AMELIA arrives home from her half-day at work. She has the week’s shopping and quickly squirrels everything away, leaving just her children’s magazines on the kitchen table. Seeing she only has three-

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

Animal magic and a camera changed everything for my girl Paula McDonald, 39, Ardrossan, North Ayrshire

One of the rich joys of birding is that there are birds everywhere, including gardens and parks. Just get out and walk around, there’s no need to be quiet or furtive. Become familiar with your feather

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IT began as an unremarkable day. Leaves falling into mud on the riverbank, the sun shy behind ink splodged clouds. Jays screeching in the oakwood. I stopped. Mammal tracks drew my eyes. I knelt. These