When spotting the pintail in winter, look out for the fabulous, long tail feathers that characterise it. This dabbling duck feeds at the water's surface, rather than diving for food.

This beautiful beetle is fond of damp meadows and woodland rides, where it's often found on umbellifers or thistles.

This colonial creature looks like an old-fashioned quill - that's where the name sea pen comes from.

Rare summer visitors, honey buzzards breed in open woodland where they feed on the nests and larvae of bees and wasps.

This dainty white butterfly is now only found in a few parts of Britain, where it flutters slowly through woodland clearings.

The ringed plover is a small wader that nests around the coast, flooded gravel pits and reservoirs. It is similar to the little ringed plover, but is a little larger, has an orange bill and legs,…