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The secret life of sheep — and how these supposedly dim animals show guile, fear, and an ability to pick Fiona Bruce out of a line-up
Condemned as dimwits, could sheep really be the brainiacs of the barnyard, capable of fear, boredom, happiness and identifying Fiona Bruce? John Lewis-Stempel delves into the secret life of these curious (in all senses) creatures.
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A new ode to Spring, from gambolling lambs to pale wood anemones and the rabbity-nosed velvet of ash buds
Once believed to be summoned from slumber by birdsong, spring is a season of timeless joy for John Lewis-Stempel.
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Snow, rubber gloves, lubricant gel... and moments of wonder and joy: The reality of lambing in winter
John Lewis-Stempel's dispatches from lambing season focus on the early March snows which made a tough job into an battle.
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In praise of nightingales: 'I’ve listened to Gregorian chants in Gothic cathedrals — but the greatest musical performance I ever heard was outside my bedroom one night'
It’s 200 years since Keats penned ‘Ode to a Nightningale’, but this otherwise drab bird’s rich, sorrowful song is worth listening out for says John Lewis-Stempel.
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In praise of ponds, the water havens that 'teem with life as fantastic as anything in science-fiction'
A chance reading of George Orwell brought John Lewis-Stempel to the realisation that he'd neglected his own ponds. He explains how he has been inspired to change that.
