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How to get rid of rats
Getting rid of rats isn't easy: they're a notoriously destructive and stubborn breed, and require patience and determination to eradicate.
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Blue tits: Beautiful birds, wonderful singers... and absolutely no morals
With a cobalt cap, white cheeks and tiny wings, the blue tit might be a picture of songbird sweetness, but its morals leave much to be desired, says Stephen Moss.
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Where to see Britain's last remaining wild orchids, by the 'orchid thief' who risked prison to save these beautiful plants
The enchantingly beautiful native orchid is, tragically, one of Britain’s most endangered wildflowers, but it’s still possible to see them if you look in the right places, says Ben Jacob, author of The Orchid Outlaw.
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Curious Questions: Are rainbows actually circular?
Martin Fone delves into the science — and art — of the rainbow.
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15 of the most incredible pictures from the 2023 British Wildlife Photography Awards
Nature’s fierce beauty emerges forcefully from the 2023 British Wildlife Photography Awards. Our Picture Editor Lucy Ford has the pick of the best shots, from a somnolent fox to a hungry buzzard.
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The 15-mile route through Sheffield that's as invigorating as any walk in the country
The 15-mile Sheffield Round is where city meets countryside to gorgeous effect, says Fiona Reynolds.
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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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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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Curious Questions: Can you hear the Northern Lights?
The Northern Lights — or Aurora Borealis — are among the planet's most extraordinary natural phenomena. Even stranger than their ethereal glow, however, is the fact that they can be heard as well as seen. Martin Fone explains more.
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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.
