Spinning around

Mike has been pondering the identification of individual birds, before drifting into insect-watching for the summer

With high summer beckoning, John Lewis-Stempel reflects on the incomparable richness of pond life and the rewards of pausing to peer into the murky depths on a warm June afternoon

Check your answers against our explanations. Remember, there are no ‘trick’ birds or extreme rarities among these...

B ecause it’s the school summer holidays, it’s ...

The monkey slug is not some experimental genetic monstrosity. But even if you see one in the flesh, you may still be unclear what this odd, brown hairy thing is, with its array of fuzzy tentacles. It

From a heroic long-distance swimmer to a producer of spectacularly eerie sound effects, the seabirds seen swooping and diving over British waters have all manner of singular skills, says John Lewis-Stempel