Observing the nature around us is a rewarding experience, but identifying what you see isn’t always easy. It can take years to master even a small group of species. Fortunately, modern technology makes it easier than ever to contribute to “Citizen Science”—helping us fill the gaps in our species identification.
In modern conservation, we use data to predict where wildlife lives and which habitats need the most care. These models only work if we have a wide range of records from across the county. Your sightings provide the evidence we need to protect Somerset’s nature.
Available Apps
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| Seek |  |
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| iNaturalist | |
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| Merlin | |
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Seek (by iNaturalist)
Best for: Beginners and quick identification. Seek uses your phone’s camera and AI to identify plants and animals in real-time based on your location. It’s a great way to record what you spot while on a walk. You can also link Seek to an iNaturalist account to save your discoveries.
iNaturalist
Best for: Contributing to a global scientific community. A joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society, iNaturalist is a free app used worldwide to share and identify biodiversity.
Merlin
Best for: Instant, free, and accurate bird identification through sound recordings, photos, or simple descriptions.
⚠️ Important Note on Data Usage If you are recording a Notable Species (see list below) or are concerned about a sighting being used in planning applications, please use the SERC Online Recording System instead.
iNaturalist records are public and cannot be used for the specific commercial and legal purposes required for local conservation and development planning.
Notable Species
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- Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
- Eurasian Badger (Meles meles)
- Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
- Bats (Chiroptera)
- Bearded Tit (Panurus biarmicus)
- Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix)
- Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
- Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)
- Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
- Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax)
- Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus)
- Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)
- Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra)
- Corncrake (Crex crex)
- Crane (Grus grus)
- Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata)
- Dunlin (Calidris alpina)
- Firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla)
- Garganey (Anas querquedula)
- Goosander (Mergus merganser)
- Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
- Great White Egret (Ardea alba)
- Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)
- Hobby (Falco subbuteo)
- Honey-buzzard (Pernis apivorus)
- Hoopoe (Upupa epops)
- Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
- Large-mouthed Valve Snail (Valvata macrostoma)
- Lesser Redpoll (Acanthis cabaret)
- Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor)
- Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
- Little Owl (Athene noctua)
- Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)
- Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
- Merlin (Falco columbarius)
- Montagu’s Harrier (Circus pygargus)
- Night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
- European Otter (Lutra lutra)
- Peregrine (Falco peregrinus)
- Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)
- Quail (Coturnix coturnix)
- Red Grouse (Lagopus lagopus)
- Red Kite (Milvus milvus)
- Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)
- Redshank (Tringa totanus)
- Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
- Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)
- Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis)
- Savi’s Warbler (Locustella luscinioides)
- Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
- Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)
- Spotted Crake (Porzana porzana)
- The Shining Ram’s-horn (Segmentina nitida)
- Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra)
- White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
- Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)
- Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)
- Woodlark (Lullula arborea)
- Wryneck (Jynx torquilla)
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To find help with specific species groups, visit the SEWBREC website, where they have collated an extensive range of identification resources