop in November, ripe fruit from
September to October.
Turkey oak
Lu
nd
Quercus cerris
David
Bark: The bark of
all three oaks is
thick and deeply
fissured with a
grey brown colour.
Not featured on the recording form:
If you see whiskery acorn cups and deeply lobed
leaves, move on – you’re looking at a Turkey oak!
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17
Trees & shrubs
Dog rose
Rosa canina
A scrambling shrub with long
arching stems armed with curved
thorns. This wild rose produces
beautiful pink or white f lowers in
summer and striking red rosehips in autumn.
m
May and June for the mass of delicate
f lowers. Ripe fruit in September.
on
.co.
uk
In woodland, hedgerows and
on scrubland throughout the UK,
although more common in the south.
Prefers heavy soils.
.de
en
or h
o
m
.
www
Rowan
Sorbus aucuparia
A fairly fast growing species reaching 15 metres
tall and has smooth grey-green bark. Distinctive
ash-like leaves, although smaller more numerous
leaf lets. Young twigs are slightly hairy, and the buds
very hairy when bursting. Small, creamy f lowers in
dense clusters 10-15 cm across. Clusters of red
berries in early autumn. Beware of the many
cultivars and hybrids that are planted in streets,
parks and gardens.
Widespread as grows happily on quite
poor soil, although more common in the
wild in west and north of the UK where it
grows at a higher altitude (1000m) than any other
tree, hence its other name, ‘mountain ash’.
Leaves from April, f lowers in May. Leaves drop
late October, ripe fruit from September to October.
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Trees & shrubs
Sycamore
Acer pseudoplatanus
Magnificent domed canopy up to 35 metres high,
smooth grey-brown bark when young becoming
scaly and f laky with maturity. Stout twigs with fat,
green buds. Leaves are large, maple-leaf shape, with five
pointed lobes.
Flowers hanging in long, spiky clusters.
Autumn colours not as spectacular as field maple and the
paired, winged fruit or “keys” are green tinged with red and
ripen to brown
One of our commonest and most widespread trees, found
almost everywhere. However is not native to the British Isles
coming from central and south-east Europe.
Flowers and leaves appear from April-May.
Leaves drop in November.
aic
rP
Pete
e
Today’s new river is fresh
New laundered, smoothly ironed and starchy still
Two lines of willows, Two skies, Two cuckoos –
Two cuckoos speeding, Courtship beneath their wings
He cuckoos she giggles, They brief ly touch
In a clatter of taut wimgs, And f lash away like hawks
Each day a gift, Today’s, Two cuckoos
By Joanna F Barlow.
19
Flowers
Wood anemone
Anemone nemorosa
tB
ar
ton
One of the earliest and prettiest of
all woodland f lowers. It is a perennial
with leaves springing from the base,
sometimes forming a carpet in
woods. Flowers are usually white,
but sometimes pinkish.
re
rga
Ma
Woods, hedgerows and
upland meadows.
Flowers in March-May.
Bluebell
Hyacinthoides non-scriptus
Bell-shaped, deep blue f lowers on a tall stem,
often growing so closely together they form a unique
carpet - one of nature’s most stunning displays. Britain
has the finest bluebell carpets in the world. Spanish
bluebells have escaped into the wild but should not be
recorded. Their leaves are broader, their f lowers are
more widely bell-shaped and their anthers are blue
rather than the creamy-white of our native bluebell
All over the country, in woodland, grassland,
heath, scrub and hedgerows.
Bluebells are a perennial, f lowering in April
and May.
Winter rolls back from the woodland f loor;
dirty snow
turns to gold stars
turns to white bowls
turns to blue bells.
Each year the earth sets the old machine in motion.
20
Extract from Tower House Woods, Jenny Gladstone.
Flowers
Lesser celandine
Ranunculus ficaria
One of the first woodland
f lowers of the year. The f lowers are
shiny yellow with eight to twelve
petals. The leaves are heart-shaped.
Pa
ice
Damp woodland paths and
tracks as well as on stream banks
and in ditches. It grows well in
the shade of hedgerows too.
et
er
It’s a perennial herb,
f lowering in March-May.
P
Colt’s-foot
Forest Life Picture Library
Tussilago farfara
A perennial with broad,
simple triangular shaped leaves,
which appear after f lowering.
