Hoopoe – A blog by nhbs – The NHBS Conservation Hub

Guest blog from Billy Heaney: Watching the Wild

This spring, zoologist Billy Heaney has been keeping viewers entertained and enthralled with his ‘Watching the Wild’ series, documenting the lives of the wild animals in his local woods. We were delighted to send a couple of our trail cameras to support his efforts, and recently heard back about how he’s been getting on with them. In this blog, Billy talks about the series and shares the excitement of camera-trapping, withs some useful tips for getting started.

There’s something irresistibly magical about seeing wildlife when no one – except for your camera – is watching. Whether it’s a badger trundling past under the cover of darkness or a vixen suckling her pups, camera trapping opens a secret window into the natural world. It’s wildlife documentary-making on your doorstep, minus the film crew, bulky tripods, and David Attenborough narration (though feel free to add your own).

From seals to setts

My love affair with camera traps started during my Masters research. Armed with an old Bushnell camera, I set about documenting a grey seal haul-out site on the north coast of Cornwall. The mission was simple: capture a photo every five minutes during daylight hours.

Now, it sounds exciting, and it was, at first. The site itself was spectacular, as were the post camera check surfs. But after a while, the resulting gallery of what can only be described as ‘furry slugs on a beach’ began to blur into monotony. Seals, it turns out, are not always the most dynamic of subjects when viewed in still frames at five-minute intervals.

Still, something stuck. The idea that a camera could quietly observe wildlife, completely undisturbed by human presence, was fascinating. It wasn’t just about what I saw, it was about what animals did when no one else was around.

Backyard espionage

Fast forward a few years, and camera trapping has become a full-blown obsession, and a way for me to connect with the nature on my doorstep here in the Cotswolds.

My favourites? My resident badgers. There’s something about them; the steady rhythm of their nightly routines, the unmistakable shuffle of their movements, cubs play fighting by a sett entrance, and some good old bum pressing (yep, it’s a thing).

One of the joys of camera trapping is that you never quite know what you’re going to get. Over time, the footage builds up into a kind of soap opera of the wild. Regular characters appear, drama unfolds, and every now and then, you get a plot twist you never saw coming.

Wildlife adventures further afield

While my local patch keeps me busy, I’ve also had the chance to take camera traps further afield. In the Forest of Dean, I’ve used them to help monitor the elusive and recently reintroduced pine martens, an animal that feels almost mythical until you see it bounding across a fallen tree on camera.

Trips to Scotland have brought encounters with red squirrels, their fiery coats lighting up the forest, and the occasional glimpse of an otter slipping through loch or river. Let me tell you: seeing an otter appear on your camera trap playback after a few weeks is one of the most satisfying moments in wildlife observation.

Patience is the name of the game. Camera trapping is not for the instantly gratified. You can leave a camera out for days and retrieve nothing but windblown leaves, someone’s cat, and the occasional overly curious robin. But when it pays off, it really pays off.

The thrill of the unexpected

What keeps me hooked is the unpredictability, and the honesty, of what you capture. Camera traps don’t stage scenes or edit reality. They simply record what happens, and sometimes that’s extraordinary.

I’ve captured otters scent marking, foxes tending to their cubs, and tiny badger cubs emerging above ground for the very first time.

These glimpses into behaviour are fascinating because they’re completely unfiltered. You’re witnessing moments that would otherwise go unseen. Natural, intimate, and often fleeting. In many ways, camera traps strip wildlife filmmaking back to its purest form.

Testing the tech

This spring, I’ve been teaming up with NHBS to put a few modern camera traps through their paces, specifically the Reconyx Hyperfire 4K Ultra HD, and the Browning Recon Force Elite HP5 Ultra. It’s been a brilliant way to expand my setup, filming my local wildlife in greater detail and creating some, admittedly, rather daft social media content along the way.

Browning Recon Force Elite HP5 Ultra. Image by Billy Heaney

Springtime surprises

Spring is one of the most rewarding times to have cameras out. It’s when new life begins to emerge, quite literally in the case of badger cubs.

There’s nothing quite like reviewing your footage and spotting the first tentative appearances of cubs above ground, which this spring I captured on the Browning Recon Force Elite HP5 Ultra – see footage below. Their movements are clumsy, their curiosity obvious, and their high-pitched chirps unmistakable. This year, my local clan has produced two cubs and checking the cameras each week has become a highlight of my routine. Particularly now that the daylight is getting longer, and the cameras are now filming the cubs playing in full colour. It’s like opening a weekly episode of your favourite TV show, except the stars are far cuter.

Top tips for getting started

If you’re tempted to give camera trapping a go, and I highly recommend it, here are a few tips to help get you started.

Follow the signs.

Wildlife leaves clues everywhere. Look for well-worn animal trails, deer footprints, or gaps in vegetation. These natural corridors are highways for wildlife and your best bet for capturing activity. If you’re setting one up in your garden, focus it on your pond, by a hole in the fence to see who’s sneaking through the flower beds, or even underneath any bird feeders you have up – you never know who might creep through at night to scoff any fallen seeds.

Get the angle and distance right

Propping your camera at a slight angle can make all the difference between a perfect shot or chopping off the head of your subject. I often place a stick between the top of my camera and the tree it’s attached to so that I can reposition it ever so slightly. Test the focal distance of your camera too: each model will be slightly different. I’ve found that with the Reconyx, I don’t need to worry about that at all, but with the Browning the best results come by positioning the camera at least 5ft away from the subject.

Reconyx HyperFire 4K Ultra HD. Image by Billy Heaney

Move things around

Don’t be afraid to experiment. I like to reposition my cameras every few weeks. This not only keeps things fresh but also helps build a full picture of animal behaviour across the same, but wider area. This lets you piece together sequences and start to tell more complete stories.

A window into the wild

At its heart, camera trapping is about curiosity. It’s about asking, ‘What happens here when I’m not looking?’, and then quietly letting nature answer.

Whether you’re documenting wildlife for research, conservation, or just your own enjoyment, camera traps offer a unique and endlessly fascinating perspective. They remind us that even in the most familiar places – our gardens, local woodland or nearby waterways – there’s a hidden world carrying on regardless.

And once you’ve seen it, it’s very hard to stop watching.

Browse our full range of trail cameras, including the one’s used by Billy here.

Book review: The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs

The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs is a comprehensive three-volume resource for anyone who is fascinated by dinosaurs. Packed with engaging dinosaur facts and original, full-colour reconstructions, drawings, and graphics, this one-of-a-kind encyclopedia strikes a perfect balance between depth and accessibility – detailed enough to captivate professionals yet clear and exciting enough for beginners eager to dive into the amazing lost world of the dinosaurs. The three volumes are Theropods, Sauropods, and Ornithischians. Organised for easy reference, these books are perfect for casual browsing or in-depth study. Together, this encyclopedia invites dinosaur lovers of all ages to walk among the wondrous beasts of the Mesozoic era.

