Wild december

The year was rounded off nicely with one or two exceptional rarities, rudely inconveniencing many birders enjoying the festive season…

Nadia Shaikh goes synaesthetic for the start of spring, almost tasting the orange tang of an early butterfly

Find out which early species to watch for, how to make your patch more butterfly-friendly and where to record your sightings for science

I like unusual words and there are a couple that seem appropriate for this time of year. March, we know, is a fickle beast, where the weather can flicker from T-shirt to thermals in the course of a da

Karen Youngs is on the lookout for nature’s collectibles during a sunny spring walk

Red kites, great spotted woodpeckers and pink-footed geese are only a few of the birds doing brilliantly in the British Isles right now. Mark Cocker celebrates their success stories and looks at what might be learnt from them