Small plant with yellow daisylike compound f lowers on an
erect scaly stem in the spring.
Absolutely anywhere. It’s
considered a weed and springs
up in almost any soil, from
dune to wasteland, roadside
to hedgerow.
All year round for the
leaves, February-April
for the f lowers.
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21
Flowers
Cuckoof lower or Lady’s smock
Janet Novak
Cardamine pratensis
Pretty, white-pinkish, slightly
cupped f lowers on long, elegant stems.
Lower leaves with rounded leaf lets,
upper leaves with narrow leaf lets.
Damp grassland, woods, roadsides,
ditches, river banks and pond edges.
Flowering April-June but
sometimes earlier.
Oxeye daisy
Leucanthemum vulgare
It has long, zigzag-edged leaves
and produces white f lowers with a
yellow, moon-shaped centre. It
looks like a very large daisy!
Grassland, hedgerows,
meadows and roadsides.
First f lowers May-June.
22
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Flowers
Garlic mustard
Alliaria petiolata
Colin Varndell
Also known as jack-by-the-hedge.
Soft, nettle-shaped, slightly hairy leaves
with long stalks and a faint smell of
garlic. It puts out brilliant white f lowers
in late spring.
Hedge-banks and open woodland,
especially on chalky soils.
dfl
ow
ers
Flowers April-July.
il
W
are
Delaw
Snowdrop
l.c
o
Strap-like, blue-green leaves and
drooping white f lowers. The inner f lower
segments have a green patch towards the
tip, and there’s only one f lower per stem.
Anything else is a cultivated variety –
please do not record these.
m
Galanthus nivalis
d ys
www.an
l
ma
Damp woods, streamsides,
meadows and shady gardens.
The plant is a perennial,
f lowering between January and
March (sometimes much earlier).
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23
Grasses
Grass illustrations by Ian Edwards.
Cocksfoot
Dactylis glomerata
A very common grass with a
f lower head with three or more
compact spikes looking a little like a
cock’s foot, hence the name. The base
of the stem is f lat in cross section.
Look out for its protruding anthers
(a tiny club-like structure) to tell it
is f lowering.
All grassland and waste ground.
First f lowers May-June.
Meadow foxtail
Alopecurus pratensis
An early f lowering grass with a
f lower head forming a soft, compact
cylindrical spike up to 9cm long. Look out
for the purple or orange anthers drooping
from the f lower head to indicate it
is f lowering.
Meadows and other grassy areas. It
prefers rich, damp neutral soil.
Flowering April-June.
24
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Grasses
Timothy
Phleum pratense
A common fodder grass, stems up to 150cm.
Cylindrical f lower head up to 15cm long, sometimes
with a purple tinge.
Meadows, waysides and waste ground
Flowers June- August
Identifying grasses can be complex and we
recommend that you use a good quality
identification guide. Fundamental to the
identification of many species are the
ligules - the small membranous f lap
between the leaf and the stem.
Yorkshire fog
Holcus lanatus
Another very common grass with soft, grey hairy
leaves. The f lowering "plumes" are often purple-tinged. Peel
back the basal leaves to reveal its unique pink striped f leshy
stem- "stripy pyjamas". Creeping soft grass (Holcus mollis),
which most commonly occurs in woods, looks very
similar but has ‘hairy knees’ at junctions along the stem.
All grassland and waste ground.
First f lowers May-June.
Good Friday, and I am searching for the third.
The third sign of spring’s return.
And this small sign of spring alights, on yellow disk of dandelion.
This small tortoiseshell is number three;
red-amber fire on golden crown.
The rest are summer, and f ly unmarked.
Recording for phenology, Jenny Gladstone.
25
Birds
Bird illustrations by Mitchell Beazley (except rook and
song thrush) © Octopus Publishing Group/P. Hayman
(see inside back page of booklet for details).
Blackbird
Turdus merula
Males have black plumage and a bright yellow beak.
Females have brown plumage, a mottled breast and
a brownish beak. Flight is usually low and over
short distances and often accompanied by a harsh
chattering alarm call.
Almost anywhere except the most barren
uplands. Thrives in gardens and parks. You’re as likely to
find them nesting in a city centre as on a farm. Nests in trees and bushes.