***** The most comprehensive popular dinosaur encyclopaedia I have yet encountered

This is the most comprehensive popular dinosaur encyclopaedia I have yet encountered, describing well over 1100 species and covering mountains of primary literature. Combining a pleasingly uncluttered visual presentation with entries that strike a fine balance between the accessible and the scholarly, this is a reference I can see myself returning to regularly for a pithy overview of almost every dinosaur under the sun. Interestingly, the authors are new to me, and I could find little information about them online. Jones, a science writer and educator, is a self-professed “lifelong dinosaur enthusiast” (p. 9/10). Viola is a chemist who, for the last decade, has dedicated his spare time to illustrating over 2500 extinct animals on DeviantArt.

This set consists of three A4 hardbacks, totalling around 6 kg and over 1300 pages worth of dinosaurs. They are standalone volumes that can be read in no particular order. Each opens with the same eight pages (preface, FAQ, glossary, timeline, deep time, palaeogeography, instructions on usage), which is mercifully brief and minimises repetition between the different books. Each book is then divided into 14 to 21 sections to different families, opening with a detailed family tree and a one-page introduction to the various hypotheses regarding internal relationships and overall organisation of each family. Jones is upfront about the fact that there is no universal agreement amongst palaeontologists on these matters, and has here tried to compile different versions and different interpretations. None of this is presented, nor intended to be taken, as gospel. Nevertheless, I think they admirably condense complex information without dumbing it down.

The bulk of the encyclopaedia is the species profiles, and I think this is where the books shine. Most profiles take up a full page. They show Viola’s life reconstruction and basic stats across the top third, the presentation borrowing heavily from the 2020 Dinosaur Facts and Figures books, except using greyscale iconography in standardised positions. It makes for a far cleaner and less cluttered presentation. The bottom-third shows an indented classification list, two maps of fossil localities (one modern, one palaeo, which is a nifty feature), and a small skeletal diagram. This combines all the described specimens to indicate how much of the skeleton we have found. Jones adds that these diagrams are not intended to be anatomically exact; the work of Paul and others remains unsurpassed in that respect.

These infographics sandwich the text. Jones has set himself the challenge of explicitly answering three questions in each profile. 1) What makes each species unique? 2) How are species related to each other? 3) How many fossils do we have of each dinosaur? As he explains, all are surprisingly tricky to answer because 1) You have to trawl through “mountains of highly technical, ultradetailed anatomical descriptions” (p. 9/10); 2) there is virtually no species for which there is universal agreement about relationships, and a lot of ink is spilt on discussing different viewpoints and scenarios and how they have shifted over time; 3) there are large gaps in our knowledge. Many papers, especially older ones, do not illustrate or describe all bones. Elsewhere, information technically exists, but it can be decades before a professional has the time and resources to prepare and describe.

Finally, each volume ends with lists of nomina dubia, informally named species, and tables of museum specimens. Bibliographies are available online and consist of three PDF files spanning 446 pages, though they are double-spaced and include duplicates. They show Jones has consulted a vast body of mostly journal papers (in multiple languages), books, conference abstracts, and PhD theses up to May 2025, by my reckoning.

So much for the description; what of my opinion? Simply put, I think this is an awesome beast. Many popular encyclopaedias claim to be the ultimate one, but this has to be the most exhaustive one, covering well over 1100 species, including many for which we have only bone fragments. This might divide readers, and Paul’s decision to limit his field guide to the ~800 better-known might be considered more meaningful. My complaint was that his book left my curiosity about many others unsatisfied, so Jones delivers on this front.

The species profiles neatly address all three questions in a short narrative that retains an impressive amount of nuance and circumspection about how firm or questionable certain findings are. However, what about authority and reliability, given that Jones is not a professional palaeontologist? Comparisons with more technical encyclopedias show him giving fair summaries. This is not surprising, as he references these books and draws on the same primary literature. Similarly, his summaries compare favourably to recent works on specific groups that I have reviewed, though he mostly cites primary literature rather than popular books.

Probably the most divisive aspect of the books is Viola’s reconstructions, specifically his decision to make a full life reconstruction of *every*, *single*, *species*, no matter how fragmentary and incomplete their remains. Paul has a strict policy in that regard, only reconstructing those species where he is convinced that further discoveries will not significantly alter our understanding. Though Jones is upfront about their approach in the introduction and uses several indicators in each profile, I worry that—such is the power of imagery—a casual perusal of these books might leave you with the impression that we know exactly what all these animals looked like. Keep in mind that many of the life reconstructions here range from fairly to very speculative.

Though I noticed a few editorial errors beyond the occasional typos, I thought there were surprisingly few given the scale of this project. Recent developments (e.g. Nanotyrannus) have outpaced the book, but to blame it for that is to misunderstand the time frames involved in completing a large book project.

Finally, who is the intended audience? For young readers, the numerous discussions about phylogenetics and group membership might be too abstruse, but I think that for the large audience of adult dinosaur enthusiasts, this book scratches a serious itch. The combination of an uncluttered visual presentation, the compact but informative descriptions, and the extensive coverage that leaves no museum drawer unopened makes this the most comprehensive popular dinosaur encyclopaedia currently on the market. I really enjoyed Jones’s potted descriptions and can see myself returning to these books in the future to get me started on any one species, especially as he references an impressive amount of literature.

Book review – In Search of Sea Dragons: A Fossil Hunter’s Odyssey

***** An engrossing tale of fossils and obsession

In In Search of Sea Dragons, civil engineer and fossil hunter Matthew Myerscough vividly tells his personal tale of hunting for fossils on the more remote beaches of Wales and South West England, as hobby transforms into obsession.

The author’s pivot from mountaineering to fossil collecting was rather traumatic. After surviving being buried alive by an avalanche on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) in Wales, he is psychologically scarred and can no longer find solace in the mountains: “I felt like I had lost my sanctuary” (p. 34). Instead, he turns to the seashore to go fossil hunting. The memoir that follows documents a years-long personal journey from novice to experienced collector. Though he remains vague on the dates, a few touchstones (the avalanche’s tenth anniversary in 2024, storm Eunice, which happened in 2022) place this story in the decade after 2014. As he scours beaches in South Wales, Somerset, and North Yorkshire, and his skills and obsession grow, the stakes keep being raised. Soon, nothing less than his very own complete ichthyosaur skeleton will do.

I found Myerscough’s descriptions of the landscapes and rock formations particularly vivid, perhaps because I live in South Devon, only an hour’s drive away from some of these beaches, and am familiar with the local scenery. Whatever it may be, his writing transported me there, standing under wide open skies on the beach, sharing in his excitement, and vicariously enjoying some adventuring of my own. This literal situation of the reader is aided by three colour plate sections with photos of some of his remarkable discoveries, while maps show the different beaches where he made key finds (though the greyscale reproduction is poor in places).

With time, he finds some exceptional and rare fossils, including parts of a rhomaleosaur (an early pliosaurid), an articulated plesiosaur flipper (which are rarer still than those of ichthyosaurs), and substantial parts of an ichthyosaur skeleton. Though snippets about the biology of these extinct marine reptiles crop up here and there, they are not the focus of this book. Neither is this a practical guide to fossil hunting, though some tips, codes of conduct, and hard-won experience are sprinkled throughout.

