Shag' is a very old name that means 'tufted' and refers to the small crest that this bird sports. Look out for it in spring and summer either diving for fish from the surface of the…

With its fluffy-looking, light blue flower heads, sheep's-bit is a pretty plant of dry grassland, heaths and clifftops. Sometimes carpeting an area, it is popular with nectar-loving insects…

Guillemots really know how to live life on the edge – quite literally! They nest tightly packed on steep ledges and cliffs around the coast. This may sound like a strange nesting spot, but it…

The common rosefinch is a rare visitor to the UK, usually passing through in autumn.

This elegant wader is an uncommon autumn visitor, often joining flocks of dunlin.

This unmistakeable moth, famous for its skull-shaped marking, is a rare visitor to the UK.

This dainty seaduck is a winter visitor to our coasts, particularly in northern and eastern Scotland.

This wading bird is a rare visitor from North America, usually spotted in autumn.

From grunts and groans, to 'purring' and 'piglet squealing', the water rail is more often heard than it is seen! This shy bird lives in reedbeds and wetlands, hiding among the…