A resident, so can be seen at any time. Produces two or three broods
between March and May.
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapilla
Margaret Barton
As the name suggests, the male of this
widespread species has a distinctive black ‘cap’ on
his head (above left) – the female’s cap is rusty
coloured (below left). Both have grey and
brown plumage. The varied, warbling song is
one of the best birdsongs of summer.
Blackcaps are hard to spot, f litting
about in undergrowth in woodland, parks and gardens.
A summer visitor from March/April, which is
increasingly overwintering in southern counties.
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybita
ar
to
n
A small bird similar to the willow warbler, with its
delicately tinted grey-olive plumage. The easiest way to tell them
apart is their song. The chiffchaff has a two-note, almost
mechanical sounding song, hence chiffchaff.
et
Margar
B
Woods and hedges. It nests near the ground, although is
best seen and heard in the tops of tall trees.
A summer visitor from March onwards although
increasingly overwintering in southern counties. Its song
is one of the first and most distinguishable in spring.
26
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Birds
Cuckoo
or
y
Unit
Cuculus canorus
st
BBC
Hi
N atural
Quite hawk-like in f light, except for its graduated
tail. More often heard than seen but take care not to
confuse its call with that of the collared dove. It has
grey upper parts and barring below, although some
females are rusty brown. Its wings are pointed and often
drooped when perching.
Marshes, woods, hedges, moors and farmland.
Famous for its parasitic nesting behaviour, laying
its eggs in other birds nests.
A summer visitor, from April.
Turtle dove
Streptopelia turtur
Britain’s smallest dove, about 26cm long. Its back is
a mix of black and brown, like a turtle’s shell. It has a
greyish cap and rump, a pinkish breast and black and
white barring on the neck. The song is a distinctive, soft
purring. Easy to distinguish in f light due to narrow
white tip at the end of the black tail. It is fast-f lying.
In open, wooded farmland, in hedgerows and
woodland edges mainly in the south and east of Britain.
A summer visitor from March onwards.
Fieldfare
Turdus pilaris
One of the larger thrushes, slightly bigger than a
blackbird, with characteristic blue-grey head and rump,
and chestnut back. White underwing f lashes show in
f light. Commonest call is “chack, chack, chack” in f light.
w.
ww
o.u
k
Look for them in single-species f locks or with redwings.
Open country, fields, hedges and orchards throughout the
UK, and gardens when weather is hard.
m
n.c
oo r
hen. demo
Winter visitor arriving from October onwards.
Leaving in April.
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27
Birds
Spotted f lycatcher
Muscicapa striata
A small, slim, elegant bird with mousebrown topsides and lightly-streaked,
whitish underparts. Dashes after passing
f lying insects, including butterf lies, often
returning to the same perch.
Woods, parks and gardens, often seen
sitting upright on a post or twig.
A summer visitor from late
April/early May.
House martin
Delichon urbica
Often confused with swallows, although a good deal
smaller, house martins have an obvious white rump, seen as
they disappear into their mud nests under the eaves of
houses. They feed much higher than swallows and have
shorter tail forks. The white breast is dusky in the
juvenile. Song, often delivered from telephone lines, is a
babbling twitter.
Under the eaves of a building, or tucked under a
ledge or a tiled roof. Often seen feeding over water or
in open farmland with swallows. Found throughout the
UK, though less common in northern England and Scotland.
A summer visitor from April. Most depart from Britain
by October.
I wrote “I wish”, till suddenly, mid-May,
the garden filled with operatic pain.
From next-door’s chimney-pipe, late in the day,
a sobbing primadonna poured a chain
of short soprano themes. Was this the last
of London’s thrushes? Was her brood all slain?
28
Extract from Filling in the form, Anna Adams.
Birds
Sand martin
Riparia riparia
It’s the smallest of Britain’s swallow &
martin family – about 12cm. The topsides are
brown and it has a brown breast-band across
otherwise white underparts. Its f light is less
graceful than the swallow- more of a f lutter than
a swoop. The song is a distinctive chattering.
Likes sandy river banks, cliffs and gravel
pits. Often seen feeding over water.
A summer visitor from March/April. Most
leave in August/September.
Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
A bird that's heard rather than seen. Russet
brown above with a rusty red tail and pale
undersides. The song is very distinctive - fast,
loud and rich, often commencing with a
“choc, choc”.
Often associated with coppiced woodland
but also in open woodland with plenty of
undergrowth, wooded heaths and tangled scrub.
A summer visitor, so listen out from late April.
Redwing
Turdus iliacus
Smallest thrush in the UK, with distinctive creamywhite eye-stripe and conspicuous reddish f lanks and
underwing. High-pitched call “see-ip” often heard
from migrating f locks f lying overhead at night.
Widespread in open country and hedgerows;
visits gardens in hard weather. Often found with
fieldfares.
Winter visitor from October. Leaving in April.
A scarce breeder in northern Scotland.
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29
Birds
Rook
Corvus frugilegus
One of Britain's largest resident land
birds. Feeding in f locks and returning to roost all
together in long, straggly lines. Black all over. Look for
the groups of scruffy nests of sticks (rookeries) at the tops of tall trees.
Common in all but the very north of Scotland. Farmland, fields where there
are plenty of woods and trees.
Nesting starts in February-March before the first leaves appear on trees.
Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Swooping graceful f light on long wings with long, forked tail.
Autumn juveniles have shorter tail streamers. At rest look for cream
underside and dark-red throat and forehead; (more of a rustybuff colour in juveniles). Call is a cheerful “vit, vit” in f light
and a rapid twittering song.
Open country, usually near water and houses. It builds its
nests on ledges, beams and joists in sheds and outbuildings.
Gathers in restless f locks in autumn on telephone wires and with
martins over marshes and reedbeds.
A summer visitor from April. One of the latest summer visitors to return
to Africa. Most depart by late September.
Swift
Apus apus
Swifts are dark all over, with pale throats and narrow, scythe-shaped wings.
Look for groups of screaming birds dashing between buildings, or almost
invisible high specks swooping after insects in the dusk. They nest in cracks in
masonry or on rafters. Except when on the nest, they spend their whole lives,
even sleeping, on the wing. They will never be seen perching or roosting.
Low over meadows or high over buildings. They nest in cracks in masonry
or on rafters. Except when on the nest, they spend their whole lives, even
sleeping, on the wing.
A summer visitor arriving in late April/early May. Leaving from late
July/August onwards.
30
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Birds
Song thrush
Turdus philomelos
From a photo by Andy Bright
The same family as the blackbird although
slightly smaller, it has a characteristic brown back
with pale, speckled underparts. Not to be confused
with the larger, more greyish coloured mistle thrush,
which has very distinctive white corners to its tail.
Gardens, heaths, woods and fields.
A resident species, so present all year. Listen for
their song, a series of repeated tunes throughout the winter as
they may sing all year.
Blue tit
Parus caeruleus
Small and colourful in tones of blue and yellow,
it’s an easy bird to spot. Builds its nest from moss,
wool, hair or feathers, often in a hole in a wall,
tree, gatepost or of course a nesting box in
the garden.
Deciduous and mixed woodland,
hedges, gardens and parks.
It is a resident bird so can be seen
throughout the year. However it breeds between March
and May producing only one brood.
Great tit
Parus major
The largest of the tits, averaging 14cm long. Similar
colouring to the blue tit, but with a black ‘cap’ and breast
band. A fairly raucous, metallic call – sounds like “see-saw” or
“teacher-teacher”.
Deciduous and mixed woodland,
hedges, gardens and parks.
A resident bird so it may be seen
throughout the year. However it breeds between
March and May producing only one brood.
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31
Birds
Willow warbler
Phylloscopus trochilus
Our most common and widespread warbler. A small bird, up
to 11cm, with neat olive-brown plumage. Best
distinguished from the chiffchaff by its song – a sad
descending melody.
Almost any patch of woodland or scrub.
A summer visitor – March/April onwards.
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenanthe
Easily identified as it f lies away due to its striking
white rump. About 15cm long, the male has black cheeks,
a white eye stripe and a grey crown – both sexes have
cream underparts.
Treeless, open countryside – moors, heaths, dunes
or grasslands. Nests are often built under rocks or in
rabbit burrows.
A summer visitor – late March onwards.
