Author: Mark Brandon

To quote Keats, now that the ‘season of mist and mellow fruitfulness’ is upon us, it is a great time to see mushrooms and toadstools in our colourful autumnal countryside. The Lodge nature reserve, just over the Cambridgeshire border, is a great hunting ground for fungi. Over 600 different species have been recorded there!

The stunning fly agaric, often depicted in illustrations…

Author: Lee Cozens, RSPB Strumpshaw Fen

 Picture credit: Phil Barnes Photography

It’s the time of year when the shops are brimming with plastic spiders, cobwebs, bats and a whole host of other Halloween goodies.

This all serves to get us in the mood for sugar-fuelled, trick-or –treat outings, but with all the excitement about costumes and treats it’s easy to overlook the more compelling Halloween story happening…

Author: Chris Andrews, RSPB Frampton Marsh

Picture Credit: Andy Hay

In the days of Alfred the Great, the coast of Lincolnshire was the landing ground for roving parties from the North. They came to these shores looking for easy pickings, or a way to escape the harsh conditions in Scandinavia. Well, it is still happening today, but instead of boat loads of bearded Vikings, thankfully we are just talking birds!