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

Hoarding is a common animal behaviour. Lots of creatures cache food for times of scarcity. You probably know that squirrels hide nuts and wood mice store seeds, but did you know that fire ants stockpi

Adrian Thomas outlines the simplest and most effective ways to help accommodate these important guests

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

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

Whether mutually beneficial or a parasitic nuisance, Nature’s symbiotic relationships are as multifarious as they are marvellous, says John Lewis-Stempel