Wildlife survey results reveal creatures we encounter the most
The trust also conducts an annual Somerset State Nature report which analyses data from wildlife records, habitat surveys, and national datasets.Ms Phillpot added: "The last Somerset State of Nature report stated an average of 14 rabbits and 22 red foxes were recorded a year between 2010-19. In just ten days, 15 rabbits and 44 red foxes have been recorded through The Big Count 2025."This was the fourth year the organisations hosted the count, which has now generated more than 3,000 species records for Somerset since its launch in 2022, including over 630 new records in this year's count.Nearly 100 different species were identified in this year's count, but the most-recorded species were the white-lipped snail with 46 observations, the red fox with 44, the garden snail with 41, and common bird's-foot trefoil with 39.Becky Fisher, head of engagement at the trust, said: "Citizen science is such a quick and easy way of helping wildlife at home - or from anywhere across the county. "Taking part in time-sensitive projects like this is particularly helpful for us."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
In 2025 how and when to see July's full Moon and the Delta Aquariid meteor shower
From a meteor shower, a dual display of the Moon and Mars, to a full Moon - there are an array of celestial events to look out for after dark this first happens on Friday 4 when the July night sky will bring the greatest chance of seeing the planet Mercury in 2025. It will be at its furthest distance from the Sun, making it easier to spot in the sky just after sunset. If you look towards the low western area of the horizon during twilight you should hopefully catch a glimpse of Mercury appearing to look like a small star. But be quick before it follows the Sun and dips below the skyline. Will you or won't you see the full Moon? The full Buck Moon rises on 10 July at around 22:00 BST but whether or not you get to see it depends on where you are - and the weather conditions of course. As with the other full Moons across the year, they are named after events in nature happening around the same time. This month's full Moon was named to represent the time of year when male deer, known as bucks, begin to grow their new antlers. For many it marked the start of the game hunting to the Sky at Night magazine this month's full Moon will be a low hanging one, external, meaning that in some parts of the northern hemisphere, including the UK, it might be too close to the horizon to really see it well. More meteors for July Starting on 12 July, the Delta Aquariid meteor shower begins its annual display, peaking on the nights of 28 and 29 can expect between 15 and 20 meteors an hour especially in dark-sky locations, but you'll need to be up after midnight to see them. While they're best viewed from the southern hemisphere, observers in the northern hemisphere should still catch a decent are believed to originate from Comet 96P/Machholz, a short-period comet that orbits the Sun every five years. The meteors tend to be faint, so darker skies will enhance visibility, especially around the new Moon on 24 July when it could also be possible to see parts of the Milky Way. The Moon and Mars are a double delight Just to keep you on tenterhooks you have to wait until July ends to see a striking conjunction of the Moon and Mars on 29 JulyIf you look to the eastern sky before dawn you should be able to see the waning crescent Moon closely aligned with the red skies are clear, you may be lucky enough to observe Mars and its striking reddish forget that the weather and cloud cover in your location will have an impact on what you can see, but you can check that and the sunrise/sunset times where you are on the BBC Weather app or online.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Scientists puzzled as orcas seen giving gifts to humans in random acts of 'kindness' around the world
Scientists have been left baffled after orcas were spotted giving gifts to humans in random acts of 'kindness'. From the icy fjords of Norway to the waters off New Zealand, wild orcas have been seen approaching humans who have been in boats and even standing on shore with an offering between their jaws. And the 'gifts' have ranged from fish, birds, stingrays, chunks of meat, and in one case, even a turtle. The behaviour, recorded in 34 separate incidents across six different orca populations, appears to be deliberate and surprisingly consistent. After releasing their 'gifts,' the orcas typically hovered close by, seemingly waiting for a human response – much like a pet cat bringing a mouse to its owner and watching expectantly. In several cases, bemused recipients took the unusual tokens, gave them a once-over, and gently tossed them back – only for the whale to retrieve and extraordinarily offer them again. The findings, published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology, have left researchers scratching their heads. 'We do not know the end goal of the cases reported here or even if there were any, but captive killer whales have been known to use dead prey to attract other species and then kill, but not always eat them,' the team, who were led by Jared Towers of the California Killer Whale Project, wrote in their study. While the idea of animals helping humans is a popular trope in ancient stories – think of Romulus and Remus being raised by a she-wolf, or jungle tales of children rescued by monkeys – modern scientific evidence has been scarce. One leading theory is that this behaviour reflects what scientists call 'interspecific generalised altruism' – essentially, kindness without strings attached. The orcas may be extending an invitation of friendship, offering up a piece of their catch without expecting anything in return. But researchers also aren't ruling out more calculating motives. In captivity, orcas have been observed using dead prey to lure birds closer only to eventually strike. However, there's been no hint of aggression towards humans. In fact, wild orcas have never been known to kill a person. Still, caution is urged regarding the five-tonne apex predators with a brain twice the size of ours. Their 'capacity to display complex and varied behaviours' remains poorly understood, the researchers added. The most plausible explanation, according to the team, may be that the gift-giving is part of the orcas' natural curiosity, and a way to study humans. 'This behaviour may represent some of the first accounts of any wild predator intentionally using prey and other items to directly explore human behaviour,' Towers and his colleagues wrote. Intriguingly, in all but one of the 34 cases, the whales waited for a response. Offering items to humans, researchers concluded, 'could simultaneously include opportunities for killer whales to practice learned cultural behaviour, explore, or play and in so doing learn about, manipulate, or develop relationships with us'. It comes after a pair of orcas were spotted snogging in the wild - and even using tongues. Video showed the pair of French-kissing killer whales gently biting each other's tongues for almost two minutes before parting and swimming away. In a paper published in the journal Oceans, the researchers describe 'repeated episodes of gentle, face-to-face oral contact'. The strange behaviour was spotted by a group of nature tourists on a snorkelling trip in the Kvænangen fjords in Norway, about 68 miles (109 kilometres) northeast of Tromsø. This behaviour, referred to as 'tongue nibbling' by scientists, has been seen before in captive whales but never amongst orcas in the wild. Scientists still aren't sure why orcas might engage in this kissing-like activity, but it could be a form of social bonding or play between these highly intelligent animals.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
How Bridget Phillipson can improve the climate for having children
In Bridget Phillipson's proposals (Bridget Phillipson says she wants more young people in UK to have children, 30 July), a notable absence that she is well placed to address as education secretary is the anxiety felt by so many students that if they do have children in the context of accelerating climate breakdown, there won't be a livable planet for their babies to grow up in. Surveys of young people's attitudes published in the Lancet in 2021 and 2024 reveal that this is a material factor in considering whether to have children for between 38% and 52% of respondents. Given that anxiety can either transform into purposeful action or malign and perverse despair if left to fester unaddressed, the curriculum review due to report in the autumn should integrate climate education across all subjects so that all our students understand the nature of the crisis and the debates about what we can do about it. Anything less will leave them stranded with a Holocene education in an Anthropocene AtkinNational Education Union Climate Change Network Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
