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Wildlife Explorer
Nightjar
The easiest way to find out if the nocturnal and well-camouflaged nightjar is about is to listen out for its distinctive 'churring' call at dusk. A summer visitor, it is most numerous in…
Swift
Swifts spend most of their lives flying – even sleeping, eating and drinking – only ever landing to nest. They like to nest in older buildings in small holes in roof spaces.
Swallow
Look out for the swallow performing great aerial feats as it catches its insect-prey on the wing. You may also see it perching on a wire, or roosting in a reedbed, as it makes its way back to…
Wildlife and Conservation at Hill Hook
The regenerating woodland provides good habitat for whitethroat, chiffchaff, willow warbler and blackcap. Swallows, house martins, sand martins and swifts feed over the Mill Pool in the Summer and Winter visitors such as waxwings have been seen. Grey wagtails nest along the banks of the stream running from the Mill Pool.
40 species to spot
From fabulous fungi to marvellous mammals, Birmingham and the Black Country is home to thousands of fantastic flora and fauna - we've put 40 of our favourites on this spotter for you to find.
Find out more about these amazing local species below.
Sand martin
The tiny, brown-and-white sand martin is a common summer visitor to the UK, nesting in colonies on rivers, lakes and flooded gravel pits. It returns to Africa in winter.
Where can you spot 10,000 wild species?
In Birmingham and the Black Country!
According to EcoRecord the epic milestone was reached last week.
The 10,000th species in question? A...
House martin
As its name suggests, the house martin can be spotted nesting in the eaves of houses in our towns and villages. Its intricate mud nests take days to build and are often returned to and used in…
Wildlife
The rare and the special are here, from scarce mammals like water voles and polecats to dragonflies and kingfishers, plus a huge variety of plant life, as documented in the trailblazing book ‘Flora of Birmingham and the Black Country’.
Swift Awareness Week
Swift expert Sarah Gibson explores the early life of these brilliant birds