A spectacularly variable species - More...

NatureSpot works on the basis of photo verification - but how good are your ears?

Read more...

This year, for various reasons, we have done almost no gardening. The garden is full of wildflowers. Wild, as in wild and out of control. More...

Last month we asked you to help us with a short user survey. We are very grateful to the 332 people who took the time to do this. What is clear from the results is that there is much love for NatureSpot, with people from all over the world commenting how much they appreciate the site. Thank you for your input! You can read the full survey results here. 

We hope everyone is enjoying the new NatureSpot website. It's certainly faster than the previous version and it's much better on mobiles.  We still have a few known issues to fix and we've had a few comments and questions via Twitter and Facebook but it would be very helpful to get your feedback on the new site - how is it working for you? Please give us your feedback.

Read more...

The NatureSpot website has been upgraded and given a modest make-over. Most of the functionality is the same as before but there will inevitably be a few teething problems to sort out. If you have any difficulty with the site or find any problems then please let us know.

NatureSpot is for recording the wildlife of Leicestershire and Rutland - all of it, including the mundane. In spite of that it's hard not to get excited when something new or unusual comes along. More....

The Emperor Dragonfly, Anax imperator, is one of Europe's largest dragonflies. The male is easy to identify with its apple green thorax, bright blue abdomen and blue eyes. The female is mostly green and also has the apple green thorax. More 

If you go out into the countryside at the moment it's hard to avoid the army of soldier beetles - brightly coloured and patterned Coleoptera - clambering to the tops of stems (frequently for a spot of al fresco sex). Although eye-catching, many species are very similar and surprisingly difficult to identify, so make sure you have a copy of this new fully-illustrated free guide to Guide to British Soldier Beetles by Mark Gurney in your pocket. And once you've identified them, send us your records please.

May is officially “Tick Awareness Month” in the UK. We should all be more aware of ticks, but “Tick Awareness Month” is actually a marketing campaign by a pharmaceutical company which is concerned with killing them. At NatureSpot, our interests are rather different. More… 

Recently the NatureSpot team met for an awayday at Holwell nature reserve where they found a rare cream-flowered form of Bush Vetch, Vicia sepium var. ochroleuca. More…. 

It seems odd to ask the question "Where have all the insects gone?" at the time of year when insects are most abundant, but a new report illustrates the worrying long term decine in insect numbers. More.... 

Occasionally records are submitted to NatureSpot which show insects parasitized by Tachinid flies. 
More...

Road verges are a vital refuge for wildflowers driven out of farmland. In turn, wildflowers support birds, bees and other wildlife. Wild plant conservation charity Plantlife wants to see road verges managed better while remaining safe for motorists. Not only can this be done – it could save money for local councils too. Sign the petition now

There are certain points in the year that mark turning points - the first Swallow of summer for example. The first orchid of the year is also memorable. more 

We know that people all over the UK use NatureSpot to identify plants and animals that they have seen, which is great. You're probably aware that NatureSpot is a citizen science charity which collects wildlife records from Leicestershire and Rutland, but what happens next  - what do we do with all that information?
More 

Buglife, the invertebrate conservation organization, has launched a new survey during National Invasive Species Week looking at the origins and potential hazards of imported bedding plants - PotWatch. 
More 

Eagle-eyed NatureSpotters tracked down the elusive Daffodil Fly (Norellia spinipes) but we could do with more records from other parts of the county. Now all we have to find the rest of the target species on our list! 

Beechmast Candlesnuff (Xylaria carpophila) is easy to overlook. The fruiting body consists of 1 mm thick black threads with white spore bearing tips. It's fairly common, but it only grows on decaying beechmast. A month ago we had no records of this species on NatureSpot, but logic dictated it must be present in VC55, so we put out a call. And now we have nine records from five different recorders in less than a month! And then we thought - why stop there? So we need your help.