Nature's Calendar Blog

• Highlights of a busy April

  By Lorienne Whittle, 16/05/2019

  What happened when a family of blackbirds decided to leave their nest for the first time? Find out how each of the juveniles fared from a Nature's Calendar recorder who was lucky enough to witness the whole adventure.

  Take a look at some of the top photos of natural events occurring throughout April.  

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• Dog roses: meaning, myth and medicinal uses.

  By Lorienne Whittle, 30/04/2019

  Have you spotted the pretty flowers of a dog rose scrabbling through a country hedgerow? There’s more to this shrub than meets the eye. From making itching powder and curing rabies to preventing Vitamin C deficiency and stretch marks, different parts of this wild rose have been used to treat an array of ailments in the past. 

  Find out more about identifying dog roses and their medicinal uses. Download our free dog rose desktop calendar for May.

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• When do bluebells flower? Your March photos

  By Lorienne Whittle, 15/04/2019

  The first day of March was officially the beginning of spring this year, according to the meteorological definition. Nearly 4,000 records were submitted to Nature's Calendar over the month, each adding to our knowledge of how spring is progressing across the UK.

  Bluebells have begun to flower, birds have returned from Africa to breed and butterflies have been spotted. Find out more about what has been observed in March and whether the oak and ash records are predicting a 'soak' or a 'splash' this summer. 

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• Are the blue tits near you nesting yet?

  By Lorienne Whittle, 28/03/2019

  Last month we reported the high number of insect recordings submitted to Nature's Calendar as a result of some mild and sunny spells. Will this mean that blue tits, whose young rely on the presence of lots of juicy caterpillars, will be out of sync in the timing of their nest building and egg laying?

  Find out more about what we have found so far.

   

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• Insects react to a sunny and mild February

  By Lorienne Whittle, 12/03/2019

  Has spring arrived? Citizen scientists across the UK have been spotting and recording an array species which traditionally herald the arrival of spring. Find out how wildlife has reacted to an unusually mild and sunny February. 

           

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