The stiff, spiky and upright leaves and brown flowers of hard rush are a familiar sight of wetlands, riversides, dune slacks and marshes across England and Wales.

This large skate has tiny, prickly spines all over its back.

The thick topshell is a common sight on rocky shores in Wales and South West England.

A fairly large, variable shieldbug found in grassy areas across England and Wales.

A late-blooming flower, Meadow saffron looks like a crocus, displaying similar pink flowers once its leaves have died back. It is a highly poisonous plant of meadows and woodland rides and…

The undulate ray has beautiful wavy patterns on its back, which helps it camouflage against the sandy seabed.

Considered Britain's most threatened butterfly, the high brown fritillary can be only be found in a few areas of England and Wales.

A summer visitor, the wheatear is a handsome chat, with black cheeks, white eyestripes, a blue back and a pale orange chest. Look for it on upland heaths and moors.

With tiger-like stripes, red fins and a humped back, the perch is a striking fish. It can be seen in lowland waterbodies and waterways across the UK, often in shoals.