by David Hall | May 31, 2025 | Uncategorised
Leader: Carole CatlingFourteen of us gathered at Elm Farm for the meeting, co-hosted by Philippa Paget of Elm Farm and David Westgate, of Avon Bat Group. We were welcomed by Philippa. David gave us a fascinating introductory talk. We learned that the UK has 17 species...
by David Hall | May 31, 2025 | Uncategorised
Above: Glandular Dog-rose (Rosa squarrosa) © Helena Crouch Leader: Helena Crouch and Paul & Brenda DarkThis meeting was arranged jointly with Timsbury Natural History Society to explore a site within the recording area of Cam Valley Wildlife Group! Ten naturalists...
by David Hall | May 31, 2025 | Uncategorised
Above: Marsh Fritillary © Geoff Hiscocks Leader: Geoff HiscocksWadswick Common (as it used to be known) is an area of unimproved grassland, now rather neglected, split in two by a narrow lane. It is small and, although in Wiltshire, is just within the defined Bath...
by David Hall | May 25, 2025 | Uncategorised
Above: Dunnock Fledgling © Mike Williams Leader: Mike WilliamsA second bioblitz event in collaboration with the Bath Allotments Association was held at Ring Common Allotments in Victoria Park. This has been an allotment site since 1940. In the 19th Century it was...
by David Hall | May 23, 2025 | Uncategorised
Mint Moth © Mike Williams Leaders: Mike Williams and Helena Crouch The first of two bioblitz events in collaboration with Bath Allotments Association was held at Claremont Road allotments in Larkhall. It has been an allotment site since 1937. In the early 20th...
by David Hall | May 8, 2025 | Uncategorised
Ham Wall looking towards Glastonbury Tor © Phillip Delve Leader: Phillip Delve and Lucy Starling Wrapped warm against a fresh north wind, four of us arrived by 7.30am at the Ham Wall car park, to a chorus of birdsong: Chaffinch, Wood pigeon, Blackcap, Garden Warbler,...
by David Hall | May 6, 2025 | Uncategorised
Above: Red Campion and Cow Parsley by the River Avon near the Tollbridge © Lucy Starling Leader: Lucy Starling Only four members joined me for a very pleasant stroll through riverside fields and along walking/cycling tracks on a gloriously sunny and warm day. We heard...
by David Hall | Apr 30, 2025 | Uncategorised
Above: Buzzard Buteo buteo © Claire McCormick Leaders: Claire McCormick and Alvan White . Brief History of the siteThe 10 acres of land which forms Lyncombe Hill Fields is owned by B&NES. It was bought by the City in 1939, to be preserved as public open space. The...
by David Hall | Apr 30, 2025 | Uncategorised
Leader:Alan Feest With poor weather conditions overnight, it was decided there would be no bird ringing at Chew Valley Ringing Station (CVRS) the next morning. The welfare of the birds was, as always, paramount. Despite this disappointment, Alan gave us a most...
by David Hall | Apr 30, 2025 | Uncategorised
Above:Snake’s-head Fritillaries © Richard Bottle Leader: Lucy Starling Ten members joined me for a circular walk around the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust reserve near Oaksey. The site is easy to navigate, level walking along tracks and through pastures, plus a cafe run by...
by David Hall | Mar 29, 2025 | Uncategorised
Speaker:Maurice Avent For centuries we have been keeping records of butterflies and moths, far longer than for any other species. It is estimated that between 1690 and 2019 around 15 million butterfly records were made. The National Moth Recording Scheme has more...
by David Hall | Mar 29, 2025 | Uncategorised
.Above: Wild daffodils on Park Hill Camp © Richard Bottle Leader: Felicity Gilmour Fourteen members assembled in the Alfred’s Tower car park on a bright and sunny day. A spell of dry weather had fortunately dried up the mud that had been a feature of walks in the...
by David Hall | Mar 21, 2025 | Uncategorised
Above: Peregrine © Mike Williams Leader: Lucy Starling Eight members and three guests joined me for a pleasant stroll from the riverside path by Pulteney Weir as far as the lower side gate of National Trust Prior Park Landscape Gardens. The weather was perfect, calm,...
by David Hall | Mar 10, 2025 | Uncategorised
Above: Chew Valley Reservoir from the north © Phillip Delve Leader: Lucy Starling Twelve members and a guest enjoyed a beautiful sunny five hours birding around the reservoir; this meeting was rescheduled from 18th January when cancelled due to bad weather. We started...
