Although rain fell in Formby on 17 days, amounts were small. Therefore, November turned out to be much drier than October, with no change in the water-level at the Devil’s Hole. It was relatively mild with hardly any frost. As a result, occasional summer flowers, such as Evening Primrose, Ragwort and the Hybrid Stork’s-bill enlivened the dunes throughout the month.

New data shows that in 2018 ten species of rare birds bred in their highest ever recorded numbers across the UK. Thanks to extensive conservation work including reintroductions and habitat management, the fate of some of these birds continues to improve. However, some species haven’t fared as well, with some being impacted by cold winter weather and problems on migration.

New research, just published in the journal Forest Ecology and Management, has assessed bat populations across broadleaved woodlands managed in different ways. The work not only reveals the management practices that are good for bats, but also highlights those structural characteristics that are beneficial to individual bat species.

The lockdown has allowed many people to reconnect with nature, but evidence from British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO) Garden BirdWatch survey has shown that some of our favourite garden species, such as the Blue Tit, have been struggling this year, possibly due to the unusually warm spring.