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The seven bumblebees you'll see in Britain, and how to identify them
The lovely bumblebee may look a little sozzled and slow compared to many species, yet one bumblebee is all it takes to make a prairie and its buzz is the soundtrack of a thriving world. Harry Pearson takes a look, and explains how to identify bumblebees you'll spot in a British garden this spring and summer.
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Britain’s birds of prey: The Country Life guide to all of the UK’s raptors
Raptors’ supersonic vision, effortless aerial acrobatics and ruthless hunting instinct make them the undisputed masters of the skies, but can you tell a merlin from a hobby or a goshawk from a sparrowhawk? Simon Lester explains the basics of these fascinating creatures and then gives a rundown of all 15 of Britain's raptor species.
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Jason Goodwin: 'My evenings spent sticking the pots together with Gorilla glue have been the most satisfactory of the season'
Jason's restorative handiwork gives him a thrill of satisfaction that no mere purchase could ever hope to equal.
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Whose coos are whose? The five types of pigeon you’ll see in Britain
There are 300 members of the pigeon family — or 'columba', as its properly known — and they're found on every continent. Only five are found in appreciable numbers in the wild in Britain, however, as Vicky Liddell explains.
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Jonathan Self: 'Everyone deserves to engage with Nature, but enough is enough'
Jonathan Self muses on birds with bad sense of direction, militant ramblers and the plight of a camel-herding nomad.
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The 870-mile Wales Coastal Path cost £14.6 million — and it's truly money well spent
Walking along the cliffs in Ceredigion fires up Fiona Reynolds — next stop, Wales’s entire coastal path?
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Celandine: The delicate flower, harbinger of spring, which Wordsworth thought more beautiful than daffodils
Lauded by Wordsworth for their ‘glittering countenance’, the appearance of the first celandines and the swallow’s return to our shores are Ian Morton’s favourite, and much anticipated, harbingers of spring.
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A day in the life of an oak tree, from mistle thrush in the morning to mice at midnight
Among their deceptively inert branches, trees shelter feathered Pavarottis, scuttling beetles, opportunistic fungi and fierce owls. John Lewis-Stempel recounts a day in the life of an oak and the creatures that call it home.
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Frogs: Why we love them, why we don't, and the real-life Kermit frog
Once a symbol of fertility and more recently a figure of fun, the frog has always loomed large in folklore, and not only as a means of finding a prince.
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The birds that mate for life — and the birds that belong in a Jilly Cooper novel
Birds have a reputation for mating for life — and for some species, that's true. Others, though, are much more like humans when it comes to romance: some looking for stable relationships, and others behave in a way which would make even an avid Tinder user blush. Stephen Moss explains all.
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Fallow Deer: Britain's most beautiful deer
Shy and elegant — yet far more hardy than its fragile appearance implies — the spotty-coated fallow deer is now more common than ever, despite only establishing itself on these shores when the Normans arrived, says Simon Lester.
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Curious Questions: How does Witches' Broom form in trees?
Martin Fone looks into one of the most curious — and curiously named — natural phenomena visible on a country walk in Britain.
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John Lewis-Stempel: Glimmers of Nature's beauty, even amid a month-long downpour
After days of incessant January rain, the chicken paddock has turned into a quagmire, ghost ponds have resurfaced and a sheep has come close to drowning. But there's joy to be found even despite all that, says John Lewis-Stempel.
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Ptarmigans: The avian world's master of disguise — and master of freezing conditions
Adept at cleverly camouflaging itself, the ptarmigan fools predators by turning snow white in order to survive in a harsh, arctic habitat. Simon Lester tracks this elusive species through the seasons.
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Country Life's best Instagram posts of 2022
Our Instagram feed @countrylifemagazine has proven enormously popular over the years, and it's a real joy finding the best images to share with you.
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Curious Questions: Why is smell the most evocative of our senses?
The smell of something familiar can transport you back in time as none of the other senses will, says Ben Lerwill.
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One of Britain's most famous views — made famous by Ruskin and Wordsworth — closed off to visitors
Country Life's columnist Agromenes laments the closure of the path along to Ruskin's View in Kirkby Lonsdale.
