Granddad’s Camera: Nature noteshttps://granddadscamera.co.uk/notes/ Seasonal notes on British wildlife, checked against UK sources.en-gb Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000 Where to see starling murmurations in the UK this winterhttps://granddadscamera.co.uk/notes/where-to-see-starling-murmurations/https://granddadscamera.co.uk/notes/where-to-see-starling-murmurations/Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000Starling murmurations run from about November to February, and the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust rates November to January as the best of it. Get there around an hour before sunset and stay until it's nearly dark. Brighton Palace Pier, Aberystwyth Pier, RSPB Ham Wall in Somerset and RSPB Newport Wetlands are among the best-known places to see one. Where to see grey seal pups in the UK, and when they're bornhttps://granddadscamera.co.uk/notes/where-to-see-seal-pups/https://granddadscamera.co.uk/notes/where-to-see-seal-pups/Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000Grey seal pups are born from late summer in the west to midwinter in the east: late August to November on Skomer and the Welsh coast, September to December in Cornwall, and late October to January in Norfolk and Lincolnshire. Horsey in Norfolk and Donna Nook in Lincolnshire both have fenced viewing areas. Stay at least 100 metres away and keep dogs on a lead. When do hedgehogs hibernate in the UK?https://granddadscamera.co.uk/notes/when-do-hedgehogs-hibernate/https://granddadscamera.co.uk/notes/when-do-hedgehogs-hibernate/Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000Most hedgehogs in the UK hibernate from November or December until mid-March or early April. Some settle down in October and a few not until January, because it's the weather that decides, not the date. They don't sleep straight through: most wake every so often for a day or two, usually without leaving the nest. When is the red deer rut, and where can you see it?https://granddadscamera.co.uk/notes/red-deer-rut/https://granddadscamera.co.uk/notes/red-deer-rut/Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000The red deer rut runs from late September into November, and the British Deer Society says it usually peaks from late September to early October. Go at dawn or dusk. Stags roar, walk side by side to size each other up and sometimes lock antlers. Watch from at least 50 metres away with binoculars, and leave the dog at home.