In Search of Sea Dragons is foremost a memoir, and it is as much an internal as an external odyssey. Not that I wish to psycho-analyse the author, but he wears his heart on his sleeve and prominently writes about his feelings and emotions. Perhaps unintentionally, the book provides a revealing glimpse of the darker side of becoming obsessed with one’s hobby. Below, I will elaborate on the aspects that led me to this conclusion, to which I add that this is not intended as a personal judgement of Myerscough’s character.

The author is remarkably candid about the feelings he is working through and the new ones he encounters. While he continues to be plagued by guilt and insecurity over the avalanche, the beach becomes a new sanctuary: a place to unwind, release stress, slow down, and commune with nature. And yet, you do not even have to read between the lines to notice it brings with it a whole new suite of anxieties. Though there is the excitement of finding new fossils and forging new friendships, there is also self-doubt (“Was this really how I wanted to spend my precious time”, p. 55) and jealousy at others’ fossil discoveries (“This had happened on my turf and I felt sick with envy thinking about this missed opportunity”, p. 53). As his skills increase and his spectacular finds win him the admiration of other fossil hunters, there is an undercurrent of dissatisfaction that surfaces most clearly towards the end. Despite finally finding large parts of an articulated ichthyosaur skeleton, possibly preserving stomach contents and skin fragments (!), he writes that “None of it was quite what I had hoped for” (p. 174).

His hobby turning into an obsession is something he admits to himself. A large boulder stuffed with plesiosaur bones “began my obsession with the huge bone blocks, the sort that most people would assume impossible to move” (p. 136). In one passage that is as comical as it is absurd, he almost turns into Gollum as he entertains the idea of shouting and hurling objects at two approaching fossil hunters to distract them from his “treasure” (p. 131): a promising boulder he has just discovered. As the fossils pile up faster than his friend Mike can prepare them, first the sheds and then the house start filling up with rocks. You have to wonder, as a visiting plumber seems to do, what his partner makes of this. She is notably absent after the first few chapters and, clearly, this is a hobby they do not share.

What really raised my eyebrows is his continued risk-taking behaviour. Despite his earlier brush with death, he purposefully ventures out on wet and wintry days, seeking out remote beaches where other people are as absent as is mobile phone coverage. When rooting around in a distant cove in the predawn darkness one morning, trying to relocate a particular rock, he worries about having an accident: “was my obsession with these bones leading me to take unnecessary risks?” (p. 134). And there are accidents, with slips and falls resulting in bruised legs and broken ribs. “Perhaps I am foolish or just stubborn, but I love what I do and I won’t stop, despite these risks” (p. 117). The most extreme example of this is the chapter where, together with another experienced local fossil hunter, he abseils from the cliffs at Whitby (famous for both Bram Stoker’s Dracula *and* fossils). Using rotten ropes and rickety steps left behind by fishermen, they descend hundreds of feet onto angular, car-sized boulders. Any slip here would be lethal. Though he finds something truly spectacular, the chapter opens with a sternly worded warning about the extremely dangerous setting, even for experienced fossil hunters. He advises against going here, has kept the location anonymous, and especially warns against using ropes to descend cliff faces… to then promptly do so himself.

I will be honest that I felt a certain sense of relief for him when reaching the epilogue, where we now find the author living in Cumbria, spending far less time collecting fossils. The way this tale was headed, death, injury, or the disintegration of his relationship under the literal weight of fossils only seemed a matter of time. The honest and open exposition of his inner odyssey, together with his vivid descriptions of landscapes, make for an engrossing memoir. I devoured the book in a few sittings and expect that it will strongly appeal to fellow fossil hunters and, more broadly, to readers interested in palaeontological exploration.

The NHBS Guide to Hedgehog Houses

How to choose, site and maintain a hedgehog house, covering materials, placement, bedding and cleaning, with product picks from NHBS.

A hedgehog house gives one of Britain’s most loved garden visitors somewhere safe to nest in summer and hibernate through the winter. This guide covers what to look for when choosing one, where to site it in your garden, what to put inside, and how to look after it year after year. Whether you’ve just spotted a hedgehog in the garden or you’re putting a box in ahead of autumn, everything you need to get it right is below.

Why hedgehogs need a place to shelter

Hedgehog numbers in the UK have fallen sharply over the last few decades, with the State of Britain’s Hedgehogs report in 2022 from PTES and BHPS showing steep long-term declines in both rural and urban populations. The gardens they once passed through have become harder to live in. Fences with concrete footings, tidier borders, less leaf litter and fewer hedges all mean fewer safe places to rest during the day, raise young in summer, or hibernate through winter. A hedgehog house gives them back one of those missing pieces.

What a hedgehog house does that a garden alone cannot

A well-sited box provides a dry, predator-resistant space with a stable temperature. Wild nests built in leaf piles or under sheds are vulnerable to flooding, disturbance from dogs and foxes, and collapse during strimming or autumn clear-ups. A proper hedgehog house is designed to survive all of that and still be there next year.

When hedgehogs use a nest box

Hedgehogs use nest boxes across all four seasons, not just for winter hibernation. Females use them as maternity nests in June and July. Males and non-breeding females use them as day nests through spring and summer. From October onwards, hedgehogs look for a hibernaculum, which is the nest they will stay in from around November until March or April depending on the weather.

Next, the features that separate a good box from a bad one.

What makes a good hedgehog house

Not all hedgehog houses are built equally well, and the differences matter more than the price tag suggests. Four things decide whether a box will actually be used and whether it will keep its occupant safe.

The entrance tunnel and why its length matters

The entrance tunnel is the single most important feature on a hedgehog house. A straight hole in the front of a box is not enough. Badgers are a natural predator of hedgehogs and can reach through short openings with a paw and pull a hedgehog out. A proper tunnel should be at least 11cm long and ideally closer to 15cm, with an internal right-angle turn or offset chamber so a badger cannot reach the nest directly.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society lists badger-proofing as a core requirement for any hedgehog house they recommend. If the box you’re looking at has a short, straight entrance, it’s not doing the job it’s meant to do.

Ventilation and drainage

A sealed box traps moisture, and damp bedding is worse for hedgehogs than no box at all. Look for small ventilation holes near the top of the box, away from the nest chamber, along with either a raised base or drainage holes in the floor. Woodcrete boxes handle this differently to wooden ones because the material is breathable to begin with.

Internal chamber size

The nest chamber needs to be big enough for a hedgehog to turn around and curl up, which usually means around 30cm square as a minimum. Anything smaller is uncomfortable and may be rejected. Anything much larger wastes space and makes it harder for the hedgehog to warm the nest with its own body heat during hibernation.

Ease of cleaning

You will need to clean the box once a year, so a removable or hinged lid

matters more than people realise. Boxes that have to be taken apart or tipped on their side to empty are a chore, and a chore that gets skipped is a chore that leads to parasite build-up and mould. Check how the lid opens before you buy.

With those four features in mind, the next decision is what the box is made of.

Wood or woodcrete, which is better

This is the most common question we get about hedgehog houses at NHBS, and the answer depends on how long you want the box to last and where you’re putting it. Both materials work. Neither is wrong. They suit different gardens and different budgets.

Wooden hedgehog houses

Wooden boxes are the traditional choice and by far the most widely available. They look natural in a garden border, they’re lighter to move around, and they tend to be cheaper. The downside is lifespan. Even good-quality timber boxes made from FSC pine or cedar will usually need replacing or refurbishing after five to ten years of outdoor use, depending on how exposed the site is. Softwood boxes with thin walls degrade much faster than that.

