What is phenology?

Phenology is the study of seasonal changes in plants and animals from year to year, such as flowering of plants, emergence of insects and migration of birds, especially their timing and relationship with weather and climate.

Nature’s Calendar volunteers record the dates of certain events which happen to certain species during the changing seasons.

Examples of events that you can record throughout the year as part of the Nature’s Calendar project include:

Trees and shrubs

Budburst, first leaf, first flower, fruit ripe, first tint, full tint, leaf fall, bare tree

Flowers

First flower

Migratory birds

First and last recorded

Resident birds

First heard singing, first nestbuilding, first feeding young, young first seen

Insects

First recorded

Take a look at the full list of species and events that you can record.