It’s finally happening: the days are getting longer and the UK is getting (slightly) warmer. Before long, we’ll all be spending a lot more time sharing the outdoors with the country’s wealth of wildlife. From deer to damselflies, hares to heathers, and blue tits to butterflies, we really do have a wonderful collection of flora and fauna – if you know where to look, that is.
Outdoor clothing and equipment brand Millets has revealed exactly where to go to catch a glimpse of some of your favourite species. Researchers analysed the number of wildlife occurrences between 2018 and 2022 in each local UK authority to determine best places and times of the year to spot nature.
It comes as a surprise to no one that the Scottish Highlands ranks first in the list, home to robins, heathers, oystercatchers, damselflies and many more species. Millets found that the area had a total of 18,371 wildlife occurrences per 10,000 population.
As a hotspot for blackbirds and blue tits, York scooped second place on the list with 17,649 wildlife occurrences per 10,0000 population. The local authority of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk came in at number three, particularly notable for its large number of wildlife-protected sites where goldfinches can be spotted.
The research also revealed the best times of the year to see certain species. November is apparently the best month to catch a glimpse of blackbirds, while January is peak time for robins. March is an optimum month to look out for great tits, and as the summer approaches, Millets says that there will be an abundance of meadow brown butterflies, particularly in July in the New Forest District.
The top ten places to see wildlife in the UK:
- The Scottish Highlands
- York
- King’s Lynn and West Norfolk
- Argyll and Bute Council
- Breckland
- New Forest District
- East Cambridgeshire District
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- Pembrokeshire
- Herefordshire
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