Warwick Natural History Society
@warwicknathistsoc.bsky.social
Founded in 1954, a lively group with regular talks by wildlife experts and outings to reserves.
Into November and it is exceptionally mild, with a few butterflies about, including this colourful comma seen by Sabina George in her garden. Also plenty of fungi in recent sighting by society members. See Snippets 142 on the website: wnhs.info
November 5, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Into November and it is exceptionally mild, with a few butterflies about, including this colourful comma seen by Sabina George in her garden. Also plenty of fungi in recent sighting by society members. See Snippets 142 on the website: wnhs.info
Autumn colours, unusual flies, and 'gumballs' are all in the latest 'Snippets' on our website. www.wnhs.info The spiky seed pods of the sweet gum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua), known as gumballs, were seen among the foliage during the members' autumn walk along the Stratford-upon-Avon Nature Trail.
October 23, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Autumn colours, unusual flies, and 'gumballs' are all in the latest 'Snippets' on our website. www.wnhs.info The spiky seed pods of the sweet gum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua), known as gumballs, were seen among the foliage during the members' autumn walk along the Stratford-upon-Avon Nature Trail.
It's the time of year for galls. And society member Sabina has used her close-up camera and wide knowledge of insects to compile this collection of oak galls, including the rather weird creation of the Ramshorn Gall Wasp. It moved into Britain from Eastern Europe in 1997 and is moving north.
October 1, 2025 at 6:14 PM
It's the time of year for galls. And society member Sabina has used her close-up camera and wide knowledge of insects to compile this collection of oak galls, including the rather weird creation of the Ramshorn Gall Wasp. It moved into Britain from Eastern Europe in 1997 and is moving north.
Recent sightings by the society are now on the website in Snippets 139. www.wnhs.info Lots of insects, and also a rare sighting by one of the members on her lawn. Is it a young cuckoo? she asked. No - a wryneck, a member of the woodpecker family, en route for Africa for the winter. Good garden tick!
September 17, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Recent sightings by the society are now on the website in Snippets 139. www.wnhs.info Lots of insects, and also a rare sighting by one of the members on her lawn. Is it a young cuckoo? she asked. No - a wryneck, a member of the woodpecker family, en route for Africa for the winter. Good garden tick!
Wasps! It's the season for wasps. If you thought a wasp is just a wasp, think again. In the Uk there about 9,000 species of wasp! Here's a collection filmed recently by society member Sabina George with her brilliant little camera. More sightings are on Snippets 138 on the website: www.wnhs.info
September 1, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Wasps! It's the season for wasps. If you thought a wasp is just a wasp, think again. In the Uk there about 9,000 species of wasp! Here's a collection filmed recently by society member Sabina George with her brilliant little camera. More sightings are on Snippets 138 on the website: www.wnhs.info
Recent sightings by members of the Warwick Natural History Society are now on the website at Snippets No 137. Plenty of insects were enjoying the warm August weather, and this brown hare was seen in Northamptonshire. It froze, apparently hoping not to be noticed. Is that common behaviour?
August 21, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Recent sightings by members of the Warwick Natural History Society are now on the website at Snippets No 137. Plenty of insects were enjoying the warm August weather, and this brown hare was seen in Northamptonshire. It froze, apparently hoping not to be noticed. Is that common behaviour?
How about this? A wasp spider photographed by a friend who lives in Somerset. Rare, and only found south of Gloucestershire at present. Harmless apparently; the wasp-like colouring is designed to keep away predators.
August 18, 2025 at 3:16 PM
How about this? A wasp spider photographed by a friend who lives in Somerset. Rare, and only found south of Gloucestershire at present. Harmless apparently; the wasp-like colouring is designed to keep away predators.
Another fascinating compilation of pictures from our insect specialist Sabina George. The figures in brackets are the numbers she saw on a relatively short August visit to the privately owned Avon Wood in South Warwickshire.
See all our members' recent sightings on Snippets 136. www.wnhs.info
See all our members' recent sightings on Snippets 136. www.wnhs.info
August 7, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Another fascinating compilation of pictures from our insect specialist Sabina George. The figures in brackets are the numbers she saw on a relatively short August visit to the privately owned Avon Wood in South Warwickshire.
