More related content:<\/p>\n

Scottish islands guide: best to visit and how to get there<\/a><\/li>\n
Best walks in Cornwall<\/a><\/li>\n
Guide to puffins: facts, identification, and where to see them<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
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$\""Puffins\"$ <\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>
What thrived inland?<\/span><\/h3>\n
It was great news for rewilding in the UK when beavers released<\/a> at the National Trust\u2019s Holnicote Estate in Exmoor had their first kit. <\/span><\/p>\n
Further north, the Lancashire Wildlife Trust made its final release of sand lizards to the sand dunes there in August. In total the Trust has released over 400 hatchlings since 2008 to boost the population of England\u2019s rarest lizard. <\/span><\/p>\n
Rare spiders<\/a> were spotted for the first time by National Trust<\/a> teams: an angular orbweaver, normally only found on the southern coast, was found in a wet woodland in The Vyne, Hampshire, where a rare female wasp spider was also found for the first time.<\/span><\/p>\n
The National Trusts recorded large numbers of grey seal pups at the Farne Islands, Northumberland, and at Blakeney Point<\/a>, Norfolk. A record number of 190 grey seal pups was counted in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland, and Ordford Ness, Suffolk, which saw 200 grey seal arrivals.<\/span><\/p>\n
2021 was a good year for wildflowers. Helped by a dry April and warm June, early summer saw pyramidal orchids flourish across Rodborough Common, Gloucestershire, and bee orchids blooming in large numbers on Golden Cap Estate in Dorset. Later in the year, autumn lady\u2019s tresses flowered in their thousands at grasslands and sand dunes in southern England and Wales.<\/span><\/p>
Grassland fungi also enjoyed a good year thanks to a warm, damp autumn with little frost. Waxcaps lost much of their habitat (healthy, untreated grasslands) since the Second World War, but the National Trust found 17 species in just one meadow in Shropshire, and discovered several new waxcap species in Yorkshire. <\/span><\/p>\n
Looking to the skies, early in the year after analysing the results of their annual Big Garden Birdwatch (find out how to take part in the 2022 Birdwatch<\/a>), the RSPB<\/a> revealed that the house sparrow was the most commonly sighted bird, with blue tits taking second place, followed by starlings. They also reported that blackbirds and robins continued to do well and were seen in strong numbers. <\/span><\/p>\n
It was also good news for the rare white-tailed eagle, which was moved from the UK\u2019s Red List to the Amber List, indicating that the species is showing signs of being in a stronger position than in previous years. <\/span><\/p>\n
For migratory species, the BTO<\/a> reported that bar-tailed godwits arrived in good numbers, particularly at Severn Beach in Gloucestershire. Whooper swans, pink footed geese, pintail, wigeon, teal, shoveler and red wings also all arrived in strong numbers. <\/span><\/p>\n
Which species struggled during 2021? <\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
Sadly, it\u2019s never good news for all species, and 2021 was no exception. Many species struggled thanks to unfavourable weather conditions caused by climate change. <\/span><\/p>\n
What struggled at sea?<\/span><\/h3>\n
In Cornwall alone, over 170 marine mammals and 247 seals were stranded in 2021, including a humpback whale that had been caught in fishing lines. Many of these animals were injured as a result of fishing activities, including abandoned equipment. <\/span><\/p>\n
In February, a striped dolphin, more commonly found in the Mediterranean and rare in UK waters, was stranded in Cornwall. <\/span><\/p>\n
Another unexpected sighting took place in May, when a minke whale calf found its way into the Thames. It made nationwide headlines and was a story keenly followed by many, but sadly rescue teams were unable to save it. <\/span><\/p>\n
Also making headlines was the strange case of thousands of dead crabs, lobsters, birds, guillemots and razorbills washing up on Northumberland and Scottish coasts. What caused these creatures to die is still unknown, and investigations into this are continuing. <\/span><\/p>\n
Storm Arwen hit coasts hard in November, washing up hundreds of dead starfish, seal pups, and other sea creatures. The Wildlife Trusts reported that many seal pups were injured or separated from their mothers after the storm hit during the peak of pupping season. <\/span><\/p>\n
What struggled inland?<\/span><\/h3>\n
As at sea, Storm Arwen also caused plenty of damage when it made landfall in the UK, bringing down thousands of trees \u2014 many in Wales, the Lake District, and Northumberland. <\/span><\/p>\n
Although the Government is aiming to improve the country\u2019s tree cover, many trees are being lost to pathogens, with large areas of woodland being lost. <\/span><\/p>\n
The mild winter with warm and wet conditions meant that tree diseases were able to take hold of thousands of trees. According to the National Trust, tens of thousands of larch trees were felled across Lake District due to outbreak of Phytophthora ramorum<\/em>, and at least 30,000 ash trees will need to be felled due to ash dieback.<\/span><\/p>\n
The Woodland Trust<\/a> reported that although woodland cover is gradually increasing, woodland wildlife continues to decrease. Much of the woodland cover that has been increasing include non-native trees, while native woodlands are isolated and in poor ecological condition \u2014 in fact, the conservation charity reports that just 7 per cent of native woodland in Britain is currently in good ecological condition overall.<\/span><\/p>\n

More related content:<\/p>\n
Britain\u2019s best forests and woodlands<\/a><\/li>\n
Guide to Britain\u2019s butterflies: how to identify and best places to spot<\/a><\/li>\n
Garden bird guide: how to identify common birds and what to feed each species<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
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$\""Spring\"$ <\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>
An unusually dry spring saw wildfires sweep through the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland, burning 200 hectares, and Marsden Moor in Yorkshire, burning 520 hectares of moorland. The fire destroyed rare plants, hindered already declining bird and hare populations, and damaged peat soil important for locking up carbon. <\/span><\/p>\n
Late frosts in April and May affected apple blossom in northern England and Northern Ireland, resulting in poor apple crops.<\/span><\/p>\n
It was bad news too for butterflies last year \u2014 Butterfly Conservation<\/a> recorded the lowest ever numbers during the Big Butterfly Count 2021. The charity revealed that 60 per cent of species had lower numbers since the previous year, with butterflies emerging later due to a cool spring.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
$\""Peacock\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>