Bath Natural History Society

BATH NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY – Registered Charity No. 1107468

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Welcome to our  Bath Nats website from the President

Do come and join us in “Exploring Nature within and around Bath!”

Whether you are visiting this site as an onlooker, member or prospective member of our Society, we hope you will enjoy and be excited by the descriptions and illustrations of our diverse interests, activities and expertise. We are a relatively small Natural History Society, which relies on the enthusiasm, voluntary efforts and skills of its membership, so newcomers – of all ages and from all kinds of background are always very welcome.

We think that ‘natural history’ is important for everyone, not just a select few. The natural world is made up of many different kinds of animals and plants, and it takes all kinds of people to appreciate them, from different points of view and in different ways. So, if you find pleasure in exploring any aspect of nature, especially in the Bath area, perhaps you would like to join us as a really great way to share and learn more.

In the last 50 years there have been many changes, but the city and its surroundings have always supported a great variety of wildlife. The hill pastures are not as rich in wild flowers and butterflies as they once were, but with the move to more sustainable agriculture this situation should improve. Global warming has resulted in some new arrivals in our area. Among my favourites are the Ivy Mining Bees that have recently colonized sandy banks near the Pavilion Restaurant in Victoria Park. The night time roosts of Pied Wagtails in the Southgate area help to brighten the dark days of winter. They prefer the younger trees where they are safer from the attentions of the local Sparrowhawks, so they tend to move their roost site as the trees get too big. Birds of prey were much persecuted in the past but the Buzzard recovered its numbers many years ago, our resident Peregrines on St. John’s Church are now well established, and Red Kites are now often seen in the surrounding countryside.

By joining in with us, you too might be surprised and inspired by the variety of life that can be found almost anywhere in and around Bath, with a little knowledge of where to look, how to look and what to look for. Over the past few years some of our members have regularly visited the tiny cemetery at Smallcombe to find out what lives there. The results have been astonishing. So far they’ve seen over 700 species including 55 kinds of moths, many other insects, over 44 common bird species, around 144 kinds of flowering plants including some quite rare species, and over 100 species of lichens. All this occurs within a short walk from the city centre. The canal too is rich in species. Around 15 dragonfly species can be seen along the towpath between Bath and Bradford on Avon. Kingfishers can frequently be seen and if you are lucky you might even see an otter on the canal or along the River Avon. Delightful mosses, liverworts, lichens and all manner of ‘creepy crawlies’ abound on and in our stone walls and in our local woodlands – not to mention fungi, a passion for some of our members. Fungal forays are remarkably popular. We are also discovering, by light trapping (and releasing), the wide range of moth species which inhabit Bath’s urban and sub-urban areas, including some of the strikingly beautiful hawk moths.

We are especially keen to work in partnership with other local educational groups and organizations who share our interest in and concern for the natural world, and to find ways of reaching out to members of the wider public, including young people and families. When you join us, you don’t just get a chance to attend our own varied programme of outdoor and indoor meetings, and receive our Magazine, Newsletter and other publications – you also get to know about what our partners and friends are doing and how to join in with them.

You are very welcome!

About Us

Objectives
The main purposes of Bath Natural History Society are to promote an interest in all aspects of natural history and to encourage the study, conservation and recording of the fauna and flora of the Bath area. BNHS liaises with other natural history societies and conservation organisations.

Activities
• Field trips – usually two or more per month.
• Indoor meetings – monthly from October through to April.
• Survey work – site visits to record specific wildlife groups.
• Annual meeting  and social on first Saturday of January
• Education – providing lecturers to speak to external organisations.
• Wildlife identification.
• Meetings to enable the public to participate in Nats’ activities.

Join in
If this sounds interesting to you, come and join us!   

To download   Constitution Council Members for 2024   SafeGuarding Policy   Membership form

Take a walk with BathNats

When it’s not possible to join a field trip, explore nature round Bath with a self-guided walk. Lucy Starling is your guide.

How To Join Bath Nats

To join us, come along to one of our indoor meetings, email us or download an application form

A programme of our field trips is available to all members.

The annual subscription is as follows:

• Single membership…….. £8.00

• Family membership….. £12.00

• Student membership….. £4.00

You can download an application form to join us here

Admission for indoor meetings is £3 for members and visitors.

Admission to the social evening and to the AGM is free.

Study Groups

‘Study Groups’ (SGs) are intended to augment the main Field Programme by enabling members of the Society to enhance their knowledge and confidence in studying particular aspects of natural history and to encourage recording.

Their meetings are arranged and notified separately to their members by their respective leaders, as and when appropriate. Members who wish to join an SG are asked to contact the leader(s) of that group.