Woodcrete and woodstone hedgehog houses

Woodcrete is a mix of cement and graded wood chip that’s poured into moulds like concrete. The result is a heavy, breathable, rot-proof material that lasts for decades. We wrote a full material guide to woodcrete covering how it’s made and where it’s used. For hedgehog houses specifically, woodcrete holds a more stable internal temperature than wood, resists damp, and will not be chewed through by predators. The trade-off is cost and weight. Woodcrete boxes are two or three times the price of a wooden equivalent and need siting in a permanent spot because they’re awkward to move.

A quick comparison

Feature	Wooden hedgehog house	Woodcrete hedgehog house
Lifespan	5 to 10 years outdoors	25 years or more
Weight	Light, easy to reposition	Heavy, awkward to move
Thermal stability	Good, better with bedding	Very good, stable year round
Cost	Lower	Higher
Predator resistance	Depends on entrance design	Very strong
Look in the garden	Natural, blends easily	Solid, needs camouflage

If you’re buying your first hedgehog house and want to try a spot in the garden before committing to a permanent location, start with wood. If you know exactly where the box is going and you want to set it and forget it, woodcrete is the better long-term investment.

Wherever you land on materials, placement is what actually decides whether the box gets used.

Hedgehog house placement in the garden

You can buy the best hedgehog house on the market and it will sit empty for years if it’s in the wrong spot. Placement matters more than product choice. Hedgehogs are selective about where they nest and will ignore boxes that feel exposed, too warm in summer, or too wet in winter. Open our helpful infographic so see what the best places are:

Which direction should the entrance face

Point the entrance away from the prevailing wind and rain. In most of the UK that means avoiding a south-westerly aspect for the opening. North, north-east or east-facing entrances work well. This keeps driving rain out of the tunnel and stops the box overheating in full summer sun, which can make a nest unusable on hot afternoons.

How close to the house or shed

A box tucked against the base of a shed, garage or garden wall gets extra insulation from the structure behind it and sits in a naturally quieter part of the garden. Keep it away from patio doors, bin stores, and anywhere pets regularly go. Hedgehogs will abandon a nest site if they’re disturbed repeatedly in the first few days.

Cover, camouflage and insulation

Cover the box with leaves, twigs and loose branches once it’s in place. This does three things at once. It insulates the box against temperature swings, it camouflages it from foxes and domestic predators, and it makes the site feel hidden, which is what a hedgehog is looking for. A bare hedgehog house sitting in the open is far less likely to be used than a partially buried one under a hedge.

Places to avoid

Skip anywhere that floods, anywhere with a compost heap being turned regularly, anywhere a strimmer is used, and anywhere dogs have free access. Also avoid placing the box directly under a bird feeder, because spilled food attracts rodents and the traffic will put a hedgehog off.

Once you’ve picked the spot, the next question is when to put the box out.

Any time of year works, though hedgehogs are most actively looking for a nest in late summer to early autumn (scouting hibernation sites) and again from April onwards (maternity nests for the breeding season). Installing a few weeks ahead of either window gives the box time to weather in and lose its new smell, which makes it more likely to be adopted.

What to put inside a hedgehog house

This is where advice splits. Some sources say stuff the box with hay or dry leaves. Others say leave it empty and let the hedgehog build its own nest. Both approaches have merit.

Bedding materials that work

If you do add bedding, dry leaves are the best choice because they’re what hedgehogs use in the wild. Oak, beech and hornbeam leaves all work well. Barley straw or meadow hay from a pet shop is a reasonable second option. Put a loose handful in the nest chamber rather than packing it tight, because the hedgehog will rearrange whatever you give them.

Should you add bedding at all

The argument for leaving a box empty is that hedgehogs are fussy about nest material and will reject or reshape anything you put in anyway. The argument for adding bedding is that a box with some material in it already reads as a ready-made nest site and gets investigated faster. Our view is to add a small starter handful of dry leaves, no more, and let the hedgehog do the rest. You’re signalling that the box is usable without forcing a nest shape on them.

Materials to avoid

Keep cotton wool, shredded newspaper, wood shavings with strong scent, and anything treated with chemicals out of the box. Shavings from cedar or pine in particular can irritate a hedgehog’s respiratory system. Synthetic fibres tangle around legs and can cause injury.

Once the box is in and set up, it mostly looks after itself. Mostly.

Looking after your hedgehog house

A hedgehog house is low maintenance, but it does need one proper clean a year to stay useful. Skip this step and the box can build up parasites, old food debris, and compacted bedding that makes it less attractive over time.

When to clean it out

Clean the box once a year in April or early May. By then any hibernating hedgehog will have left, and the summer breeding season has not yet started. Cleaning outside this window carries real risk. Disturbing a box in winter can kill a hibernating hedgehog, and opening one in June or July can cause a mother to abandon her young.

How to clean it safely

Before you open the box, tap the side gently and wait a minute. If there is no movement or rustling, lift the lid carefully. Remove all old bedding and debris. Brush out the chamber with a stiff brush. Rinse with boiling water from a kettle if the box is wooden, or with a garden hose and scrub if it’s woodcrete. Let it dry fully before closing it back up and adding a fresh small handful of dry leaves.

Wear gloves. Hedgehog nests can carry fleas, ticks and salmonella, none of which are serious for a careful adult but all of which are reasons to wash your hands after.

Checking for occupants

If you tap the box and hear movement, close it and walk away. Come back in a few weeks. A box you can’t clean this year is still worth having. The clean can wait until next spring.

Knowing if a hedgehog is using the box

You don’t need to open the box to find out whether it’s occupied, and you probably shouldn’t. There are better ways to check.

Signs of use without disturbing the box

Look for droppings near the entrance, which are dark, shiny and usually have visible insect fragments in them. Hedgehog Street has a useful identification guide if you want to be sure of what you’re looking at. Look for a flattened path through nearby leaf litter. Check whether the leaves covering the box have been disturbed around the tunnel opening. All of these are reliable signs without any need to lift the lid.

Using a trail camera or nest box camera

A trail camera set up a few metres from the box, pointing at the entrance, is the best way to see what’s using it without any disturbance at all. Night footage will show the animal coming and going. We cover trail cameras in more detail in our Buyers’ Guide: Trail Cameras.

With the box sorted and monitored, there are a few common slip-ups worth flagging.

Hedgehog houses from NHBS

We stock hedgehog houses covering different materials, budgets and installation types. Here are the options worth knowing about.

Wooden options

Wooden hedgehog houses are the best starting point for most gardens. We stock two: a straightforward nest box, and a larger house with an integrated feeding shelter for gardens where you want to put food out as well. Both suit anyone trying hedgehog support for the first time.

Woodcrete options

The Schwegler Hedgehog Dome is the woodcrete option in our range, and the one to pick if you want a box that will outlast the garden around it. Woodcrete is the material we recommend for ecologists, wildlife gardens, and anyone wanting a permanent installation. The higher up-front cost is offset by decades of use without degradation.

