Great mullein is an impressive, tall plant of waste ground, roadside verges and gardens. Its candle-like flower spikes rise from rosettes of furry, silver-green leaves.

A non-native species originating from Asia, the harlequin ladybird is prevalent in towns and gardens.

This tiny wading bird is most often seen in autumn, feeding on the muddy margins of wetlands.

This streaky brown bird is a summer visitor to Britain, favouring open woodlands in the north and west.

A rare breeder in the UK, this sooty-coloured bird is as at home on an industrial site as it is on a rocky cliff face.

The Heath bumblebee is not only found on heathland, but also in gardens and parks. It nests in small colonies of less than 100 workers in all kinds of spots, such as old birds' nests, mossy…

This streaky brown bird is a winter visitor, occasionally found walking around the muddy margins of marshes.

The raven is famous for being the imposing, all-black bird that guards the Tower of London. Wild birds live in forests, and upland and coastal areas in the north and west of the UK.

This elegant wading bird is a rare visitor to the UK, though occasionally one or two of pairs will nest here.

This glossy wading bird is a scarce visitor to the UK, though records have become more common in recent decades.

Wild privet is a shrub of hedgerows, woodlands and scrub, but is also a popular garden-hedge plant. It has white flowers in summer and matt-black berries in winter that are very poisonous.