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Headbangers

In late winter and early spring male great spotted woodpeckers are out head-banging.  You’ll notice them especially in the early morning as they beat out a repetitive “rat-a-tat-tat” sound on a... more >

Photo of the Month

Checkout the latest "Photo of the Month" and view more in the archives.  If you've got a good nature photo that you'd like to enter please send it in by e-mail... more >

Mine's a Blackberry

Anyone who has spent any time scrutinising a bramble bush at this time of year (is it just me then?) will recognise the squiggly trail left by the caterpillar of a... more >

Badger Cubs

If you could take a glimpse into the underground life in a badger's sett in February, you would witness the females, or sows, giving birth to their young known as... more >

Doing the Penguin

Great Crested Grebes perform their amazing 'Penguin Dance' in February.  It's all part of an elaborate courtship display which starts with... more >

Toads Crossing Roads

Toads start plodding back to the ponds where they developed from egg to adult in February.  The best time to see them is at night.  Take a torch with you to... more >

Scared of the Light

You could find one of these in February, but you'd be lucky.  Very few people ever get to see one.  Like the goths of the spider world this species goes out of its way to avoid light... more >

Bumblebee Babies

Amaze (or bore) your friends in February with your bumble bee knowledge.  Simply point to any that you see with absolute certainty and say "oh look, a... more >

Fungi in February

The poisonous Sulphur Tuft fungi often sprout out of old tree stumps or fallen branches in February.  They help to break down the dead wood by feeding on the remaining nutrients... more >

Kissing Season

There's an old English saying that when gorse is out of bloom, then kissing is out of season.  Luckily we have three species of gorse here in the UK, and at any time of the year at... more >

Buried Treasure

Mid-January is not a great time for a bug nut.  If you're bit of a bug nut yourself you'll probably understand that feeling of wishing there were more beetles, bugs, moths and butterflies about... more >

Wild Skies

Winter weather produces some dramatic cloud formations, and beautiful sunrises and sunsets.  It’s all caused by warm Gulf Stream air running into cold Arctic air... more >

Mystery Photo

Here's your chance to show off your skill as a naturalist.  See if you can recognise the "thing" in our mystery photo competition.  There's a prize for the first correct entry drawn... more >

Photo Caption Competition

Can you think of a caption for this photo? It's just a bit of fun.  Entries are judged on their humor and originality.  Clean suggestions only please... more >

Badger Cull (again)

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman has confirmed that controlled culling of badgers is expected to be piloted initially in two areas in early autumn next year (just after the Olympics) ... more >

Starling Murmuration at Gretna Green

There was a time when it was just betrothed couples flocking to Gretna Green.  Now the Scottish border village is getting arrivals by the millions and most of them come by air... more >

Colour Changing Gulls

Although this is still our commonest inland gull, over the past twenty years numbers of Black-headed gulls have been falling and it is now an 'amber' listed bird.  If ever there was a... more >