Integrated options for new builds

For construction projects and garden redesigns, integrated hedgehog domes can be built into walls, hedging or new garden structures. These are popular with ecological consultants working on biodiversity net gain requirements and with homeowners planning ground-up garden builds. They’re not the right choice for retrofitting into an existing garden, but for new projects they offer a level of permanence a standalone box can’t match.

You can browse the full hedgehog house range on the NHBS site, along with hedgehog highway fence plates, feeding stations and related wildlife products.

Final thoughts

A hedgehog house is one of the most useful things you can add to a garden if you want to support one of the UK’s most threatened mammals. Get the four basics right, which are a proper entrance tunnel, a sensible chamber size, a good siting spot, and an annual clean, and the box will do its job for years. Buy the best one your budget allows, put it somewhere quiet and sheltered, cover it with leaves and branches, and leave it alone.

Browse the full hedgehog house range on NHBS, or look at the wider wildlife gardening category for feeding stations, fence plates and other hedgehog-friendly additions.

30 Days Wild 2026

30 Days Wild is the UK’s biggest nature challenge. Run by the Wildlife Trusts, this annual event takes place throughout June, returning on 1st June 2026 for its 12th year. It is suitable for people of all ages and backgrounds and aims to connect people with nature by asking them to do one wild thing a day for the whole month. The idea is simple: small, daily ‘random acts of wildness’ that fit around everyday life, wherever you live.

The challenge has grown enormously since it began. From 12,000 participants in its first year, it now reaches over half a million people annually, and more than three million people have taken part since 2015. Popular activities include wildlife-watching or doing something to help the plants and animals in your garden.

How it works in 2026

The weekly themes for this year’s event are:

Week 1 – Help wildlife where I live

Week 2 – Discover wildlife with my senses

Week 3 – Learn about wildlife

Week 4 – Get creative with nature and celebrate

Easy ways to get involved
There are plenty of simple ways to take part. Some of the most popular activities include listening to birdsong, identifying wildflowers, wildlife gardening, going on a bug hunt, making a wildlife home such as a bird box or bee hotel and sketching or painting nature. Other ideas include reading a nature book, exploring a reserve, having a plastic or waste-free day, watching a sunrise or sunset, switching to a more sustainable household product, litter picking, or taking a wildlife photo.

If you are looking for inspiration for activities during 30 Days Wild, why not check out some of our guides below:

Bat Walk – The kit you need and the best times and places to catch a glimpse of bats in June.

Moth Trapping – When and where to set your trap to discover the moths visiting your garden (and see our guest blog from the BS3 Moth Club for some further tips).

Pond Dipping – What you need, when and where to go, and what to look for. Great for all ages.

Rockpooling – How to plan a trip, the kit and methods to use, common rockpool species, and recommended reading.

Hedgehog Watch – How to make your garden hedgehog friendly, tips for watching them, and books for further reading.

Wildlife gardening (part 2 here) – A two-part series on attracting pollinators, feeding birds and mammals, and creating habitats.

Get your free pack!
You can sign up for 30 Days Wild on the Wildlife Trusts website, where you will receive a free downloadable or postal pack full of activities, games and a calendar to help you plan your month. There are packs for individuals and families, as well as for businesses, schools and care homes.

Let us know in the comments what you plan to do for 30 Days Wild!

Guest blog from Charlie Tallis: BS3 Moth Club on a mission

Created by mother-daughter duo Charlie and Willow, the BS3 Moth Club is a brilliant initiative that aims to introduce people to the magic of moth-trapping and the amazing wildlife present on our doorsteps. As big supporters of the BS3 Moth Club’s mission, we were delighted to donate one of our NHBS Moth Traps and see it put to good use in the club’s community moth mornings across Bristol. Here, Charlie Tallis (BS3MothClub@gmail.com) shows us how they got on with the trap, tells us more about how the project began, and shares some tips on how to start your journey into the world of moth-trapping.

Charlie writes:

Nothing beats starting your day with moths.

You step outside, cup of tea in hand, still half asleep, and head towards the moth trap you left glowing in the garden overnight. You lift the lid… and suddenly the morning becomes a treasure hunt. You genuinely have no idea what will be inside.

Sometimes it’s a handful of familiar regulars. Sometimes it’s something you’ve never seen before. And occasionally It’s a species so beautiful, bizarre, or perfectly disguised that you can’t believe it’s been living in your garden all along. That sense of surprise is one of the reasons moth trapping is so addictive.

It fits neatly into real life too. Set the trap the night before, go to bed, and in the morning, before the school run or the commute, you get to experience something genuinely wild. It tunes you into the seasons in a way that little else does. Moths become your calendar.

NHBS Moth Trap at night. — NHBS Moth Trap at night

Seeing a moth up close is often a revelation. The intricate patterns, clever camouflage, and soft, furry textures are impossible to appreciate when they’re fluttering around a streetlight. Some look exactly like a broken twig. Some travel thousands of miles to reach your garden. All are vital to the ecosystem, supporting the birds, mammals and amphibians that feed on them, and acting as exceptional pollinators. Extraordinary creatures, hiding in plain sight.

We decided to make it our job to bring them out of the shadows and make these humble garden visitors visible to all.

Which is why, back in April 2024, my ten-year-old daughter, Willow, and I launched BS3 Moth Club: a community project with a simple mission – to help the world fall in love with moths, starting in BS3 (South Bristol).

We travel around with our moth trap, running moth mornings where neighbours can see what appeared overnight in their gardens or community spaces. There’s always excitement, curiosity, and genuine surprise that these marvellous creatures can be found right here. For many, it’s their first real encounter with moths at all.

To reach beyond BS3, we share photos and videos on Instagram, deliver talks, and create zines and fact sheets, spreading the word that extraordinary wildlife lives in the most ordinary places. We want people not just to fall in love with moths, but to understand how to support them in their own gardens, and why that matters. The macro picture, informing micro actions, shared in a fun and positive way.

The dream is to run free, accessible community moth mornings across the city, funded by private sessions, membership and talks.

So, you want to give moth trapping a go?

We’re lucky that our garden in BS3 backs onto a park, so we get a wonderful mix of species. Some of our personal favourites include:

The Lime Hawk-moth, the first hawk-moth we ever found in the trap.

The Oak Eggar, just like a warm, fuzzy teddy bear!

The Black Arches, whose hand-drawn scribbles are mesmerising.

The Large Emerald, so elegant and impossibly green all over.

If you fancy trying it yourself, warm, still, overcast nights are usually best. Numbers really pick up from April and peak through summer, though you can find moths year-round. Check the trap as close to dawn as possible, and look carefully around it before you open it up, as moths often settle nearby. Take your time. Being out in the fresh morning air that early is a such a special experience. It sets you up for the day in the best way.

For identification, ObsIdentify and iNaturalist are brilliant on your phone, alongside a good field guide for the trickier ones. We love the Concise Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland. Once you’re done, you can leave the trap in a cool, shady spot for moths to disperse naturally at dusk, or gently move them to sheltered spots in your garden.

There are a lot of species to get to grips with at first, but it comes with practice. Moth encounters are so magical, the names just stick. And if you’re able to, submitting records to your local recording scheme, Butterfly Conservation, or iNaturalist means your findings contribute to national data, turning curiosity into something genuinely valuable.