Whitethroat
Sylvia communis
Characteristic white throat, although
male has contrasting grey crown, both have
rusty grey/brown topsides and tinted pale
underparts. A varied, scratchy song.
Gardens, woods, heaths and hedges- over
most of the UK except the highlands.
A summer visitor from April/May.
Bees are out
Fumbling and bumbling
Warming their wings
Seeking out butterburr and ten-petalled celandines
32 By Joanna F Barlow.
Insects
Queen red-tailed bumblebee
ol
me
s
Bombus lapidarius
e
Pet
H
A big, black, round hairy body with a red-orange
tail – quite unlikes its distant cousin the honey bee.
Mated queens are the first to be seen in the spring,
searching for new colony sites. As spring progresses
smaller worker bees take over food collection while the
queen lays more and more eggs.
Usually nests on the ground, often under stones or the
base of dry stone dykes.
Look out from March in the south, April in the midlands and May in the
north. Record only the red-tailed bumblebee
Queen common wasp
Vespula vulgaris
The queen has the familiar vivid yellow and black stripes, triangular
head and sting of the smaller workers. The queen is about 2-2.5cm.
Wasps are attracted to meat, sweet food and drinks. Nests are
usually only seen as tiny entrance holes, usually underground but also in
cavities in walls, ceilings, logs and trees.
The queen is the first wasp you’ll see in early spring in about April,
when she searches for a nesting site.
Ladybird (7-spot)
Coccinella 7-punctata
Very familiar brightly coloured red/orange beetle with seven spots. Three on
each wing case (elytra), the seventh at the front embracing both
elytra. The 7-spot is considered to be ‘the' ladybird, the
name deriving from Christian mythology in which the
‘lady’ is The Virgin Mary, the red colour of the insect
her cloak, and the seven spots her seven joys and
seven sorrows.
Widespread. Everywhere, feeding on aphids.
Look out from March for hibernated adults, and
soon after for mating pairs. Mating can take 3-9 hours so should
be easily spotted!
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33
Insects (butterf lies)
Butterfly distribution maps courtesy of Butterfly
Conservation (see inside back page of booklet for
details).
Holly blue
Shining, sky-blue upperside wings with fine borders.
The female has heavy dark borders to its forewings.
The Holly Blue is easily confused with other British blue
butterf lies so look out for the underside wing pattern
when the wings are partly closed where you should see
small black spots.
Bushy, wooded habitat, often in woodland clearings
and margins where its larvae feed on many plants, eg
holly, bramble, gorse and ivy. Southern England, Wales
and parts of Northern Ireland.
n.c
o.u
k
Celastrina argiolus
e
rd
yga
www.butte rfl
Usually end of April/ June.
Brimstone
Gonepteryx rhamni
em
on.
co.uk
Female has pale green wings. Male has lemon-yellow
wings – the origin of the word ‘butter’f ly. Both have a small
orange spot on each wing.
o rh
www.mo
Light woodland, bushy areas. Larvae feed on
buckthorn. Throughout British Isles,
except Scotland.
.d
en
Often first butterf ly to appear after
winter. Hibernating specimens reappear in
early spring, from late March/early April.
Comma
Polygonum c-album
Orange brown with darker markings and an unusual wing
shape. It has a white ‘comma’ on the underwing.
Hibernated individuals
from late March/early April.
34
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Colin Varndell
Woodland clearings and gardens, where its
larvae feed on nettle, willow,
redcurrant, hazel and elm.
England and Wales.
Insects (butterf lies)
Orange tip
Anthocharis cardamines
If in doubt, please leave it out!
ah
Wa
lte
rs
Upper wings are white. The forewings of both male
and female show a single black spot, which is enclosed by
the characteristic orange tip only on the male. Hind
under wing of both sexes, a confusion of green and white
markings. In f light the female looks like a green-veined
white but at rest, the under wing looks like lichen against
a white background.
Sar
First appears in April.
Butterf lies are best identified at rest
and/or when underwings are visible.
Sightings of the spring generations we
would like you to record are unlikely
after June. For more information see
pages 38-41.
.co
.uk
Flowery meadows. Larvae feed on
cuckoof lower and garlic mustard.
