Wooing in the wild
A peek at the passionate world of animal courtship
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Water vole by Terry Whittaker/2020VISION
Chwilio
Common comfrey
The drooping, tubular, pink flowers of Common comfrey are a familiar sight to many gardeners. Sometimes considered a 'weed', this hairy plant can be used as an organic fertiliser and a…
Common bistort
Look for the delicate, pink flowers of Common bistort in wet meadows, pastures and roadside verges. It is also known as 'Pudding Dock' in North England because it was used to make a…
Wild marjoram
Wild marjoram is actually the same aromatic herb as oregano which is used in Mediterranean cooking. Its small, pink flower clusters can be seen on chalk and limestone grasslands in summer.
Red-necked phalarope
A delicate wader, Red-necked phalaropes are as comfortable swimming as they are on land. Unusually for birds, the females are more brightly coloured than the males.
Facts and stories
Learn amazing wildlife facts, read nature stories and hear from like-minded people. Take a look at our blogs and find out about some really weird wildlife near you...
Towns and gardens
Built up areas and gardens might seem unlikely places for finding wildlife. But maybe surprisingly they can provide homes for some of our most amazing wildlife, from city peregrines to urban otters!
Bizarre bums
In the animal kingdom, bums can do so much more than just poo! Discover some weird and wonderful animal bums.
Common fragrant-orchid
The Common fragrant-orchid lives up to its name: it produces a sweet, orangey smell that is very strong in the evening. Look for its densely packed, pink flower spikes on chalk grasslands in…
Common spotted-orchid
The common spotted-orchid is the easiest of all our orchids to see: sometimes, so many flowers appear together that they create a pale pink carpet in our woodlands, old quarries, dunes and marshes…
Goshawk
Known as the phantom of the forest, goshawks can fly through the trees at up to 40km per hour as they hunt birds and small mammals.
Hemp-agrimony
Also known as 'Raspberries and Cream', Hemp-agrimony displays 'frothy' clusters of tiny, pink flowers on top of long, reddish stems. Its leaves look like those of Hemp,…