Eight beautiful photographs from Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2019
The Natural History Museum's peerless nature photography competition always throws out some wonders.
Britain's giant tortoises
‘They’ve been around for 200 million years – we’re a blip to them’
The confusingly enormous hummingbird hawk-moth
Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, it’s a hummingbird hawk-moth. Simon Lester took a closer look.
Breathtaking photographs from the Outdoor Photographer of the Year award
20,000 people entered the Outdoor Photographer of the Year award in 2018 — the winners were announced in March of 2019.
Curious Questions: Can a swan really break your arm?
Alexandra Fraser attempted to answer the question of the ages.
Can horses really heal humans?
The claims made for how horses help humans get over all manner of trauma stretch back to ancient times. Pippa Cuckson investigated.
Best pictures from the 2019 Audubon Photography Awards
An unusual piece for us in that it focused on North American birds, this piece on the Audobon Society's competition featured one of the great photographs of the year.
Why are we so superstitious about magpies?
One for sorrow, two for joy...
The world's loudest songbird is like standing next to a jet fighter taking off
Quite astonishing. You really have to read this one.
The parts of Britain invaded by Asiatic hornets
The worrying appearance of this 'devastating hornet that can kill up to 50 bees a day' made headlines at the end of the summer. Let's hope it's an isolated occurrence.
Credit: Alamy
11 things you never knew about the jackdaw, the bird that just loves people
Ian Morton takes a look at the jackdaw, a bird with a real affinity for man – despite a chequered reputation
Credit: Alamy
The delights of dung: 11 things you never knew about cowpats
It attracts no public regard apart from taking care not to step in it, but it plays a big role
The history of the elder tree: From deities and dryads to Shakespeare and J.K. Rowling
Does our love of a tall glass of elderflower cordial speak of an ancient connection with the tree itself, wonders
The wren: 8 things you ought to know about Britain's most common bird
It may be diminutive, but the perky-tailed wren has a powerful song and the ancient title of king among birds,
The incredible tale of the foxglove, from curing to disease to inspiring Van Gogh’s most striking paintings
A tale of skulduggery, poisoning, witches and even marketing men runs through the history of the foxglove, as Ian Morton
Credit: Alamy
Curious Questions: How did shrews get such a bad name?
The shrew is a tiny and seemingly-inoffensive creature of the meadow. So how did it end up becoming a byword
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This watch was worn by the first woman to swim the English Channel, changing the horological world forever. Now it's going under the hammerThe early Rolex Oyster was worn by pioneering cross-Channel swimmer Mercedes Gleitze in 1927.
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Eccentric, awe-inspiring and a home-from-home for literary giants: Why the London Library is an institution like no otherThe London Library is celebrating 180 years in St James’s Square.
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The secret life of seeds: The little wonders that sustain all life on EarthThey might not be especially striking to look at — if you can see them at all — but seeds are among the natural world’s most awe-inspiring marvels.
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Do not be afraid of this bodysnatching fungi that lives on a lawn in ScotlandThe lawns at Haddo House in Aberdeenshire are luscious and friendly, unless you are the prey of the vile 'Strathy Strangler'.
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Temperate rainforests are being planted all over Britain — what are they and why do we need them?Glen Auldyn on the Isle of Man is part of a £38 million restoration scheme to re-establish rainforests all over the world. Lotte Brundle went to see what's going on.
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Claws for thought: The world leading crustacean conservation charity that is saving our lobstersThe National Lobster Hatchery in Cornwall is fighting for the species' survival. But it could do with some help.
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The Essex entrepreneur with big plans to eradicate microplastics from our oceans — and he's got the royal seal of approvalAdam Root plans to eradicate microplastics from our ocean for good.
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Amanda Owen: The Yorkshire Shepherdess on farming, life, and having tea with her sheepLife can be beautiful for farmers, and often is — but it can also be hard and bleak. James Robinson joined the Country Life Podcast to talk about the extraordinary ups and downs of the job he loves, and how Nature helps out when things get tough.
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How the full moons got their names, including tomorrow's rare Harvest supermoonWith a new full moon on the horizon, John Lewis-Stempel reflects on her many guises.
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James Robinson: A fifth-generation farmer on the ups and downs of 'the most glorious job in the world'Life can be beautiful for farmers, and often is — but it can also be hard and bleak. James Robinson joined the Country Life Podcast to talk about the extraordinary ups and downs of the job he loves, and how Nature helps out when things get tough.