Throughout British Isles, except far
north of Scotland.
ide
gu
flyr
e
t
t
www.bu
Peacock
Inachis io
One of the most spectacular and most common
butterf lies. Deep red wings with very distinctive ‘peacock eyes’.
Flowery banks and gardens. Larvae
feed on nettles, adults commonly seen
on buddleia. Throughout British Isles.
In spring at the faintest hint of
warmth for hibernated individuals,
from late March/early April.
Adrift in the butterf ly month
Counting peacocks
Two would have covered my palm
And there were handfuls beyond numbering
Extract from a poem by Joanna Barlow, Untitled.
35
Insects (butterf lies)
Red admiral
Vanessa atalanta
Wings dark brown with distinctive
red bands and white spots at front.
n
Var
Colin
ll
de
Flowery banks and gardens
where its larvae feed on nettles.
Throughout British Isles, depending
on migration.
Look out for them in May.
Small tortoiseshell
www.moorhen.demon.co.uk
Aglais urticae
Red with black and yellow
markings and characteristic blue
f lecks on wing edges.
Prefers f lowery places and
waste ground where its larval food plant
is stinging nettle, hence the Latin name.
Throughout British Isles.
Late March/early April for individuals.
Small white
Artogeia rapae
If in doubt, please leave it out!
de
arn
Colin V
ll
Upper front wings are white,
with a spot; can be hard to
distinguish from a green-veined white
in f light but underside hind wings are
powdered yellow.
April or later, in two or
more broods.
36
.co
.uk
Meadows and gardens. Larvae
thrive on brassicae (cabbage
family). Throughout British Isles.
e
uid
y-g
fl
r
e
t
www.but
If in doubt, please leave it out! | www.phenology.org.uk | www.naturedetectives.org.uk
Insects (butterf lies)
Green-veined white
Artogeia napi
en
.co
.uk
If in doubt, please leave it out!
.co
.uk
www.butterfl
ide
gu
flywww.butte r
rd
yga
White or pale yellow wings with
veining ranging from strong green to faint
black, depending on sex and time of year. 12 variable black spots on forewing. Under
wings powdered yellow as with small white
but show broad grey-green stripes along the
veins helping to distinguish it from the
female orange tip or small white. Both of
which it can be mistaken for in f light.
Flowery meadows, especially
near woodland where larvae feed
on brassicae (cabbage family).
Throughout British Isles.
First appearing in
late April.
Speckled wood
Pararge aegaeria
Wings chocolatey-brown with
creamy patches. Three black eye
markings on hind wing – one on
forewing. Underside is a patchwork of
grey, cream and brown.
Widespread, favouring shady
woodland and hedge conditions where
larvae feed on a variety of grasses.
Common in Ireland, Wales and
southern England.
Look out for this butterf ly in
April-May.
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37
Insects (butterf lies)
Special additional guidance notes
BUTTERFLIES
Different species of butterf ly have differing life cycles
and over winter at different stages in their life cycle
(egg, larva, pupa, adult) and therefore emerge at
different times in the spring. They may have one or more
generations in a year. All this can prove very confusing
when you are attempting to record a ‘first’ sighting. We
have had a great deal of correspondence from recorders
seeking clarification and so have devised a special
guidance note that we hope will help.
We are recording first sightings of the first generation each spring,
or first emergence dates of over wintering adults. If the butterf ly
you first see is later than the dates suggested overleaf * then it is
likely to be from a later generation and you should not record it.
It is quite possible to be looking and still miss the spring indivivuals
– don’t worry! Butterf lies that over winter in houses may awaken
under false pretences when heating is switched on, for example, and
should not be recorded. They should be released outside to find
another hibernation spot.
*The further north or the higher you live the later first sightings are likely to be, because of the colder
temperatures experienced there.
38
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Insects (butterf lies)
Red admiral/Small tortoiseshell/
Peacock/Brimstone/Comma
d
m
ad
iral
All the butterf lies listed above over winter as
adults, (or in the case of the red admiral may
arrive as a migrant) and therefore will be active
very early in the year. We are therefore
in emergence dates likely to be
n
rinterested
a
in V
Col before the end of May. First sightings after
that time are likely to be the
offspring of the over
wintering butterf lies.
de
m
Peacock
on.
co.uk
de
ll
Re
Vanessa atalanta/Aglais urticae/Inachis io/Gonepteryx rhamni/Polygonum c-album
.
en
o rh
www.mo
Comma
Colin Varndell
Small Tortoiseshell
Margaret Barton
Orange tip
Anthocharis cardamines
l
tel
Bat
y
o
R
This is a single brooded species that hibernates
as a pupa and emerges from its chrysalis in
spring. We are therefore interested in ‘first
seen’ records in March, April or May.
