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.

JOIN NOW!

Support the BNA by donating via this link>>Donate here

or scan this QR code

What to look for in February from the BNA

By D. Farrar

Whilst we are still in the midst of winter, spring is not too far away. February can be a very cold month, it is often windy with frosty nights and possible snow but there’s always something to see, whether you are out in the countryside, woodlands or parks.

Primrose – Primula vulgaris.  A lovely woodland flower, primroses are amongst the first of our native species to bloom. Their thick, wrinkly leaves appear before the flower which is pale cream with yellow centres. They can also be found growing in parklands and gardens.

Redwing – Turdus iliacus. These birds are members of the thrush family and one of our winter visitors.  An attractive bird, having a creamy white chest with dark streaks and a creamy coloured stripe above the eye.  Their name comes from the reddish/orange colour on their underwings. They love feeding on berries, either plucking them from tree branches or scurrying around on the ground looking for fallen berries.

Scarlet Elf Cup – Sarcoscypha austriaca. This brightly coloured fungus is seen fruiting in winter to early spring. It appears on decaying branches in damp areas on woodland floors, often covered by leaves and surrounded by moss. Their stems are very short, cup shapes are bright red in the centres and much paler on the outside.

Bank Vole – Myodes glareolus. Bank voles are active all year round and do not hibernate so may be seen at this time of year as it searches for food such as seeds and small insects. They live in a variety of habitats, woodlands, hedgerows and gardens. They have smaller eyes, ears and tails than mice and move very fast so not always easy to spot.

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

(This page is regularly updated as the news is published)

credit : Nicole Avagliano

Seven celestial events to look out for in 2025

First major meteor shower of 2025

We kick start 2025 with the annual Quadrantid meteor shower. This will be one of the strongest meteor showers of the year and will reach its maximum on 3 or 4 January in the UK.

Meteors or shooting stars are pieces of debris that enter the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of up to 70km (43 miles) per second, vaporising and causing streaks of light.

The Quadrantids are known for their active peak which can reach a rate of up to 120 meteors per hour for a short period.

The Quadrantids get their name from their apparent point of origin in the sky, the former constellation Quadrans Muralis, and will have a blue or yellow-white tinge with fine trails.

Remember, if you want to observe them it is best to move away from light pollution, wrap up warm and let your eyes adjust to the night sky for at least 15 minutes. No equipment is needed though a clear sky and a lot of patience are prerequisites.

Partial solar eclipse

There is one partial solar eclipse visible from the UK this year, on 29 March, when the Earth, Sun and Moon will be in alignment.

This is when the Moon passes between the Earth and Sun, blocking a part of the Sun’s rays from reaching Earth. It almost looks like someone has taken a bite out of it.

The cosmic event begins at 10:07 GMT with maximum coverage at 11:03 and ending at midday. Between 30% and 40% of the Sun is expected to be covered.

The UK’s last total solar eclipse occurred in 1999. Thousands of people flocked to Cornwall and parts of Devon, which were the only places in the UK to witness the event in its totality.

The next full solar eclipse in the UK is not expected for another 66 years, on 23 September 2090, according to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

You should never look directly at the Sun and experts recommend observing a partial solar eclipse safely with special solar filter glasses.

Total lunar eclipse

There will be one total lunar eclipse visible from the UK this year, on 7 September, which is when the Sun, Earth and Moon align. During a lunar eclipse, the Moon appears red because the only sunlight reaching the Moon has to pass through Earth’s atmosphere.

A total lunar eclipse can last several hours depending on conditions and the period of totality when the Moon turns red will last for an hour and 22 minutes, making it the longest total lunar eclipse since 2022.

The eclipse’s maximum will occur at 19:11 BST when the Moon is below the horizon.

Lunar eclipses are safe to view with the naked eye because they only reflect sunlight. A cloud-free sky is preferable. Minimise light in your vicinity and watch from a spot where your view is not obstructed by tall buildings or trees.

Three supermoons

In 2024 we had four consecutive supermoons. In 2025 there will be three: the Hunter’s Moon on 7 October, the Beaver Moon on 5 November and the Cold Moon on 4 December.

Their names originate from native American culture to reflect what was happening in nature and as a method of using the lunar phase for timekeeping.

Supermoons happen when the Moon is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, appearing up to 15% brighter and 30% bigger than regular full moons.

To get a good view of a supermoon a clear sky is preferable and you can just use your eyes, though a telescope or binoculars will help.

If you want to take a picture make sure you turn off the flash on your phone, activate night mode and use ambient light. Oh, and check the BBC Weather forecast.

Aurora borealis

The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, graced our skies more than once in 2024. Their beautiful multicoloured light displays were captured spectacularly by BBC Weather Watchers. They appear as bright, swirling beacons of light that range in colour from red to purple and green to blue.

Aurora displays are caused by charged particles from the Sun colliding with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles. The most vivid auroras occur when the Sun emits large clouds of particles called coronal mass ejections.

As the Sun’s 11-year cycle of activity peaks, there could be many more sightings of aurora in the next 12 months.

Dark and clear nights are the optimum viewing conditions so we can but hope that 2025 gifts us with more spectacles in the night sky.