Current SGs are as follows:

Biodiversity
Moths (cllck to read more...)

For members with a special interest in moths and for those who would like to learn more. A programme of moth trapping is held at various venues, usually people’s gardens, circulated in advance and covering the period April to October. There are also many extra traps held at shorter notice, depending on weather and conditions. In season there is also an active email exchange of photos, comments, queries and information.

For those new to moth trapping, traps basically consist of a bright light to attract moths and a container inside which the moths settle on egg boxes. Traps are set up as darkness falls and many moth groups stay with the trap into the small hours to record the species which come to the light, either to enter the container or to fly off again. The Bath Nats approach is to leave the light and container overnight and open it the next morning, usually around 9.00 am.

Moths are then carefully removed for species identification and recording before being passed around for members present to see them. Once the moths have been examined and in some cases photographed, they are placed on nearby foliage so that they can fly off as and when they please.

2022 moth group activity report

Nature round Bath

Learn more about the natural history of Bath  in the first of a series of studies, including extracts from the Bath Natural History Society Magazine.

Greyfield Wood, 25 September 2024

Greyfield Wood, 25 September 2024

Above: Yellow Stagshorn (Calocera viscosa) © Helena Crouch Leader: Alan Rayner Seven members met on a fine autumnal morning for a fungal foray in Greyfield Wood near High Littleton. As Alan gave an introduction, we were joined by a passing local naturalist! Setting...

Kingsgate Park and Yate Common, 17 September 2024

Kingsgate Park and Yate Common, 17 September 2024

Above: Southern Hawker over Yate Common pond © Andrew Harrison Leader: Alvan White Ten members gathered on a warm relatively bright day. This expedition was identified last year on a hunt for suitable bio-diverse sites in this area. Dave Pole contributed to this and...

Sand Bay, 4 September 2024

Sand Bay, 4 September 2024

Above: Bath Nats members inspecting strandline vegetation at Sand Bay © Helena Crouch Leader Helena CrouchThis meeting was planned as a follow-up to the Presidential Address given by Rob Randall in December 2023 on Strandline Plants and Dune Formation. Sixteen members...

Overscourt, 14 August 2024

Leader: Alvan White Nine members gathered at the Overscourt car park. Once the dog walkers and their cars had thinned, we were all able to access parking. The day was overcast with occasional drizzle. Combined with the wet winter and spring this did not auger well for...

Bathampton Meadow, 4 August 2024

Bathampton Meadow, 4 August 2024

Above: Bath Nats members  members at Bathampton Meadow © Chris Woods Leader Helena CrouchBathampton Meadow is owned by the Highways Agency and managed by Avon Wildlife Trust. The reserve was created in 1996 for floodwater management, following construction of the...

Battlesbury Hill, 25 July 2024

Battlesbury Hill, 25 July 2024

Above: Stand of Rosebay Willowherb © Phillip Delve Leader Phillip Delve Battlesbury Hill is a chalk outlier, at the western end of the Salisbury Plain, just east of Warminster. We approached the hill from the bottom, across a meadow, following a path, lined each side...

Newton St Loe Park, 13 July 2024

Newton St Loe Park, 13 July 2024

Above: Newton Park © Andrew Harrison Leaders Darrel Watts supported by Alvan White Darrel Watts from Bath Spa University gave a most comprehensive walk and talk that crossed many topics. Six members listened to Darrel, whilst contributing their knowledge, all enjoying...

East Woodlands, Frome 10 July 2024

East Woodlands, Frome 10 July 2024

Above: Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee  © Andrew Harrison Leaders Alvan White and Helena Crouch Nine members visited these impressive woodlands nine days short of a year since the society’s previous visit. Unfortunately this year we could not explore the St Katherine’s...

Shapwick Heath, 7 July 2024

Shapwick Heath, 7 July 2024

Common Darter © Andrew Harrison Leader Alvan White, aided by Alan and Marion Rayner. The weather pattern became intermittent heavy showers with some sunshine. The Sweet track (constructed around 3,800 BC) and Decoy hide were the main features of the walk through....

Bathwick to Bathampton via Batheaston riverside, 15 June 2024

Bathwick to Bathampton via Batheaston riverside, 15 June 2024

Above: Beautiful Demoiselle © Andrew Harrison Leader Lucy Starling The forecast of heavy rain and threat of thundery downpours may have deterred many members attending. But, the rain stopped within 15 minutes of the meeting start time of 10.30am and two Nats...

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BATH NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY

Registered Charity No. 1107468

 

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