‘Help Us To Track Wildlife This Autumn’ – Surrey Charity’s Plea To Nature Lovers

Published on: 8 Oct, 2025
Updated on: 8 Oct, 2025

The Redwing. Picture: Jon Hawkins

Surrey Wildlife Trust has launched a new phase of its Surrey Species Search programme, which asks local people to look for some of the wildlife which typifies our county during autumn.

It’s all part of the Trust’s campaign to track the fortunes of different species, while engaging people in the drive to appreciate and protect the natural world.

The Trust says that by going on a Surrey Species Search in your garden or a local community space such as a woodland, playing field or churchyard, you might spot the following creatures:

Redwing – a small and sociable member of the thrush family. Around one million Redwings start to arrive from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia in October, hoping to take advantage of the plentiful berries and worms to be found across the UK’s farmland, hedgerows, parks and large gardens. They will range widely across the UK’s open spaces before departing in April.

Muntjac – the UK’s smallest resident deer species. These cute, Labrador-sized creatures were privately introduced to Bedfordshire in the last century and have now become widespread. Solitary by nature, their small size and low profile means they can exist quite close to human habitation – and often wreak havoc on vegetable patches!

Rowan – a small, slender native tree which is often seen in local parks, heaths and woodland edges and can live for up to 200 years. Bright red Rowan berries supply crucial autumn sustenance for many species of birds, including Blackbirds, Redwings and Waxwings. By eating the berries, these birds help the tree to disperse its seeds.

Fly agaric. Picture: Jon Hawkins

Fly Agaric – one of the most iconic fungi species. The Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) is the classic red-and-white toadstool of fairy tales and a truly magical sight amongst the autumnal leaf litter.

Giant House Spider – the largest of many similar species of spider which take advantage of our warm, dry homes to find shelter, food and a place to nest. Males stay with their chosen females for some weeks, mating numerous times until eventually they die, at which point they are eaten by their female. Don’t be afraid though – they can’t hurt people!

The Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) has produced a specially-designed app, Five2Find, which can be downloadable to any smartphone, to help people record and identify these species and report their numbers and locations. Participants can download the app, or record sightings directly, via the SWT website at www.surreywildlifetrust.org/52find, which also features a short ‘how to’ film.

The data on sightings will be fed to the Surrey Biodiversity Information Centre (SBIC), an arm of SWT which enables conservationists to understand the changing distribution and abundance of native plants and animals.

Rob Schwar, Surrey Biodiversity Information Centre’s Data Officer, says: “The first phase of Surrey Species Search was a surprise hit this summer, with over 200 records of Slow Worms, Oxeye Daises, Peacock butterflies, Swifts and bats submitted. I like to think that every new recruit to wildlife watching could one day become the next David Attenborough or Liz Bonnin, so I hope many more people will join in with our search this autumn.

“Of course, with around one-third of Surrey’s species at risk, we need to do all we can to build interest in the natural world and encourage more people to take simple steps – like phasing out harmful pesticides and using resources more carefully – to protect it.”

SWT plans to repeat each phase of the Surrey Species Search every year. Over time, the information gathered will help map population trends and inform action to improve, protect or connect the local green spaces that are most important for wildlife.

SWT says Britain is one of the world’s most nature-depleted nations, and one-third of Surrey’s species are currently at risk or already lost. Surrey Wildlife Trust’s Save Surrey’s Nature campaign is now halfway towards its target of raising £1 million to halt and reverse this pattern, so that everyone can enjoy the benefits provided by a healthy natural world. Find out more at https://www.surreywildlifetrust.org