We hope you find it interesting and stimulating, and hope you will join the Association and swell the numbers of Britain’s Naturalists.

Join the BNA the national body for naturalists, founded in 1905, and extend your interest in the British countryside by taking part in a wide range of activities together with fellow enthusiasts of all ages. With the help of our experts, you will be able to learn more about our native flora and fauna and develop an in-depth understanding of how our natural world develops and changes increasingly important in view of the changes in our climate.

At national level, the BNA organises lectures and exhibitions, publishes Country-Side, British Naturalist, the BNA website and the BNA holds occasional conferences and Field Trips at a different location each year.

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National Encaenia and Natural History Day
Saturday 13th September 2025
in the Flett Theatre at the Natural History Museum, London

2024 Encaenia photo: L. Artindale

What to look for in September from the BNA

By D. Farrar

Some of the wading birds we have in the UK can be seen all year round and it is fascinating to watch them, whether singularly or in large flocks. During autumn their numbers begin to increase as many species visit our coast and wetlands from their breeding grounds, and it is often the best time to see them in large numbers.

Common Redshank – Tringa totanus. The bright orange/red legs of these lovely birds cannot be missed.  The bill is red at the base, black at the end and straight. Their brown summer plumage turns to a greyer colour at this time of the year. They can be seen probing for food along the mudflats in coastal areas.

Black-tailed Godwit  – Limosa limosa. An elegant, long legged wading bird with a long, slightly upturned pink and black bill.  Although found here all year round, large numbers migrate to Britain and can be found feeding in freshwater areas as well as in coastal estuaries.

Turnstone – Arenaria interpres. The name comes from their habit of turning over stones to look for prey such as small crustaceans or insects.  They spend time foraging on rocks in coastal areas but will eat just about anything they come across like eggs, bread and earthworms.

Curlew – Numenius arquata. Numbers of Curlews have declined dramatically so it is always exciting to see them. They are large wading birds with a distinctive long, downward curving bill and long legs. During spring and summer, you might see them on farmland or moorlands but after the breeding season are more commonly seen in coastal areas.

Check out our Wild News page here>> Wild News to see how wildlife, conservation and the environment are coping with the changing climate.

Latest news includes Seahorses, Bumble bees and 2025 Butterfly Count

Seven celestial events to look out for in 2025

credit : Nicole Avagliano

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