by David Hall | Mar 5, 2025 | Uncategorised
Above: Avocet and Red-breasted Merganser © Richard Bottle Leader: Dave Newman After a much longer coach trip than expected down to Exmouth 31 members of Bath Nats and the Bath RSPB groups made it aboard in the nick of time. At one point, when yet another traffic issue...
by David Hall | Mar 1, 2025 | Uncategorised
Above: Snowdrops © Phillip Delve Leader: Phillip Delve The Springhead Trust is located, east of Fontmell Magna village, along a small valley; cut into chalk uplands by a spring fed tributary of the River Stour. On our arrival, eleven BNHS members were met by trust...
by David Hall | Feb 20, 2025 | Uncategorised
Above: Armeria maritima and Birnbeck Pier Helena Crouch: at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution Helena came to our rescue, heroically stepping in at the last minute to delight us with a talk on the coastal plants of Somerset between the Rivers Avon and...
by David Hall | Feb 19, 2025 | Uncategorised
Leader Tom RogersThe leader was joined by 14 other Bath Nats members on a dry & cloudy day at the meeting point in Beach Road, Severn Beach. Next to where we parked was a fenced off area to recreate a Miniature Railway which has been missing for some 60 years....
by David Hall | Jan 24, 2025 | Uncategorised
Leader: Hugh Williamson Opened in 1830 by Princess Victoria, the Royal Victoria Park was one of the first municipal parks in Britain. Home to a fantastic collection of trees some of which are part of the original planting, winter is a great time to explore details...
by David Hall | Jan 14, 2025 | Uncategorised
Leader: Helena Crouch The weather was thankfully fine as eight members, one guest and a dog assembled on the riverside by Avon Street car park to participate in the New Year Plant Hunt organised by the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. The aim is to record all...
by David Hall | Dec 23, 2024 | Uncategorised
Above: Bewick and Mute Swans, Pintail, Wigeon and Shoveler Duck © Phillip Delve Leaders: Lucy Starling and Phillip Delve Five members and two non members joined Phillip Delve and me to explore this wonderful reserve, especially exciting at this time of year for...
by David Hall | Dec 22, 2024 | Uncategorised
Above: View across the Southern Fields at Heal Somerset © Alvan White Leader: Daniel Hill (Rewilding Ranger) Fourteen members were welcomed to the farmhouse on a wintery afternoon with hot drinks and mince pies and an introduction to Heal’s first rewilding site: a...
by David Hall | Dec 12, 2024 | Uncategorised
Above: Eyelash fungus Scutellina species © Alvan White Leaders: Clare and Mark Kitchen On an unusually mild December morning thirteen of us met in the village of Ham and walked along the ridge of the deer park, which gave us fine views of the River Severn and the...
by David Hall | Dec 8, 2024 | Uncategorised
Above: Bath Nats members at Westonbirt © Alvan White Leader: Alvan White Eight members met for a guided walk and talk led by volunteers at Westonbirt, the National Arboretum, which contains examples of temperate rain forest and is a preserved landscape, with different...
by David Hall | Nov 21, 2024 | Uncategorised
Above: Blechnum spicant and Plagiothecium undulatum on a bank © Helena Crouch Leaders: Helena Crouch, Marion Rayner and Alan Rayner Anticyclonic gloom enveloped Mendip as 20 Bath Nats members and a Bath University student (who cycled from Bath) gathered in the...
by David Hall | Oct 12, 2024 | Uncategorised
Above: Strophariaceae group ©Phillip Delve Leader: Alvan White, aided by Phillip Delve (PD), Tom Rogers and Paul Barton A small group attended this meeting under grey skies. On previous days and nights heavy rainfall had been prevalent and temperatures had been...
by David Hall | Sep 29, 2024 | Uncategorised
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...
by David Hall | Sep 28, 2024 | Uncategorised
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...
by David Hall | Sep 14, 2024 | Uncategorised
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...
by David Hall | Aug 30, 2024 | Uncategorised
Responding to a request from the recently-formed ‘Friends of Charlcombe Meadows’ group, members of Bath Natural History Society led a bioblitz of this site on 18th August 2024. Alan Feest tackled the plants, while Mike Williams and Alvan White focused on invertebrates...
by David Hall | Aug 28, 2024 | Uncategorised
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...