Remember to have fun! When we host larger moth mornings, we don’t obsess over documenting every species. It’s more about connection and curiosity. There’s room to enjoy wildlife in all kinds of ways. Spreadsheets aren’t for everyone, but if they are for you – hurrah!

So if you’re even a little bit curious, find us on Instagram @BS3MothClub, join a moth morning, or treat yourself to your own trap. You won’t regret it.

Charlie Tallis BS3 Moth Club

Author interview with Lin Baldock, Charlotte Bolton and Iain Dixon: Marine Crustaceans of Britain and Ireland

The Seasearch Guides have helped to revolutionise marine recording. Focused firmly on identification in the field, the books use top-quality photography, diagrams and clear text to highlight the things to look for in a typical encounter underwater or on the shore – i.e. the features that are most useful to recreational divers and rockpoolers. Having previously tackled seaweeds, fishes and sea anemones, among other groups, the latest in the series shines a light on the crustaceans, a diverse and fascinating group whose members are ubiquitous in marine environments.

Ahead of publication of Marine Crustaceans of Britain and Ireland, we had the pleasure of talking to the authors, Lin Baldock, Charlotte Bolton and Iain Dixon, about the inspiration for the book and their hopes for how it will contribute to recording efforts.

This is the latest instalment in the popular series of Seasearch photographic guides to marine life. Could you tell us a bit more about the series and its aims?

Charlotte says: As with so much about the community-based Seasearch project, the series emerged organically from the perceived need to support volunteer recorders and to ensure that the data produced was as accurate as possible. The series of guides follow on from the original UCS mini-prints (remember having to stick in the photos yourself?). Chris Wood (the first National Seasearch Coordinator from 2003 to 2016) was responsible for either authoring guides or persuading people to write one on their specialist subject – all done on a voluntary basis. They had pride of place on my bookshelf when I first started carrying out Seasearch surveying and recording and I particularly wanted to expand and update the range during my tenure as National Coordinator. Retirement has given me more ‘spare time’ to dedicate to this. Concentrating on in situ pictures to emphasise visual recognition and remove the need for sampling, with the images sourced from the recording community as well as the authors, the guides are both accessible and inclusive. Early editions were published by the Marine Conservation Society, then Wild Nature Press (bringing Julie Dando’s exquisite design eye and Marc Dando’s wonderful linework) took over, and now Princeton University Press (PUP) since their acquisition of Wild Nature Press. Without the support of these publishers the guides simply would not exist – it’s a very niche market!

And how did crustaceans come to feature in the series? Can you share the origins of this guide?

Charlotte says: Crustaceans were an obvious candidate for the Seasearch guide treatment, but we needed to find authors willing to write the book! Robert Kirk (head of Princeton Nature at PUP) was always keen to see a crustaceans guide and is a big fan of the series. Lin Baldock stepped up to the challenge (in the process revealing her familial connection to the group), Iain Dixon earned his PhD studying amphipods so was an obvious choice for that group and I came on board (as author, upgraded from series editor) to provide the interface between the experts and the book audience – it was a steep learning curve and an unexpectedly immense amount of work.

Crustaceans are amazingly varied, ranging from planktonic copepods through the Britain’s biggest arthropod, the European Lobster. How did you decide which species to cover when dealing with such a diverse group?

Lin says: It was a real challenge selecting the species we might include and the list was growing right up until the press proofs were delivered. The criteria we used to narrow the list were as follows:

Is it likely to be encountered by divers, snorkelers and beach walkers in the intertidal and shallow waters (<30m) around Britain and Ireland? (This excludes extremely rare species)
Can the species be accurately identified in the field without the need to resort to collection and microscopic examination?
Is the animal large enough for the critical features for accurate identification to be captured in field photographs?

The minute planktonic species so vital to pelagic marine ecosystems and the plethora of highly specialised parasitic crustaceans are mentioned and users pointed to freely available ID resources on the internet. We felt it was important that wherever possible we should provide pointers to articles that are freely available through open access.

Charlotte says: We wanted to cover ‘everything’ and in fact sneaked in pycnogonids as a bonus group bearing a resemblance to spindly spider crabs despite not being crustaceans… Obviously this was wildly ambitious and constrained by the page count available as well as the availability of images and the likelihood of being observed and recorded. The initial plan evolved and the book actually ended up being about 40% larger than originally anticipated.

How did you set about the task of gathering photos? Did you have to make dedicated field trips for some images?

Iain says: Photos were gathered from the authors’ collections, but most came from a wide circle of friends and contacts in the wider Seasearch community. Obtaining images from as wide a variety of people as possible is important as a means of ensuring buy-in, spreading the word and gaining feedback for improvements. On the whole this gave us most of what was needed and, because of the serendipitous nature of wildlife spotting and photography, dedicated field trips were generally unlikely to yield the specific results that might have been required.

Lin says: I had always been fascinated by crustaceans so I had built up an extensive image library of the larger crustaceans found around British and Irish coasts over the years. Our main source of images, however were contributions from members of the Seasearch community who themselves have been collecting images from all around our coasts for decades. We are hugely grateful to those many individuals who freely provided their images for us to use, without this invaluable library of pictures to hand we would have struggled to get hold of all the images we needed.

There was one group for which we did make a focused effort to collect images specially for the guide: the hermit crabs. The classic guides to this group of charismatic crabs require the animal to be sampled and reduced to a series of body parts resembling an Airfix kit while focusing on microscopic detail of the mouthparts or other inconspicuous appendages in order to name the species. Contributions of detailed macro photographs from a number of enthusiastic Seasearchers proved that the eight species of hermit crab likely to be found in shallow British and Irish waters can be reliably identified using the colour of live animals specially their legs, antennae and antennules. In fact a review of images submitted by Seasearchers showed that some species of hermit crab are much more common in habitats such as Scottish sea lochs than the records available on national databases would suggest.

We hear a lot about shifting marine communities, with the spread of warm-water species and arrival of invasives. Are we seeing changes in our crustaceans too?

Lin says: Yes, indeed the crustaceans as a group are not immune to changes in distribution. Changes in distribution are always hard to pin down but my impression (being based in Dorset) is that there are a number of native species which we have included in the guide which are now rare or no longer occur along the south coast of England despite the fact that the type locality for the species was located there. I call these ‘climate change losers’ which are retreating north or into deeper, cooler waters.

Non-native species are of course an ever present threat: examples are the Chinese Mitten Crab with its highly destructive behaviour of burrowing into muddy river banks seriously threatening the integrity of our flood defences in some parts of the country, or the replacement of our native Green Shore Crab by the invasive Brush-clawed Shore Crab in the estuaries of eastern England. Records of changing distributions raise the semantic puzzle of whether the species is an introduced non-native crustacean or simply a native species extending its geographical range northwards as climatic conditions change to suit its requirements. Just before the guide went to press we were alerted to a first record of a non-native crab species from the Solent highlighting the fact that we should constantly be on the lookout for the new and exotic.

Iain says: Yes, range changes over time are apparent in crustaceans as in all groups; certain species once thought to be mainly southern in distribution are now being observed further north and new species from warmer parts of Europe are appearing on the south coast. At the same time, species familiar in more northern waters are disappearing as our waters become warmer.

