London Natural History Society

For more walks, talks and other activities, download our handy programme with events through to February 2026. Perfect to chase away the winter blues!

Also on Wed 15 October (10-2), our library at the NHM is open: come and browse the books, use the identification guides, borrow something to read at home, visit the Wildlife Garden and the museum, and chat with other members. Open to all (only LNHS members can borrow books - to join for £20/year):

On Wed 15 October: Fungi Field Recorder Day at Tolworth Court Farm, led by Mark Spencer (@fungiflowers.bsky.social), with @biologicalrecording.co.uk
(NB: our field recorder days fill up fast, so I'd advise looking at www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/london-na... for future recorder/study days)

More info:

Also on Sunday, Roy Vickery will be leading a joint LNHS/South London Botanical Institute survey of 'weeds' at the North Mitcham Plot Owners' Allotments. More info:

On Sunday 12 October, John Cadera will lead a walk looking for Autumn birds and migrants at Russia Dock Woodland. More info:

Upcoming walks and talks

Tomorrow 11 Oct (Saturday) is our monthly survey at Bookham Commons - more info:

A colourful day on the Thames

Moth numbers down to just 11:8 in the Camden trap overnight, but one NFY with just my second ever Dusky-lemon Sallow. A scarce species locally it seems - the Herts & Middx website only has one record from 2024, the one I caught on 6th October. #TeamMoth

A spider with grey/brown patterning and white marks resembling a cross, sitting on a leaf, and with one of its back legs touching a strand of its web, and which will alert it to any prey getting trapped.

A spider with grey/brown patterning and white marks resembling a cross, sitting on a leaf, and with one of its back legs touching a strand of its web, and which will alert it to any prey getting trapped.

Garden wildlife. Garden spider (Araneus diadematus). @britishspiders.bsky.social #londonwildlife

We do love our urban foxes! 😍😍 🦊🦊

Garden wildlife. 1/3. Last night I found 10 Segestria florentinas! They are still all relatively close together, and 3 were in an area I'd not noticed or properly checked before on one side of the garage door frame.

If you’re planning on attending Bob’s workshop on alder trees this Tuesday (7 October), please note:

York Bridge is closed so please approach the meeting place from the south

#Botany #Trees #RegentsPark #LondonBotany

Feeding time.

I was chuffed to get this footage of the female kingfisher flying in with a fish to feed to her youngster down on the River Lea.

#LondonBirds #nature #wildlife #kingfisher #kingfishers #hackney #riverlea #ukbirds #birds

Beckton Sewage Works: 9 Black Tailed Godwit, 6 Common Sandpipers, Curlew, C Buzzard, 7 Chiffchaff and 8 Grey Wagtails. #londonbirds @essexbirdnews.bsky.social

A photograph of a brown duck on a lake. Its grey bill is wide open as it gorges itself on a small silver fish with a side order of green goopy algae.

Breakfast at the lake

A tufted duck chows down on a stickleback and algae meal. Yum?

#Birds #UKBirding #LondonBirds #NaturePhotography #Ducks #Wetlands #WetlandBirds

Sutton Peregrines. 1/2. Both the juvenile and adult males were on the north end of Quadrant House this morning. I didn't see the adult female, though she was on camera briefly this evening - she was making courtship calls, and getting blown about a bit in the wind. #londonbirds #birds

Ruffled feathers

Kingfisher at the wetlands.

#LondonBirds #nature #wildlife #kingfisher #kingfishers #walthamstow #ukbirds #birds #birdphotography

Pectoral Sandpiper - Stanborough GP (Hertfordshire) 2/10/25 #hertsbirds #londonbirds #ukbirds #ukrarebird #ukrarity #ukbirding @hertsbirds.bsky.social @btoengland.bsky.social @britishbirdsbbrc.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social @rarebirder.bsky.social

This could be a really good and relatively simple way for people to measure pollution here in London, and a great introduction to lichen

#Science 🧪 #lichen

Garden wildlife. These Harvestmen (Opiliones) are quite active in the garden at night at the moment. Thanks to Esmond Brown @chalkspring.bsky.social for confirming the ID as Odiellus spinosus. @britishspiders.bsky.social #londonwildlife

A landscape photo of a field. The trees in the background are turning yellow, with a hint of red. In front of those trees is a long dead tree, its branches reaching out. There is an evergreen next to it, refusing to change colour. In the foreground is a meadow of sorrel, dock and other plants, most of which have gone a russet brown. Autumn is here!

It’s a dreary day in London so let’s liven it up a bit. Let’s see your autumn colours in London photos!

Reply here or use the hash tag #AutumnInLondon

This was Darlands Nature Reserve yesterday

#LondonWildlife

And coming up this Sunday! Another great location with some wonderful birds

#UKBirding #LondonBirds #Birds

This Saturday! Do come along, there have been some wonderful birds visiting the Heath lately! It’s free and you don’t have to be an LNHS member (though of course we’d love it if you joined - only £20/year lnhs.org.uk/index.php/jo...)

#Birds #UKBirding #LondonBirds

Lovely shots! We had a similar event at Darlands Nature Reserve - not as many parakeets (though a large number) but a birder spotted a peregrine with parakeet breakfast

Grey Plover

Dunlin

Dunlin

Common Ringed Plover

Grey Plover, Dunlin, Ring Plover at Staines Reservoirs today morning. More images in the ebird checklist:
ebird.org/checklist/S2...

#londonbirds #surreybirds

Our annual membership special offer opens today!
Join us this month & you'll enjoy 15 months of membership benefits for the price of 12.
Those benefits are so numerous & fabulous you'll have to head over here to see them all:
bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2025/10/bsbi...
Then join us! bsbi.org/join-us

Early morning mist on Hampstead Heath

22 Stonechat on Hampstead Heath this morning. Another big influx this year, like we had in 2022, and getting near to the high count of 24 set then #londonbirds Beautiful morning too!

A reddish brown spider with a paler abdomen, and on a concrete surface.

A reddish brown spider with a paler abdomen, and on a concrete surface.

Garden wildlife. A Woodlouse Spider (Dysdera sp.) disturbed from under one of my wheeled bins today. @britishspiders.bsky.social #londonwildlife

Yep, part of UK law, and yeah, it seems a bit complicated lol. Ah well, what can we do? Hopefully someone will have some advice or we just live without our DMs

Arctic Skua circling over the river by Tate Modern this morning. Managed to get a few photos after I'd picked my jaw off the floor #londonbirds