See all our members' recent sightings on Snippets 136. www.wnhs.info
See all our members' recent sightings on Snippets 136. www.wnhs.info
More amazing close-up photos of insects by society member Sabina George. These were taken on a recent society outing to Ryton Wood. It's one of Warwickshire's oldest semi-natural ancient woodlands, managed by the Wildlife Trust. See 'Snippets' No 135. www.wnhs.info
July 24, 2025 at 4:57 PM
More amazing close-up photos of insects by society member Sabina George. These were taken on a recent society outing to Ryton Wood. It's one of Warwickshire's oldest semi-natural ancient woodlands, managed by the Wildlife Trust. See 'Snippets' No 135. www.wnhs.info
Are Swift Towers the answer? Numbers of swifts are declining. One reason seems to be the lack of nest sites in modern buildings. Members have begun monitoring nest sites in Warwick - see the article by Frances Wilmot in Snippets 133 on our website, www.wnhs.info. This tower is in Cardiff Bay.
June 26, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Are Swift Towers the answer? Numbers of swifts are declining. One reason seems to be the lack of nest sites in modern buildings. Members have begun monitoring nest sites in Warwick - see the article by Frances Wilmot in Snippets 133 on our website, www.wnhs.info. This tower is in Cardiff Bay.
Here's another set of fantastic close-up shots by Sabina George among other recent sightings of insects on the society website: www.wnhs.info This species of carrot wasp is unusual. And how about the figwort weevil, looking like something from a sci-fi film!
June 19, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Here's another set of fantastic close-up shots by Sabina George among other recent sightings of insects on the society website: www.wnhs.info This species of carrot wasp is unusual. And how about the figwort weevil, looking like something from a sci-fi film!
Here's the latest selection of great insect photos take by Sabina George with her mini camera with a 50X lens. They were all taken within half an hour on June 2nd during a society outing to Packwood House meadows. See Snippets No 131 on the website: www.wnhs.info
June 5, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Here's the latest selection of great insect photos take by Sabina George with her mini camera with a 50X lens. They were all taken within half an hour on June 2nd during a society outing to Packwood House meadows. See Snippets No 131 on the website: www.wnhs.info
On a recent outing to Hay Wood near Lapworth, members of the society were delighted to see this field of Red Clover or Italian Clover [trifolium incarnatum] - a good source of nectar for bees, and traditionally clover has multiple health benefits. See Snippets No 130 on the website: wnhs.info
May 21, 2025 at 3:24 PM
On a recent outing to Hay Wood near Lapworth, members of the society were delighted to see this field of Red Clover or Italian Clover [trifolium incarnatum] - a good source of nectar for bees, and traditionally clover has multiple health benefits. See Snippets No 130 on the website: wnhs.info
Spring migrants are appearing all over the Warwick area, including this splendid yellow wagtail photographed by Derek Walton. Latest sightings are in Snippets No 129 on the society website: www.wnhs.info
May 7, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Spring migrants are appearing all over the Warwick area, including this splendid yellow wagtail photographed by Derek Walton. Latest sightings are in Snippets No 129 on the society website: www.wnhs.info
Recent observations by members of the society are now online in Snippets No 128. They include a morning walk round Warwick Racecourse where the District Council has erected protective fencing to encourage breeding skylarks and meadow pipits. The rough grass area was alive with larks! 😀
April 16, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Recent observations by members of the society are now online in Snippets No 128. They include a morning walk round Warwick Racecourse where the District Council has erected protective fencing to encourage breeding skylarks and meadow pipits. The rough grass area was alive with larks! 😀
It's clearly a good spring for fritillaries. They seem to be everywhere. This patch of purple and white snakes head fritillaries was pictured on April 2nd by Liz Dinsdale; they feature in Snippets No 127 - recent sightings by society members on the website. www.wnhs.info
April 3, 2025 at 9:46 AM
It's clearly a good spring for fritillaries. They seem to be everywhere. This patch of purple and white snakes head fritillaries was pictured on April 2nd by Liz Dinsdale; they feature in Snippets No 127 - recent sightings by society members on the website. www.wnhs.info
Warning - slugs! The latest 'Snippets' from society members has these charmers posted by Sabina George. She says, "I had help from Chris du Feu, a mollusc expert. He was pleased to see Riccardoella mites on slugs in our composter. There are only two records of them in the NBN Atlas. www.wnhs.info
March 21, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Warning - slugs! The latest 'Snippets' from society members has these charmers posted by Sabina George. She says, "I had help from Chris du Feu, a mollusc expert. He was pleased to see Riccardoella mites on slugs in our composter. There are only two records of them in the NBN Atlas. www.wnhs.info
The beautiful sunny spell in the Midlands that began at the end of February has brought out the insects: bees - flies - and butterflies, including red admiral, brimstone and this comma seen by Sabina George on March 1st. See Snippets No 125 on the website. www.wnhs.info
March 5, 2025 at 7:05 PM
The beautiful sunny spell in the Midlands that began at the end of February has brought out the insects: bees - flies - and butterflies, including red admiral, brimstone and this comma seen by Sabina George on March 1st. See Snippets No 125 on the website. www.wnhs.info
Despite the cold, members of the society have been out and about, and some of their recent sightings are in 'Snippets No 124' on the website: www.wnhs.info Winter fungi include Turkey Tails, Scarlet Elf Cap, and this rather splendid growth on a dead log. Does anyone know what it is?
