5 things you will have spotted on the beach
Do you know what a mermaid's purse is? Or what cuttlefish bone or whelk eggs look like? Here are 5 things you will have spotted on the beach.
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Chwilio
Yellow-browed warbler
This charming little warbler is an increasingly common sight in autumn, when migrants pass through the UK.
Black-and-yellow longhorn beetle
This brightly-coloured beetle is often found feeding on flowers on warm days in late spring and summer.
Cetti's warbler
A dark, stocky warbler, the Cetti's warbler is most likely to be heard, rather than seen - listen out for its bubbling song among willow, marsh and nettles.
Common osier
The common osier is a small willow tree that is found in fens and ditches, and on riverbanks. It has been widely cultivated and coppiced for its twigs, which are used in traditional basket-making…
Wet woodland
Wet woodlands in the UK can be wild, secretive places. Tangles of trailing creepers, tussocky sedges and lush tall-herbs conceal swampy pools and partially submerged fallen willow trunks, likely…
Sedge warbler
In summer, the sedge warbler can be spotted singing from a reed or willow perch in wetlands across the UK. Males never sing the same song twice, adding new phrases to impress the females.
Marsh tit
Despite its name, the marsh tit actually lives in woodland and parks in England and Wales. It is very similar to the willow tit, but has a glossier black cap and a 'pitchoo' call that…
My passion
Chris is the Southern Reserves Manager at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and leads a team of staff, wardens and volunteers in caring for our nature reserves in the South of Nottinghamshire. This…
My big adventure
Poppy plays with molehills, watches deer and birds, and nestles in the trunks of ancient trees to get in touch with her roots. Poppy's father was an inspirational Restoration Officer at the…
Fly agaric
The classic fairy tale toadstool, this red and white fungus is often found beneath birch trees in autumn.
Allt Crug Garn between Pennant and Cilcennen, Ceredigion
Relic lowland heathland with oak and birch invasion.