Nature ebbs and flows through art and culture. Projections on cave walls transcend time, and bridge the gulf between people now and people of the past. Those early images were of life; both humans and other animals. Ever since, nature has had an intrinsic bond with art.

I have the privilege of being invited to attend the Society of Wildlife Artists annual exhibition most years, and this year I had the daunting responsibility…

On Tuesday, our Bristol-based Nature's Home magazine team headed out on a mission to ‘get under the bonnet’ of the RSPB’s work, get our hands dirty (literally - seriously, they got good and filthy!) and enjoy a day’s volunteering on a wetland island at RSPB Ham Wall, in the Somerset Levels. 

We had a great time in splendid surroundings - in the shadow of ancient Glastonbury Tor. We were kept…

While my birding friends have been filling their boots with this autumn’s fest of rare birds, my eyes have been firmly fixed on the ground for the last few weeks.

My best friend Ade was lucky enough to be in on THE birding moment of the year when an adult male Siberian blue robin was found on North Ronaldsay on Sunday. I was excited to be one of only a handful of people who knew about it before the news broke late…

As I post this, we’ve got a magazine photoshoot underway in the local woods, for an activity in the RSPB children’s magazines.  We’re always encouraging our young readers to get outside and get creative with lovely, messy things such as mud, stones and things that fall off trees.  

Rubbish weather shouldn’t be a barrier to outdoor fun - a bit of fresh air does anyone the world of good, at any time of…

Autumn feels like an ending. The last days of a spring and summer past, and the transition to a period of relative stillness. For me it is a reflective time of year, and as with any period of change there is a lot to keep you occupied.

I’ve been fascinated by decay this autumn, in all its various forms. It’s an under appreciated but essential process that brings a burst of colour on par with spring, or a summer meadow…

I put my first fat balls out this week, to give the birds a bit more than their usual seed mix. It’s time to fill some feathered tummies.

As we head into October, our birds and wildlife need to start putting on a bit of extra weight to see them through the cold months. Many birds and animals will die during winter if they don’t eat enough in the autumn. 

So, here are five ways you can help them right now…

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of October? Shiny brown conkers, freshly rolled from their spiky cases? The kaleidoscope of colours provided by the turning leaves? Maybe it’s the orange of Halloween pumpkins?

These things are synonymous with October, the month of change, but there are all sorts of vibrant colours offered by nature in this this magic month.There are bright new colours…

I’m going to take on my alter ego of "Mystic Mark" this morning, get my crystal ball out and boldly suggest that if you have the chance, head to the east coast for some birding as soon as you can this week. I caught the end of the weather forecast last night and I sat up when I saw the wind arrows pointing to the left. This meant the wind has switched to the east and in prime rare bird season of late September, this brings…

Standing in a damp, twilit forest on Monday night, our art editor Alun and I both froze as we spotted a female roe deer, watching us, motionless, amid the trees only a few metres away. Spooked by our eye contact, she suddenly shot into the undergrowth and melted silently away, leaving us enraptured at the magic of the moment. It was a bit different from my average Monday evening, for sure. 

This week, we hosted Mark,…

You don’t have to be an expert to work out how the blackbird got its name. The names of some birds are strikingly obvious. The blue tit, the long-tailed tit, the pink-footed goose, the goldeneye, these names helpfully tell you if you’re looking at the right species. But not all are this straightforward.

From call sounds to behaviour, names can tell us a lot about a species. Some birds are named after their…

With autumn very much bedding in, I thought I'd do a stock take of my wildlife. I say “my” wildlife because I'm referring to all the regulars I hear and see as I get on my bike or jump in my car in the morning, and all the creatures I share my home with whether I like it or not. I blog about this sort of thing quite regularly. You might've read about some of my rescue missions, or about the creeps…

The winter issue of Nature’s Home is "in the can" and I’m looking forward to hearing all your feedback and photographs, sightings and stories once you've read it. It will be with you in around three weeks time.

Our winter "Skills" section covers insect overwinter survival, making the most of wintry conditions in your wildlife photography and I share my tips for finding incoming migrating…

This week Anna's blog comes from Deputy Editor Emma Pocklington.