As there is no second generation it
is less likely to
cause confusion.
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39
Insects (butterf lies)
Speckled wood
Pararge aegaeria
The speckled wood over winters in a pre-adult state,
hibernating as a larva or pupa. The butterf ly
therefore has to develop into an adult
before it can be seen f lying, and so
first sightings will be later than those
butterf ly species that over winter as
adults. We are interested in the emerging
speckled wood adults that are likely to be first seen
in March, April or May and before mid June. Speckled
wood is now responding to temperature
and extending its range – it was seen as far
north as the Outer Hebrides in 2003 – but
emergence dates will be later the further
north or the higher you are.
Speckled wood
Margaret Barton
Holly blue/Small white/
Green-veined white
Celastrina argiolus/Artogeia rapae/Artogeia napi
l
Ho
ly
blu
e
ide
gu
flywww.butte r
40
e.c
o.u
k
.co
.uk
Sm
all
These butterf lies over winter as pupae and are
therefore first seen on the wing in March, April and
May. We are only interested in sightings of this first
generation of adults, not the later appearances of
the second generation that appear in the
e
hit
summer and are the result of
w
eggs laid by the first
en-veined w
Gre
hit
e
generation in the
late spring.
id
-gu
www.butterfly
If in doubt, please leave it out! | www.phenology.org.uk | www.naturedetectives.org.uk
Insects (butterf lies)
The life cycle o
fa
bu
t te
y
rfl
egg
larva
adult
pupa
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41
Amphibians
Frog spawn
Rana temporaria
A mass of thick, translucent jelly with dark
specks throughout. The specks are eggs – often
5000 are laid at once.
Ponds, ditches and slow moving streams.
Usually early in February/March although
look out for early spawn. Tadpoles begin to
emerge after about one month.
Tadpole (frog)
Rana temporaria
After about 21 days as spawn, the embryonic frog leaves its
protective jelly as a tadpole, complete with organs, gills and a
long tail. Frog and toad tadpoles are very difficult to tell apart
so please only record frog tadpoles where you have already
recorded frog spawn. Spawn is easy to tell apart– frog spawn is
a mass of eggs; toad spawn is a string of eggs
Ponds, ditches and slow moving streams.
Tadpoles can be seen from the end of March in sheltered spots.
They develop into fully-f ledged frogs in about eleven weeks.
Newt
Triturus spp
Ponds and lakes, ditches and
slow moving streams.
As amphibians, newts mostly
live on land but return to the water
to breed. Typically they return to
the water in about February-March
but can be as early as December.
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If in doubt, please leave it out! | www.phenology.org.uk | www.naturedetectives.org.uk
Colin Varndell
There are three species of newt in the UK, the smooth, palmate and legally
protected great crested newt. The males of the smooth and great crested have a
jagged crest on their backs, during the breeding season, and orange spotted
underside. Smooth and palmate newts grow to about 10cm long, great crested
newts can grow to 16cm long. Look out for them coming to the surface for air.
Other events
Fly agaric
Amanita muscaria
Probably our most familiar toadstool, the fruiting body can be up to
20cm across and 30cm tall. As it matures, the brilliant scarlet cap opens and
is covered with white, wart-like spots. Although some rodents eat this
fungus, it is highly poisonous to humans, and ingestion of only a few of
these toadstools can be fatal. Look, but don’t touch! If you
find one that looks a bit rough around the edges, then it
is likely to have been up for some time, please do
not record it.
Widespread throughout British Isles, on light
soils in mixed woodland and heaths among birch
and pine.
The fruiting bodies appear in late summer and can usually
be seen through to the first frosts of winter.
