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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You can help to support the British Naturalists Association in our aim to promote the study of natural history.

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The 118th AGM will be held on 28th October, beginning at 2.15pm, via Zoom.
It will be preceded at 1pm, by an illustrated PowerPoint talk given by
Professor David Skydmore “Barking up the Right Tree”

Everyone is welcome. The Zoom link will be sent to you nearer the time
Please email the Chairman if you wish to join in: honchairman.bnanaturalists@gmail.com

Please note: only members of the British Naturalists Association can vote at this meeting.
A proxy voting form for members who can’t attend, can be downloaded here>> BNA AGM Agenda 2023 and proxy voting form

What to look for in September from the BNA

Photos: D. Farrar

Although summer is giving way to autumn, there is still a variety of insects which can be seen in September. Some are easier to find than others, butterflies and dragonflies are flying around looking for food, whilst bugs and crickets are well camouflaged in bushes, brambles and trees.

Comma Butterfly – Polygonia c-album. An unusual shaped orange and brown butterfly with irregular scalloped edges to the wings. Its name comes from the white marks on the underside of the wings which resembles a comma. When resting with its wings closed, the butterfly could easily be mistaken for a dead leaf.  At this time of year, they can often be spotted on brambles feeding on blackberries or fallen fruit in gardens.

Forest Bug – Pentatoma rufipes. Also known as the Red-legged Shieldbug, it is brown in appearance with broad shoulders which are square at the tips. They have an orange spot on the back and black and orange chequered markings around the edge of the body. Look for them on leaves in wooded areas, they like to feed on sap but will eat caterpillars and other insects.

Migrant Hawker – Aeshna mixta. These dragonflies can be seen flying in late summer and autumn as they prey on flying insects. You might also see them resting on bushes in hedges near to woodlands or ponds and even in our own gardens. They have dark brown/black abdomens with blue spots all the way down, a distinctive ‘golf tee’ mark at the top and yellow patches on the thorax.

Speckled Bush-cricket – Leptophyes punctatissima. Commonly found in woodland, hedgerows and gardens feeding on a variety of leaves and flowers. As the name suggests, tiny black speckles cover the green body which has a brown stripe along the centre. Antennae are longer than the body and the legs are long and spindly.