Grey seal
These large seals can often be seen bobbing in the sea or lying on beaches waiting for their food to go down.
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Chwilio
Painted goby
This slim fish is usually found on gravelly parts of the seabed, close to shore, but can turn up in rockpools.
Adder
Our only venomous snake, the shy adder can be spotted basking in the sunshine in woodland glades and on heathlands.
Violet sea slug
Despite its dazzling colouration, this fabulous nudibranch can be easily missed, due to its small size!
Jack snipe
This well-camouflaged wader is a winter visitor to the UK, where it can be seen feeding on wetlands with a distinctive bobbing motion.
Red-breasted merganser
The streamlined red-breasted merganser is a handsome bird and a great fisher - its long, serrated bill helps it to catch and hold its slippery fish prey. It is most commonly spotted around the…
My secret garden
Rowan loves the fresh smell and sight of the buttercups in the wildflower meadows at Besthorpe. It's a special place because there are precious few spots like this where she can spend time…
Carrion crow
The all-black carrion crow does not nest in colonies like the similar rook. It can be seen almost everywhere.
Atlantic oak wood
These are the atmospheric oak woods of the Celtic upland fringes, where the mild, moist oceanic climate allows luxurious mats of mosses to carpet the rocky ground and creep up gnarled trunks,…
My motivation
I’m Libby, and I’m currently completing a research development internship in sustainable aquaculture (basically farming in water) at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in Oban. In…
Batman hoverfly
This common hoverfly can be recognised by the dark markings behind its head, which often resemble the Batman logo.
Scotch argus
As the name suggests, this beautiful brown butterfly is most common in Scotland, though it can also be seen in northern England.