February 19, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Despite the cold, members of the society have been out and about, and some of their recent sightings are in 'Snippets No 124' on the website: www.wnhs.info Winter fungi include Turkey Tails, Scarlet Elf Cap, and this rather splendid growth on a dead log. Does anyone know what it is?
Spring is in the air according to the latest sightings by members of the Warwick Natural History Society - see 'Snippets' on the website; www.wnhs.info Booming bitterns, snowdrops and even a January peacock butterfly. These swans pictured by Lizzy Bradbury seem to be in the St. Valentine's mood.
February 5, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Spring is in the air according to the latest sightings by members of the Warwick Natural History Society - see 'Snippets' on the website; www.wnhs.info Booming bitterns, snowdrops and even a January peacock butterfly. These swans pictured by Lizzy Bradbury seem to be in the St. Valentine's mood.
During the recent cold spell there have been regular murmurations at Brandon Marsh near Coventry. The flocks of starlings don't hang about long, pouring into the reed bed to huddle together for warmth.
January 22, 2025 at 3:29 PM
During the recent cold spell there have been regular murmurations at Brandon Marsh near Coventry. The flocks of starlings don't hang about long, pouring into the reed bed to huddle together for warmth.
Floods and declining farmland birds feature in the latest 'Snippets' from members of the Warwick Natural History Society now on the website: wnhs.info Pictures include this by Steve Valentine of a Kingfisher on a bullrush; (a male with an all-black bill. The female has an orange lower mandible).
January 22, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Floods and declining farmland birds feature in the latest 'Snippets' from members of the Warwick Natural History Society now on the website: wnhs.info Pictures include this by Steve Valentine of a Kingfisher on a bullrush; (a male with an all-black bill. The female has an orange lower mandible).
Recent sightings by members of the Warwick Nat Hist Society - Snippets 121 - are now on the website. www.wnhs.info This was sunset at West Malvern on Christmas Day, pictured by Richard Dinsdale. If you live in or near Warwick, why not join us for interesting talks and walks? Details on the website.
January 2, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Recent sightings by members of the Warwick Nat Hist Society - Snippets 121 - are now on the website. www.wnhs.info This was sunset at West Malvern on Christmas Day, pictured by Richard Dinsdale. If you live in or near Warwick, why not join us for interesting talks and walks? Details on the website.
Recent sightings by members of the Warwick Natural History Society are now on the website, (Snippets No 120). www.wnhs.info They include this striking picture by Sabina George of a hoverfly on some late flowering fatsia.
December 5, 2024 at 11:51 AM
Recent sightings by members of the Warwick Natural History Society are now on the website, (Snippets No 120). www.wnhs.info They include this striking picture by Sabina George of a hoverfly on some late flowering fatsia.
How about this great pic of a kestrel, snapped by Derek Walton during the latest excursion by members of the Warwick Natural History Society? This walk was around Drayton Water, the reservoir south of Rugby in Warwickshire. 38 birds identified in two hours.
November 20, 2024 at 8:21 PM
How about this great pic of a kestrel, snapped by Derek Walton during the latest excursion by members of the Warwick Natural History Society? This walk was around Drayton Water, the reservoir south of Rugby in Warwickshire. 38 birds identified in two hours.