Brilliant butterflies
Spotted a butterfly but not sure what it is? Here are some common British butterflies you might see in your garden, and how to identify them.
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Water vole by Terry Whittaker/2020VISION
Chwilio
Yew
The Yew is a well-known tree of churchyards, but also grows wild on chalky soils. Yew trees can live for hundreds of years, turning into a maze of hollow wood and fallen trunks beneath dense…
My experiment
Simon has been restoring Wild Meadows for three years. By planting trees, digging a lake and sowing meadows, he is showing how quickly wildlife like otters, badgers and tawny owls can return, and…
Spiral wrack
This brown seaweed lives high up on rocky shores, just below the high water mark. Its blades are usually twisted, giving it the name Spiral Wrack.
Reddish buff
A very rare species, this moth is now limited to one site in the UK. Males can be a striking reddish buff in colour.
Cellar spider
You've probably spotted this long-legged spider hiding in the corner of a house or building.
Dryad's saddle
This big, beautiful fungus is a common one that can often be spotted popping out of trees.
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.
Make art from beach litter
Caroline Bond is a beach cleaner from East Sussex. She also makes art from the litter she collects from beaches!
Black horehound
The pungent, rotten smell of Black Horehound makes this medium-sized plant of waste ground and roadside verges stand out from the crowd.
Hedge woundwort
The unpleasant, astringent smell of Hedge woundwort makes this medium-sized plant of woodlands, hedgerows and roadside verges stand out from the crowd.
Reed bunting
A streaky brown bird, the reed bunting can be found in wetlands, reedbeds and on farmland across the UK. Males sport black heads and a white 'moustache'.