Nature & Wildlife
The wildlife, fauna and flora of Britain, from native mammals to birds of prey, and from geoglogical formations to the beaches, forests and mountains.
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Listen up puffins, peregrines and seal pups — Big Brother is watching youThe Wildlife Trusts have installed more than 25 video cameras around the country that live stream activity from barn owl nests to popular puffin sites.
By Annunciata Elwes Published
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The golden eagle: One of the Great British public's favourite birds of prey — but devilishly tricky to identifyWe are often so keen to encounter this animal that ambition overrides the accuracy of our observations, writes Mark Cocker.
By Mark Cocker Published
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From turtles to pink sea fans: Why Mediterranean marine life is drifting into British watersBoth leatherback sea turtles and the soft corrals’ presence near our shores coincides with our warming seas, Lotte Brundle writes.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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Whatever floats your moat: Tower of London's former waterway receives help to adapt to the pressures of climate changeIt is one of five gardens across the globe that have been selected by the fund for aid in adapting to the growing pressures of climate change.
By Annunciata Elwes Published
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It's a cruel summer to be a bee with up to 80% of swarms dying if they cannot find a safe place to settle — but here is how you can helpCurrently, swarms of bees are taking flight to search for new homes and up to 80% of these swarms will perish if they cannot find a safe place to settle, but we can all help, says the BBKA.
By Annunciata Elwes Published
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'It’s not ironic that I really like wasps and that they nearly killed me. It’s simply a coincidence': What to do if you're stung by a waspAfter a close encounter with some wasps put him in hospital, William Kendall sought an unlikely remedy...
By William Kendall Published
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Hen harriers: The 'marvels of evolutionary adaptation' that are 'ballet and theatre and poetry inscribed on air'The hen harrier is one of the most glorious birds of prey in Britain — yet it provokes fierce debate. Mark Cocker unpicks why this breed is among the most controversial of all British birds.
By Mark Cocker Published
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Steve Backshall on sharks, quicksand, and getting his fingertips eaten by piranhasThe adventurer, broadcaster, scientist and writer Steve Backshall joins the Country Life podcast.
By Toby Keel Published
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Merlins: Britain's smallest bird of prey is a 'swerving, zigzagging, 240mph weighted missile' that's gutsy enough to chase off a golden eagleSize doesn’t matter when it comes to the fighting spirit of the tiny merlin, a fierce parent and favoured hunting accessory of Mary, Queen of Scots.
By Mark Cocker Published
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New vision for old Dartmoor: Prince of Wales leads ambitious plans for nature recovery in CornwallThe Vision outlines a set of guiding principles to inform the future environmental management of the Duchy’s Dartmoor estate.
By James Fisher Published
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Wakehurst: 500 years of history, 2.4 billion seeds, 500 acres of planting, and scientists who might just save us allCharles Quest-Ritson takes a look at the amazing work that's been done to update Wakehurst, Kew's trailblazing outpost in Sussex.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Last updated
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Hannah Bourne-Taylor: Saving swifts, naked protests and the bird that nested in my hairThe campaigner and writer Hannah Bourne-Taylor joins the Country Life Podcast.
By James Fisher Published
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'I spent 84 years living in the countryside, and have just moved to a city. Here's what I've discovered.'Charles Moseley has lived in a small village in Cambridgeshire for decades, but now he’s made the leap with his wife to the cathedral city of Ely, the subject of his latest book.
By Charles Moseley Published
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Goshawks: The birds of prey that came back from extinctionBy the late 19th century, the goshawk was indisputably extinct, but their recent restoration to the British isles makes it worth exploring their history. Expert naturalist Mark Cocker tells more about this fascinating bird of prey.
By Mark Cocker Published
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'The biggest cavities are in the hearts and skulls of politicians': What hope for the swift?Ahead of World Swift Day and Swift Awareness Week, Octavia Pollock ponders the decision not to mandate the use of swift bricks
By Octavia Pollock Published
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'We need to make a case for more resources': What next for wild camping on DartmoorJane Wheatley takes the temperature of the land after years of debate over public access to private spaces.
By Jane Wheatley Published
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From Scotland to Greenland, Earth Photo 2025's shortlisted works showcase our amazing planetThe 203 photographs and films will tour more than 20 Forestry England sites, National Trust properties and other historic houses from next month until spring 2026.
By Country Life Published
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Nanjizal Beach lets you experience a very different Cornwall to headline-hogging Land's EndThe beach — which is also known as Mill Bay — sits about half an hour’s walk south of Land’s End, though the two couldn't be more different.
By Ben Lerwill Published
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Mawgan Creek: The unspoilt antidote to some of Cornwall's busier cornersThe creek feeds into the Helford river and is a short distance from Frenchman’s Creek, known best because of Daphne du Maurier’s 1941 novel of the same name.
By Ben Lerwill Published
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Dollar Cove's name gets it all wrong — it's a Cornwall beach that's worth a millionBen Lerwill takes a look at the West Country beach which has a rich history.
By Ben Lerwill Published
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Arthur Parkinson: Ruffled feathers and a bad attitude — my guide on how to deal with broody hensA chicken's desire to sit on and hatch a clutch of eggs can be the most effortless way to rear your own birds, but for those who are after eggs and not chicks it can be a real issue.
By Arthur Parkinson Published