Finally, what do you hope this guide will do for interest in, and recording of, crustaceans?

Charlotte says: Hopefully it will persuade people to look more closely at what they are seeing on the shore or underwater – it has certainly opened my eyes. It should also highlight how much information can be gleaned from images taken with modern compact cameras – it’s not necessary to spend thousands of pounds nor to sacrifice animals in search of a label. One mark of success will be if the range descriptions and distribution maps rapidly become outdated because people have been encouraged to go out and see what they can find (and record it!).

Iain says: We very much hope that this guide shows that it is possible to identify species by direct observation and from photographs, and that species collection, dissection and microscopic examination is not always absolutely necessary. We hope that this guide sheds light for many and encourages closer examination, particularly of those groups which might formerly have been thought of as being ‘too difficult’. The more examination and recording that goes on, the more guides like this will improve and develop.

Lin says: We hope the guide will stimulate people’s interest in the group and provide an introduction to the huge diversity encompassed by the crustaceans. With my Seasearch recording hat on I anticipate a flood of species sightings helping us to build up a better picture of our crustacean fauna and future changes in distribution driven by shifts in climate or the introduction of non-natives. I am also hopeful that we may find better, more reliable ways to identify species in the field, thus teasing out some of the uncertainties which still exist in distinguishing species in some groups, particularly the spider crabs for example.

Author interview with Jack Perks: The Great British River

Jack Perks brings Britain’s rivers to life with his beautiful new book, The Great British River. Packed with fascinating information, insights, and stunning photography, it offers a fresh perspective on Britain’s waterways.

A passionate wildlife photographer, TV presenter, and writer, Jack is widely recognised as a leading expert on British fish. His work behind the camera includes acclaimed shows like Springwatch, Countryfile, and The One Show.

Beyond television, Jack contributes to top nature magazines such as BBC Wildlife and Country Life, and he’s the author of several books, including Field Guide to British Fish. As vice president of WildFish Conservation, he is deeply committed to protecting aquatic life. Jack also hosts The Bearded Tit’s Podcast, where he chats with a diverse range of guests about the natural world with a light-hearted touch. On his YouTube channel, Chasing Scales, he shares his love for nature, angling, and aquariums, inviting viewers into his vibrant world.

We recently had the pleasure of talking to Jack about his new book and the wonders of rivers in general.

What inspired you to write this book, and how does it differ from your previous releases?

Rivers are such a close part of my life. Spending time filming wildlife about and below them has meant I’ve seen most major rivers across the British Isles, and it’s fair to say many have declined. I wanted to highlight some of the issues in rivers while also celebrating the wildlife that calls them home and how the public can still enjoy them.

Your book highlights a fun and diverse selection of rivers, species, activities, and places to visit. What criteria did you use to decide which items to include or exclude?

I tried to keep it fairly simple, starting at the source and ending at the estuary, but I was a few chapters short so added other interesting topics like chalk streams (an almost uniquely English habitat), urban rivers, Scottish spate rivers and even ponds!

With all the knowledge you hold, did you still encounter any unexpected discoveries or surprises during your research or writing process?

There’s always more to learn and that was the great thing when delving into the world of British rivers. Some highlights included learning how many of them were named, discovering regional names for rivers, and revealing the wildlife you might not even know is living in them, from beavers to barbel.

In recent times, there has been growing concern about the state of British rivers due to pollution, including sewage spills, which you also mention in your book. What can the public do to help protect and improve British rivers?

It can seem rather depressing, but I think it’s key to hold those to account who are causing these issues and not let up. Report sewage incidents, lobby your MP and do what you can in the meantime on a smaller scale, like litter picks, habitat improvement, etc.

How do you see the balance between preserving the natural beauty and biodiversity of British rivers while accommodating human activities such as recreation, agriculture, and urban development? What approaches do you think are most effective for achieving or improving this balance?

It’s a case of working with nature where possible. Not building on floodplains, for example, seems rather obvious to me. Rewiggling rivers to help with flows and flooding, and keeping spots where people can enjoy the river while also having areas where wildlife can be left in peace, are both important.

It’s been a decade since you set up the UK national fish vote, where 21% of nearly 7,000 voters chose the Brown Trout as Britain’s favourite fish. The Environment Agency has warned that this species might disappear from most English rivers by 2080. What are your thoughts on this?

I find the idea horrifying that British rivers could be devoid of such iconic species. Look at Water Voles, once found pretty much on every beck and brook in the country, but now our fastest declining mammal. Common species we take for granted can be under threat.

How optimistic or pessimistic are you about the future of British rivers?

I won’t lie, I’m a pessimist generally in life, but the remarkable thing about nature is that, given the chance, it can bounce back and bounce back quickly. We simply need to give it the opportunity, but if we don’t then it’s not looking good.

What do you think should be the next step in raising public awareness about Britain’s rivers?

I think the more people who know about the issues, the better. Certainly, in recent years it’s become fairly public knowledge that our rivers are on a downward spiral. It’s never been more vital to record on your local patch to show what is currently there – or, in many cases, what isn’t there but should be. Taking pictures and videos on your phone, or with a larger camera if you have one, means we can keep records of what’s living on the riverbank.

What makes British rivers unique compared to waterways in other parts of the world?

I suppose, put simply, it is that they are British! You could argue that many rivers in France, Belgium and the Netherlands are geographically quite similar, but our rivers are an important part of our history – being trade routes into cities, inspiring stories like The Wind In The Willows, and allowing us glimpses into the natural world, whether in the heart of London or a hidden valley in Monmouthshire.

Other books authored by, or with photography from, Jack Perks:

Field Guide to British Fish: Freshwater and Marine

A richly illustrated photographic handbook showcasing 200 freshwater and marine fish species found across Britain. It offers detailed identification tips, notes on behaviour and habitat, and conservation insights, making it an essential guide for enthusiasts.

Small Fry: Britain’s Tiniest Freshwater Fish

Small Fry celebrates Britain’s often overlooked small freshwater fish, blending detailed biology with engaging stories to inspire both academics and enthusiasts. Richly illustrated and accessible, it highlights their ecological importance and enduring charm amid growing conservation needs.

The Complex Lives of British Freshwater Fishes

This beautifully illustrated book reveals the complex lives of Britain’s freshwater fishes, highlighting their ecological, cultural, and conservation importance beyond angling. Combining scientific detail with stunning photography, it engages conservationists, anglers, and nature lovers alike.

International Dawn Chorus Day – 3rd May 2026

Singing Robin – James Wainscoat, Unsplash

Taking place every year on the first Sunday of May, International Dawn Chorus Day is an initiative that aims to inspire people to pay attention to one of the great spectacles (or rather symphonies) of the natural world. The Dawn Chorus is a cacophony of birdsong performed by birds trying to find a mate and establish their territories. In spring, as the days stretch longer, and birds start to think of breeding, these songs amp up, as males compete for the amorous attention of females.

Across the globe, on the 3rd of May, people will be setting their alarms to wake up before the sun, hoping to listen to a phenomenon that happens every day through the spring and early summer, everywhere, yet is often overlooked in our busy modern lives.

