EcoRecord

29/05/2026

We are very pleased to announce that we will be leading some more Birmingham and Black Country Invertebrate Group site visits this year!

We’ve decided to focus once again on sites in Walsall, aligning with a project led by Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust to deliver habitat improvements and undertake Local Site Assessments (which will likely result in the identification of new SLINC and SINC sites).

Any invertebrate data we collect from these sites as part of these visits will help support and inform this work.

The Summers, Willenhall - Wednesday 24th June

Wood Farm, Bloxwich - Friday 19th June

Jack Holes, Rushall - Wednesday 9th July

Brownhills Common, Brownhills - Saturday 11th July

Shire Oak Park, Brownhills - Tuesday 4th August

- see link for more details

We are very pleased to announce that we will be leading some more Birmingham and Black Country Invertebrate Group site visits this year!

22/05/2026

Today is the International Day for Biological Diversity, a global United Nations observance held annually, aimed at raising awareness about the critical importance of protecting ecosystems and halting biodiversity loss. This year's theme is acting locally for global impact.

We thought it would be a perfect opportunity to highlight the fact that since 2019 we have added over 800 new species to our database (which represents the recorded biodiversity of Birmingham and the Black Country) bringing our total up to 10,846 unique species.

This amazing outcome would not be possible without the amazing contribution of local recorders and citizen scientists. We thank you for all the hard work and commitment which has allowed us to build a better picture of the biodiversity in our area. More data at a local level also helps us understand bigger things, like changes across the British Isles as species shift their distribution in response to climate change.

The graphic shows which taxonomic groups make up the largest proportions of species in our database. It includes only the nine largest groups - many additional groups exist but are not shown, simply because the pie slices would be too small to see!

You can help contribute to our knowledge too! Just download the iNaturalist app and start recording the wildlife you see around you. Every observation helps build a better understanding of our local biodiversity and, in turn, contributes to the bigger picture. By acting locally, we can all play a part in supporting global efforts to protect biodiversity.

20/05/2026

This year’s City Nature Challenge uncovered five species which have never before been recorded in Birmingham and the Black Country! Say hello to two new species of beetle, a new hoverfly, a new gall mite and a new centipede!

Garney's Flower-beetle (Anaspis garneysi) is a false flower-beetle associated with decaying wood, found on a Hawthorn blossom at Saltwells NNR by M. Webster.

Paris Cryptops-centipede (Cryptops parisi) is a species of centipede which can be found under stones, logs and leaf litter often in woodland areas. There isn’t an abundance of UK records for this species with most records appearing to come from the southwest of the country. It was found under a log in a garden in Selly Oak by A. Kaya.

False-marked Tree-weevil (Tachyerges pseudostigma) is a weevil associated with trees, spotted at Saltwells NNR by M. Webster.

Logjam Hoverfly (Chalcosyrphus eunotus) is a scarce hoverfly species associated with wooded streams containing submerged dead wood. This species’ UK population stronghold is the West Midlands. It was found along Lutley Gutter, in Halesowen by A. Thomas.

Birch-pimple Mite (Cecidophyopsis betulae) is a species of gall mite that forms a scatter of small hard reddish ‘pimples’ on birch leaves. It was found on a Silver Birch at Saltwells NNR by E. Woolley.

These fantastic finds show that the City Nature Challenge goes beyond being a fun and interactive event, playing an important role in biological recording and helping to reveal new, under-recorded and uncommon species.

15/05/2026

Wow! This year’s City Nature Challenge has really been a wild and wonderful experience. Over just 4 days in April, 285 of you used the free iNaturalist app to help us record 13,978 observations of an incredible 1,434 species! Those fantastic results placed us 4th in the UK (out of 28 city regions) for number of observations and 3rd in the UK for number of species spotted – well done and thank you to all who took part!

It’s also important to note that this local effort is part of something much bigger. We were part of 750 city areas worldwide who collectively generated almost three million records during the challenge! And your records have done more than just move us up a global wildlife-spotting leaderboard, they have provided us with a valuable snapshot of the wide variety of wildlife that lives across our urban landscape.

It’s been delightful to see so many people and organisations from across Birmingham and the Black Country getting involved, and it really helped to make this a standout year! Since joining the City Nature Challenge in 2020, this year saw more people than ever before taking part and we significantly increased the number of records supported by photos or sound, helping us to exceed our target for research-grade (verified) observations by 6%. Overall, we achieved our second highest totals for observations and species - an outstanding collective effort and a powerful example of what we can achieve together for nature.

But don’t forget, you can help us to record wildlife all year round! The iNaturalist app is a brilliant entry into citizen science and is totally free to use! The app can help you to identify any wild species you can photograph, whether it be plant, animal, fungus or lichen, and your records help us to monitor the state of wildlife across our region. You can join the iNaturalist project for Birmingham and the Black Country, and check out what's already been spotted, via the link in the comments.

So get out, get spotting wildlife, and join us for next year’s City Nature Challenge!

05/05/2026

You still have 5 days left to upload and identify all the observations you made during the City Nature Challenge 2026 weekend (24–27 April).

We’ve already smashed last year’s total, and you can explore the fantastic diversity of plants and animals recorded across the area so far - including this excellent Slow Worm observation by (on iNaturalist).

While it’s been great to see so many records coming in, this year we’re focusing on quality as well as quantity. Our aim is for at least 50% of observations to reach research grade, which means checking and confirming IDs on iNaturalist.

Anyone can help with identifications, and it’s a great way to improve your ID skills. Follow the link in the comments to see which observations still need checking and help improve the quality and value of the data from this year’s challenge.

28/04/2026

That's it! The City Nature Challenge 2026 recording period is officially over.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the data collection phase, whether you joined via one of our events, went on your own adventure, or recorded from your own back garden!

As of right now, Birmingham and the Black Country have collectively made over 10,700 observations spanning around 1,200 species! What an amazing effort over such a short period.

But it’s not over yet! We still have until 10 May to upload and identify observations. So, even if you didn’t get the chance to take part in the CNC recording, you can still join in by helping to identify species recorded during the challenge on iNaturalist.

I also had to capture the sunset at Edgbaston Reservoir as I literally recorded until the sun went down,

26/04/2026

26/04/2026

You can keep track of how Birmingham and the Black Country is getting on in the City Nature Challenge here:

See what we've recorded so far in B&BC: https://uk.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2026-birmingham-black-country

UK Leaderboard:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2026-uk-leaderboard-umbrella-project

Global Leaderboard:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2026

26/04/2026

You can see how we're doing here! https://uk.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2026-birmingham-black-country

Partway through day 3 of the City Nature Challenge and we have already achieved almost 7,000 observations of almost 950 different species!

Great effort everyone! 😁

25/04/2026

City Nature Challenge Day 2! 🌞🦋🌸
We would love to hear about your favourite nature spots today!

We had a lovely day at Smestow Valley exploring the wildflowers and bugs that can be found there!