EcoRecord

EcoRecord EcoRecord is the local environmental record centre for Birmingham and the Black Country (Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall & Wolverhampton).

EcoRecord collects, collates and makes available information about the wildlife, wildlife sites and habitats of Birmingham and the Black Country and currently has over 500,000 species records on its database. These records come from many sources, ranging from professional ecologists to amateur expert naturalists to other wildlife enthusiasts. EcoRecord provides an information service to a wide ran

ge of users such as local authorities, statutory agencies, ecological consultants, national and local recording schemes and others with a an interest in the wildlife of Birmingham and the Black Country. A significant proportion of these species records come from YOU! Without the contribution of volunteer recorders we wouldn't have the knowledge we have of the Biodiversity of Birmingham and the Black Country and understanding of its natural environment. Don't forget, it is possible to record wildlife without specialist knowledge, just provide details of who, what, when and where. All species records are important, no matter how common or widespread.You can submit your records online using our online google form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1MZB6nejEvKFjauYktXMGX3ntIqEMdQj1WNyOdCG5H5g/viewform?usp=send_form

With rising temperatures, it may only be a matter of time before we get Praying Mantises in Birmingham and the Black Cou...
10/08/2026

With rising temperatures, it may only be a matter of time before we get Praying Mantises in Birmingham and the Black Country. Previously absent from the UK, records show the European Mantis (Mantis religiosa) seems to be gaining a foothold in southern England. The closest sighting to us currently is Stratford-upon-Avon, so it's not too far fetched to imagine they might also appear here in the near future.

Photo (c) Ryszard

Today we lead an invertebrate survey at Bartley Meadow, next to Bartley Reservoir in South Birmingham.  The prolonged dr...
07/08/2026

Today we lead an invertebrate survey at Bartley Meadow, next to Bartley Reservoir in South Birmingham. The prolonged dry weather meant that insect numbers were generally thin on the ground but a highlight was this Clouded Yellow butterfly, spotted feeding on red clover near the picnic area! This migratory species is clearly having quite a year! Have you spotted one yet?

Good photos are one of the most important elements of a high-quality biological record, as they help others to identify ...
29/07/2026

Good photos are one of the most important elements of a high-quality biological record, as they help others to identify species accurately and make your observations more valuable for conservation.

Join iNaturalist for a free webinar packed with practical tips and techniques for taking better nature photos with your smartphone and uploading them to iNaturalist. You'll learn how to approach and photograph insects effectively, capture the key features needed to identify plants, get clear shots of the underside of mushrooms, and quickly upload multiple photos to iNaturalist in one go.

It will run on the 4th August at 5pm. Register using the link in the comments. If you can’t attend the live session, don’t worry - everyone who registers will receive the recording afterwards.

Every few years we get an influx of the migratory Clouded Yellow butterfly.  This year we've already had several sightin...
21/07/2026

Every few years we get an influx of the migratory Clouded Yellow butterfly. This year we've already had several sightings in our area, so it's looking set to be a 'Clouded Yellow Summer'!

Have you spotted one yet?

If you DO spot one please let us know - preferably by submitting the record via iRecord or iNaturalist, or by sending us an email with the details.

Tomorrow EcoRecord and Birmingham and Black Country Invertebrate Group (BIG) are carrying out an invertebrae survey at B...
10/07/2026

Tomorrow EcoRecord and Birmingham and Black Country Invertebrate Group (BIG) are carrying out an invertebrae survey at Brownhills Common.

Beginners welcome, but its set to be a hot one, so please bring plenty of water, wear suncream and suitable clothing.

If you are interested in coming along drop me a message and I can let you know the meeting details.

Brownhills Common is a historic common, formerly open heathland, but which has become increasingly colonised by birch dominated woodland. WTBBC are planning to carry out habitat improvements here as part of the Wild Walsall project, so any records may be useful in helping to inform this work.

08/07/2026
08/07/2026

Here's a short video from our Invertebrate survey last week at The Summers in Willenhall.

This site is currently our only known location for Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennichi) in our area, which was spotted here in 2024. This species diet is mainly grasshoppers and crickets, and though we were perhaps slightly too early in the season to easily see adult Wasp Spiders, we found that the grassland and dried-up wetland areas here absolutely alive with hundreds of grasshoppers and crickets, particularly Roesel’s Bush Cricket, which was here in abundance. Aside from this, the site was also teeming with Skipper butterflies and ant hills, indicating the site supports a good abundance of insects.

Our next survey is at Brownhills Common on Saturday. See link in comments for details.

BIRMINGHAM & BLACK COUNTRY INVERTEBRATE GROUP 🪲🐜🦋FIELD VISIT UPDATES:☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️1) THIS WEEK’S JACK HOLES SURVEY POST...
07/07/2026

BIRMINGHAM & BLACK COUNTRY INVERTEBRATE GROUP 🪲🐜🦋
FIELD VISIT UPDATES:

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

1) THIS WEEK’S JACK HOLES SURVEY POSTPONED - due to the hot weather forecast, this Thursday’s survey visit to Jack Holes in College Farm, Rushall has unfortunately been postponed. We hope to share a new date for this soon. Apologies to anyone who was planning to come along.

2) EARLIER START TO BROWNHILLS COMMON SURVEY - Due to the hot weather forecast on Saturday we have made a slight change to the timing of this survey in order to avoid the worst of the heat. Instead of starting at 10:30 as previously planned, the survey will start at 9:30 instead. If you arrive after this time, you are more than welcome to join us. If you need to contact me on the day (e.g. to find out where we are if you arrive late) please give me a call on: 07719 967271

Address

42 Norman Street
Birmingham
B187EP

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