The teal is a pretty, little dabbling duck, which can be easily spotted in winter on reservoirs, gravel pits, and flooded meadows. Watching flocks of this bird wheel through a winter sky is a true…

This sea snail is abundant on rocky shores around the UK. It is an active predator, feasting on mussels and barnacles before retreating to crevices to rest.

Violet ground beetles are active predators, coming out at night to hunt slugs and other invertebrates in gardens, woodlands and meadows.

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

This purply-brown seaweed is a common feature on our rocky shores and on our dinner plates.

This unmistakable moth spends the winter as an adult, tucked away in a sheltered spot like a cave or outbuilding.

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

The common octopus is a highly intelligent, active predator. It even has a secret weapon - special glands produce a venom that it uses to incapacitate its prey!

Look for the Yellow water-lily in still and slow-moving water, such as ponds, ditches, lakes and canals. Its lily pads and cupped, yellow flowers float at the water's surface.

This huge gull can be seen around most of the UK's coasts in summer, with some venturing inland in winter.