Great reedmace is familiar to many of us as the archetypal 'bulrush'. Look for its tall stems, sausage-like, brown flower heads and green, flat leaves at the water's edge in our…

Look out for the white, umbrella-like flower heads of lesser water-parsnip along the shallow margins of ditches, ponds, lakes and rivers. When crushed, it does, indeed, smell like parsnip!

Wood melick is a slender, drooping grass that grows in dense patches in ancient woodlands and along shady banks. It has nodding flower heads, with brown, egg-shaped spikelets that contain the…

Living up to its name, the Robin's pincushion is a red, round, hairy growth that can be seen on wild roses. It is caused by the larvae of a tiny gall wasp that feeds on the host plant, but…

This brightly-coloured beetle is often found feeding on flowers on warm days in late spring and summer.

Looking like a small, armoured grasshopper, this widespread insect is found in damp areas across the UK.

This unassuming orchid is easily overlooked. It is found patchily across the UK, but has been declining for decades.

Europe's largest frog is not naturally found in the UK, but was introduced to Kent and has spread throughout the southeast.

Once a rare visitor to the UK, this striking gull is now found nesting here in large colonies.

Common couch is a tall, tuft-forming grass of roadside verges, waste ground and arable land. It is very tough and can shade out more delicate plants. Look for flat, blade-like leaves and thin…

This pretty, speckled moth is now a rare sight, found only in a few parts of southern England.