Every day working on the RSPB publications affords opportunities to learn from some of the world's leading wildlife experts. We get the chance to interview people working across the globe to save nature, and hear behind the scenes insights on the work being done. From our office in Bristol we're transported to far flung places by long distance calls…

With great power comes great responsibility. At no point in my yearly work cycle as the RSPB’s Youth Editor is this more evident than when judging the children’s wildlife art competition, Wild Art. Hours of deliberation and critique across three age categories culminates in the most creative, inspiring and sometimes boundary pushing artwork rising above to be crowned winner, runner-up or highly commended. Of course, everything…

Are you finding insects a bit harder to come by now September is here?

I know I am and the reality is that there are fewer around. Groups such as butterflies and hoverflies are decreasing in diversity and abundance in the countdown to the first frost (still, thankfully, some way off!). However, it's not time to stop looking for them just yet...

I have a cure for this little problem. It’s really simple too – just stand…

Yesterday was a big day for the Nature’s Home team. I took the advance proofs of our Winter 2017 issue, all the way from Bristol to Sandy, to get it signed off by editor-in-chief Mark. ou

Arriving at the RSPB’s headwaters at the Lodge is always a calming experience - we drive in through a world of fluttering trees, dappled sunlight, birdsong and squirrels. But yesterday it was straight to the meeting room to sit…

I can’t remember a bank holiday weekend where I’ve seen more species of bird in finer weather. Heading to the North Norfolk coast was a superb last minute decision. It’s a part of the world I remember fondly from many childhood visits and holidays, and Titchwell – well, the beach if I’m honest – was a regular feature as my mum was an RSPB member.

It’s that time of year when you’re…

It’s all go in September, no matter where you live, or where you look. Migration is in full swing and millions of birds are heading your way from all corners of the globe. There are fabulous insects to seek in the September sunshine and fungi are popping up everywhere following the late summer rain. There’s not a minute to waste, so to get you in the mood for a September to remember, and 30 days of nature’s finest, here…

I reckon this has been the wettest school summer holidays I can remember. 

Not too chilly, and with bits of sunshine – I particularly enjoyed seeing a small ‘bite’ missing from the bottom of the golden sun as it set over Bath on Monday night; the tail end of the Great American Eclipse. But certainly, there’s been plenty of rain around here. 

I’ve given up trying to deter the local slug armies from…

It’s an age-old question. Is that bird’s facey-lip bit a beak or a bill? When should you call a bill a beak, and a beak a bill? What even is a “facey-lip bit”? Why should you even care? All these questions and more will be answered here, in this blog, by me and some mates I asked at lunch.

Firstly, what’s a “facey-lip bit”? Well we’ve established that it’s either a beak or a bill, but what’s it…

Islay is a place with a lot to offer, but two things really put it on the map: wild geese and whisky. I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy both these things on this beautiful Hebridean island (with geese considerably outnumbering drams of whisky I’d like to add...). My visits have been in "goose season" of late winter and early spring though, so it was a real treat to spend a couple of days there in late July.…

We’re all about the wildflowers this week on the Nature’s Home team, as you’ll see from Mark’s blog on rare machair meadows, and Emma’s on sunflowers, lavender and other wildlife-friendly garden favourites. 

Last week, I was down on the Dorset coast again, wandering amid the sunlit heath at RSPB Arne with my family, and was enjoying the heather being in full bloom. The entire landscape was…

This week, Direct Marketing Officer: Publications Emma Lacy guest blogs about what you can do in your garden to help pollinators, and yourself, get the most out flowers and the food they provide.

With summer drawing to a close we enter the height of pollinator season. But our bee, hoverfly and butterfly friends don’t stop feeding over autumn. As novice beekeepers, my partner and I have been working hard to make our garden…

I’ve seen quite a few spectacular colours in the UK this year, but a couple of weeks ago they were all blown away by the magic machair. The year's floral bonanza started in March with the white snow of blackthorn blossom covering hedgerows. It was more white in May with verges dressed in cow parsley and hawthorn took over in the hedgerows. Summer fields of red common poppies were next, followed by downland painted purple…

This week's blog is guest written by Deputy Editor Emma.

You might be surprised to learn that a lot of complex work goes into making our RSPB children’s magazines simple, clear and engaging.

When it comes to communicating with our youngest age group – wild times readers aged 0–8 – it’s all in the pictures. The artwork we use needs to be bright and enticing, clear and simple, but also informative and…