6 nature stories that happened this week
Chris Hitchings
BBC Springwatch Digital Team
Hello! Here's what has been happening over the past week.
1) Children in Somerset encouraging people to build hedgehog homes
Schoolchildren at a Somerset primary are asking people to build hedgehog homes in their gardens as part of a citizen science project. It's thought there are less than one million hedgehogs left in the UK. You can help them by following their advice, and also by making sure you watch out for them in the run up to bonfire night.
2) Fishermen find world's first two headed porpoise
Fishermen working in the North Sea found the porpoise in one of their nets. The two male calves, who shared one body, were the first reported case of conjoined twins in the harbour porpoise species. Sadly, the twins are thought to have died shortly after birth. Read more.
3) Scientists report record surge in CO2 levels
Concentrations of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere surged to a record high in 2016, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). Last year's increase was 50% higher than the average of the past 10 years. Scientists say rapidly increasing atmospheric levels of CO2 and other gases have the potential, according to the study, to initiate unpredictable changes in the climate system leading to severe ecological and economic disruptions. Read more.
4) Octopuses appear on British beaches
Up to 25 octopuses were spotted on a beach in Ceredigion earlier this week. Locals were baffled as to why so many of them climbed out of the water and onto beaches during the night. Numbers of curled octopuses, measuring about 20in (0.5m) in length, have increased off the coast of Wales as a result of the decline in cod populations. They are also a common prey for dolphins.
5) Hawfinches galore!
The BTO reported this week that hundreds of hawfinches have been migrating back to the UK. The organisation said there were many areas where a Hawfinch would normally be classed as a rare bird which are now seeing birds in staggering numbers. The largest count to date has been 115 over Steps Hill in Buckinghamshire on a single morning.
6) Blue Planet II returns - Sunday at 8pm, BBC One
Blue Planet II returns for the second part of the six part series on Sunday night at 8pm. This week on social media, this clip of a sea horse with a cotton wool cleaner wrapped in its tail has been shared widely. If you ever need a prompt to help clean up our oceans then this is it. We've produced advice to help you do so, it couldn't be easier.
