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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From California to Cornwall: How surfing became a cornerstone of Cornish cultureA new exhibition at Cornwall's National Maritime Museum celebrates a century of surf culture and reveals how the country became a global leader in surf innovation and conservation.
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18 magnificent homes for sale from £550k to £20 million, as seen in Country LifeFrom a charming thatched cottage to a 300-acre estate with its own vineyard, here's our pick of places to come to the market via Country Life of late.
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Food with a pinch of salt: The crops we can harvest from the seaFilling, rewarding and nutritious, vegetables and plants grown in saline environments — whether by accident or design — have plenty of potential. Illustration by Alan Baker.
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White-tailed eagles could soon soar free in southern EnglandNatural England is considering licensing the release of the raptors in Exmoor National Park — and the threat to pets and livestock is considered to be low.
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Britain's whale boom and and the predator that's far scarier than a great white shark, with wildlife cinematographer Dan AbbottThe wildlife cinematographer Dan Abbott joins us on the Country Life Podcast.
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'They are inclined to bite and spray acid to protect territory': Meet the feisty red wood ant -
The King wants YOU: His Majesty's call-to-arms for under-35s across BritainThe King’s Foundation has launched its ‘35 under 35’ initiative — a UK-wide search for ‘the next generation of exceptional makers and changemakers’ who want to work holistically with Nature.
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'A big opportunity for a small, crowded and beautiful country': Fiona Reynolds on how the Land Use Framework can make Britain betterThe Government’s Land Use Framework should be viewed as an opportunity to be smarter with our land, but conflicts need to be resolved along the way says Fiona Reynolds, chair of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission.
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Dawn Chorus: A river comes to life, more mews is good mews, and the new 400-mile electric VolvoRivers now have the legal right to flow, and to not be full of pollution. It's about time.
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Dawn Chorus: The perfect job for incurable romantics, Britain's rudest roads, woodland workshops and spring in CornwallLiving on a near-deserted island, and getting paid for the privilege? No wonder tens of thousands of people were keen.
