Wondrous sights and sounds of our natural world

Extraordinary images celebrating our natural world.

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The world is full of the most extraordinary examples of natural beauty. Here are our favourite sights and sounds of our natural world, one for each month of the year. Which is your favourite?

January: The stoop of a peregrine falcon

February: The flash of a kingfisher

March: Black grouse lekking

April: A bluebell wood

May: Cow parsley in our hedgerows

June: A trout rising to a mayfly

July: Swifts swooping and screaming

August: Chalkhill blue butterflies on the downs

September: A barn owl hunting at dusk

October: Red-deer stags roaring in the rut

November: Hounds in full cry

December: Ash burning on an open fire

Edwin Smith

Exhibition review: Ordinary Beauty – The Photography of Edwin Smith

Country Life reviews Ordinary Beauty: The photography of Edwin Smith at the Royal Institute of British Architects.

barn owls bounce back

Barn owls bounce back

The British Trust for Ornithology has reported a rise in barn owl nesting figures.

Grey squirrels to be culled

Grey squirrel crackdown planned.

Country Life

Bringing the quintessential English rural idle to life via interiors, food and drink, property and more Country Life’s travel content offers a window into the stunning scenery, imposing stately homes and quaint villages which make the UK’s countryside some of the most visited in the world.