This year the RSPB has set a challenge for the UK to wake up 30 minutes before dawn, step outside and record what they hear, uploading it to social media using the hashtag #DawnChorusClub to share with as many people as possible and raise awareness. Here at the NHBS, we want to help people get the best experience possible recording these songs and have put together a short product list that can help you take your recordings to the next level.

Parabolic Microphones

Below is a selection of parabolic microphones in our range. Small Parabolic microphones are ideal for picking up bird song but may not be as effective with low frequency animal calls such as deer. Whereas large or full size parabolic can pick up animal sounds through a wide range of frequencies, from bats to birds to deer.

Small Parabolics – Ideal for bird song

BirdMic One Parabolic Microphone with Audio Interface

Our most popular piece of sound recording equipment, the BirdMic One is a compact, lightweight and great value parabolic microphone, designed to make recording simple. A parabolic microphone acts sort of like an audio zoom lens, for focusing on particular sounds, able to amplify sounds at 1.5KHz and above – perfect for capturing bird calls. The included audio interface connects directly to the parabolic dish and allows for direct connection to a smartphone so that you can use an auto ID app (such as Merlin) to record and ID bird species in real time. This item does not include an iPhone adapter (3.5mm jack to Lightning) which are readily available online.

BirdMic Pro Parabolic Microphone with Audio Interface

A step up from the BirdMic, the BirdMic Pro uses the highly regarded PRIMO EM272Z1 microphone capsules, boasting high sensitivity and virtually no self-noise, ensuring crisp and clear recordings. This Microphone also has more versatile connection options allowing you to connect to a SLR camera, or other handheld audio recording devices.

Full-size Parabolics – Ideal for a wide range of animal calls

Hi-Sound Stereo AOL Parabolic Microphone

A professional grade parabolic microphone, the Hi-Sound is extremely directional and can pick up sounds over long distances, making it ideal for seeing which birds are making each sound. This microphone uses two pairs of microphones separated by a baffle to capture sounds in stereo, like how your own ears work. The only additional equipment needed is a compatible recorder. The recorder must support PIP plug-in power if it uses a 3.5mm jack and phantom power if it uses an XLR lead. The microphone is fitted with a handle with comfortable foam grip and a 1m cable. More information about what kit may be needed can be found in our blog Introduction to sound recording .

Telinga PRO-X Parabolic Microphone System

Our top of the range parabolic microphone, Telinga is one of the most well-regarded sound recording companies in the world. The microphone is fitted with a 45 PPF cell foam windshield and has a frequency response of 60-20,000Hz, low self-noise and matched stereo microphone capsules. The dish is also foldable and will pack down to a diameter of 15cm (6″) making it easy to transport and store. As with before, please check before purchasing that your chosen audio recorder is compatible with the system you choose.

Passive Microphone

Song Meter Micro 2

For those of us who find ourselves unable or unwilling to rise at unsavoury hours, passive recording devices can help us get by. The Song Meter Micro 2 is an excellent, popular and cost-effective option. The simple yet innovative design of this recorder allows for a lightweight and fully weatherproof device with an impressive 240-hour battery life. This device can be set to record at any time for as long as you want from an app available online, enabling you to hear the dawn chorus once you’ve woken up.

Recommended reading on birds and sound recording

The Sound Approach to Birding:
The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Bird Sound

£25.00

Collins Bird Identifier Set

£39.98

Perspectives on Wildlife Sound Recording:
An Overview of Modern Practice

£35.00

Field Recording:
A Practical Guide

£20.00

Nature Boy:
A Journey of Birdsong & Belonging

£16.99

Author Interview with Paul Stancliffe and Jeff Baker: The Collins British Bird Identifier

The Collins British Bird Identifier offers a fresh and inventive take on the challenge of bird identification, highlighting the five features that can be used to definitively identify every bird species in Britain. With beautiful new artwork and clear labelling, the guide aims to simplify the process of bird ID and make it accessible and enjoyable for everyone, from beginner to expert.

Collins British Bird Identifier was developed by a team from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), comprising Paul Stancliffe, who developed the BTO’s bird identification courses, and Jeff Baker, field guide illustrator and former BTO Marketing Director. We recently had the pleasure of talking to Paul and Jeff about the concept behind the guide and the process of bringing it to life.

Firstly, how did the two of you come to work together on this project?

Jeff says: Paul worked with me at the BTO for many years. I project managed a couple of Paul’s books – Collins BTO Guide to British Birds and Collins BTO Guide to Rare British Birds. Having worked on these he came up with an idea that perhaps all British species could be identified using just five features.

Paul says: I have kept notes on the identification of tricky species for many years and have often thought that I could share them more widely. Having worked successfully with Collins before they were the obvious publisher to approach once I had checked and double checked that the five features concept worked. I have always liked Jeff’s artwork and for me the choice for him to illustrate this book was an easy one.

The guide gives a novel but very effective take on the challenge of bird identification. How did the idea of the ‘five features’ approach come about?

Paul says: It has taken a lot of time and thought but I think the process began for me with my first ‘proper’ birding notebook over fifty years ago where I noted features that would help me identify birds that I saw if, and when, I saw them again. For some species only one or two but for others more. This approach has served me well and around a decade ago I began looking at how many features were needed to identify a species of bird beyond doubt – five seemed to be the answer and I then began testing this around Europe and the Middle East and during a trip to North America. It worked very well.

Was it difficult to whittle ID features down to five for some species?

Paul says: Identifying the five features needed took me over a decade of research, mostly in the field though many were already in my notebooks. There are a small number of species where one or two more features may help. Even with those, if the five features given in the book are seen, you can be confident you have the right bird, though that’s not always easy in the field, particularly with secretive and flighty birds.

A bonus of this guide is the inclusion of all birds recorded in Britain, meaning it doubles as a beautifully illustrated checklist of British birds. Were there any challenges in expanding the scope to cover rarer visitors?

Jeff says: Yes, the very rare species, and even scarce species I have not seen, posed more of a challenge when it came to illustrating them. Fortunately, the reference material available today, especially given the vast wealth of photographic libraries as well as identification articles, papers and books, made the task much easier than it would have been say even ten years ago.

Creating the illustrations, showing not just all species but all distinctive plumages, must have been a monumental task. Can you tell us a bit about the process and timeline?

Jeff says: The actual timeline from starting the illustrations for this book to finishing it was about four years. However, this is a bit misleading since a lot of detailed research on non-passerines birds was undertaken at the Tring Natural History Museum over several years to look for ageing and sexing methods using their vast collection of cabinet specimens. This work resulted in a guide to the Identification of European Non-Passerines (BTO Guide). This extensive piece of research work proved crucial for many of the non-passerine illustrations in this book. Also, as a bird ringer for over 55 years, I’ve been privileged to get up close and personal to hundreds of species and thousands of birds handled over the years. It all helps to build up a picture in your head!

Finally, what are your hopes for this guide in terms of how it will help to improve the identification process for birders, new or experienced?

Paul says: I hope it will give beginners a new approach to bird identification and provide experts with a handy memory jogger, but above all, I hope it will make bird identification less daunting for those just starting out, or thinking of taking up this wonderful hobby. It is not often that the opportunity to share a lifetime of watching and learning about birds with others is given.