by David Hall | Aug 20, 2024 | Uncategorised
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...
by David Hall | Aug 18, 2024 | Uncategorised
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...
by David Hall | Jul 25, 2024 | Uncategorised
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...
by David Hall | Jul 18, 2024 | Uncategorised
This year’s walk at Bath City Farm took place on 8th June, led by Mike Williams, the farm’s ecologist. Attendance was slim, but the composition allowed us to focus mainly on invertebrates, of which over 800 species have been recorded on the farm since 2016. We began...
by David Hall | Jul 14, 2024 | Uncategorised
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...
by David Hall | Jul 9, 2024 | Uncategorised
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....
by David Hall | Jun 25, 2024 | Uncategorised
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...
by David Hall | May 13, 2024 | Uncategorised
Above: Brindled green caterpillar © David Hall Leader Alvan White A small group attended this meet under grey skies. Photographs were distributed showing the target, the distinctive female Red tailed mason bee (Osmia bicolor). The female bees camouflage their snail...
by David Hall | Apr 20, 2024 | Uncategorised
Leader Helena Crouch A dozen BNHS members met in the pleasant churchyard of the Church of St Mary, Compton Dando. From there we crossed the River Chew on a pedestrian bridge then joined the Forest Community Walk, through some woodland with a carpet of wild garlic,...
by David Hall | Apr 18, 2024 | Uncategorised
Leader Lucy Starling Seven members joined me on an unseasonably cool and dull morning in search of resident and migrant birds but at least it did not rain! With no sunshine, we encountered no butterflies or damselflies. I followed the route as published in my Walks...
by David Hall | Feb 24, 2024 | Uncategorised
above: English Scurvy-grass (Cochlearia anglica) © Alvan White Leader Alvan White On a grey day with no sunshine, ten members set off along the River Brue. The temperature was above 10C, and had been for a few days. One garden along Clyst Road was spectacular with...
by David Hall | Feb 4, 2024 | Uncategorised
above: Ruddy Shelduck at Langford Lakes © Phillip Delve Leader Phillip Delve Langford Lakes Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Reserve lies on the River Wylye flood plain, some 12 miles north west of Salisbury. Relieved to arrive in fine weather, following several very stormy...
by David Hall | Jan 6, 2024 | Uncategorised
above: The flooded meeting place, engulfed by the River Avon © Helena Crouch Leader Helena CrouchDespite an atrocious forecast for strong winds and rain, twelve brave botanists met beside the swirling River Avon for a second New Year Plant Hunt, recording all species...
by David Hall | Jan 3, 2024 | Uncategorised
Leader Rob Randall This was the first of two meetings to contribute records to the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) New Year Plant Hunt. The route was chosen so there was plenty of interest for ornithologists as well as the botanists. The river was in...
by David Hall | Dec 7, 2023 | Uncategorised
Presidential address Sand dunes represent one of the few natural habitats in Britain, although few have developed without intervention. There are sand dunes on the Somerset coast around Weston-super-Mare, Berrow and Brean: Rob focused his talk on Sand Bay, just north...
by David Hall | Oct 31, 2023 | Uncategorised
above: Dewick’s Plusia, a new county record © Mike Bailey 2023 has seen an active season for the Bath Nats Moth Study Group. Overnight temperatures are of interest to us as warmer conditions generally result in higher catches in the moth traps and are reflected in the...
by David Hall | Oct 24, 2023 | Uncategorised
Steve Smailes’ illustrated talk picked out some key species of solitary, mason, and mining bees in contrast with the social Honey Bee, Apis mellifera. About 250 species of bee do not produce honey and will colonise a bee hotel. Queen Honey Bees may live for several...
by David Hall | Oct 15, 2023 | Uncategorised
Snipe on Rushy Pool, Slimbridge © Andrew Harrison Leaders: Lucy Starling and Phillip Delve For this joint Bath Nats and Bath RSPB Field Trip 11 RSPB/Nats members and one non member joined Phillip and me for a stroll around Slimbridge on a grey morning and afternoon....
by David Hall | Sep 30, 2023 | Uncategorised
above: Fluted Bird’s Nest (Cyathus striatus) © Helena Crouch Leaders: Alan Rayner and Helena Crouch Fourteen members assembled at the entrance to Lord’s Wood, just south of Pensford, for an eagerly anticipated fungal foray. Lord’s Wood is located on the Pennant...
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