First & last lawn cut
The date on which you
give your lawn its first
and last cut at the
beginning of spring and
the end of autumn
respectively. This may
relate to the ground
conditions rather than
the length of the grass,
but don’t worry! Just
record the first and last
time you were able to
cut it. By lawn we mean
the traditional area of
grass attached to homes
rather than meadows
or fields.
If in doubt, please leave it out! | www.phenology.org.uk | www.naturedetectives.org.uk
43
Other information
Responding to a changing climate
We now have over 20,000 active recorders * and numbers continue to rise.Thanks to
your efforts the UKPN is able to provide climate change indicators to scientists at a
regional, national and international level.Together we are at the frontline of climate
change science.
We use the information you and other recorders gather to undertake groundbreaking
research and to publice our findings as widely as possible.
With your help we continue to generate significant media interest and provide data to
scientists and researchers.
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It is
committed to:
•
•
•
•
no further loss of ancient woodland
restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods
increasing new native woodland
increasing people’s awareness and enjoyment of woodland
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering
approximately 17,700 hectares (43,700 acres). It offers free public access to nearly all
of its sites.
*We regularly contact recorders to ensure they want to remain part of the UKPN and so
numbers of active recorders quoted will vary.
The UK Phenology Network is comprised of Natures Calendar
(www.phenology.org.uk) for adult recorders and Nature Detectives
(www.naturedetectives.org.uk) for those aged 4-18, their teachers and leaders.
Nature Detectives
Nature Detectives enables children to develop a lifelong love of nature and a
concern for the natural world through improved identification skills, fun learning
activities and hands-on recording of seasonal events.As with adult recorders, their
records contribute to real scientific research about the impact of climate change on
trees, woodland and wildlife throughout the UK.
Visit www.naturedetectives.org.uk to find
• Fun activities for all ages including games, recipes and art
• Free curriculum-linked educational materials
• Species identification images and information
• Phenology recording of seasonal events
• Regular newsletters and environmental news articles
The UK Phenology Network is funded by the Woodland Trust, a charity. Nature
Detectives is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. For more information on the
Woodland Trust visit www.woodlandtrust.org.uk or call 0800 026 9650.
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If in doubt, please leave it out! | www.phenology.org.uk | www.naturedetectives.org.uk
Are you ready to become
a recorder?
Test your ID skills
with our Phenology quiz!
a
b
c
d
e
f
All images taken by Margaret Barton except the Cocksfoot, photographed by Amanda Sharp and the peacock butterfly by Miranda Hodgeson.
Answers at the bottom of the page.
Answers: a – blackberries, b – peacock butterfly, c – conkers, d – ivy flowering, e – cocksfoot
and f – bluetit
If in doubt, please leave it out! | www.phenology.org.uk | www.naturedetectives.org.uk
47
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
With thanks to the Butterfly Conservation, Field Studies
Council, the Forestry Commission and Mitchell Beazley
for their kind loan of images and illustrations.
Bird illustrations are © Octopus Publishing Group/P. Hayman.
From The Complete Guide to Birdlife of Britain and Europe, published
by Mitchell Beazley. (www.mitchell-beazley.co.uk)
Tree illustrations are reproduced from the Field Studies Council
fold-out chart The tree name trail: A key to common trees, J. Oldham
(1999). Illustrations of winter twigs from the Field Studies
Council A guide to the identification of deciduous broadleaved trees
and shrubs in winter, Andrew May and Jonathan Panter (2000),
No. 258. Copies of the guides are available from Field Studies
Council Publications on 01743 852101 or www.field-studiescouncil.org, along with full details of FSC activities, courses,
publications and identification guides.
Find out more about the Forestry Commission at
www.forestry.gov.uk and the Forest Life Picture Library on
0131 314 6411.
Butterfly distribution maps courtesy of Butterfly Conservation,
adapted from The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and
Ireland (OUP, 2001). Find out more about Butterfly Conservation
from www.butterfly-conservation.org or by calling 0870 7744309.
UK Phenology Network,The Woodland Trust,
Kempton Way, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 6LL
www.woodlandtrust.org.uk
www.phenology.org.uk
www.naturedetectives.org.uk
All other pictures taken by the Woodland Trust Picture Library.
The Woodland Trust Registered Charity No. 294344.
The Woodland Trust logo is a registered trademark.
Á Printed on recycled paper 3146 11/05