Ever since the day I saw Jiminy Cricket I was fascinated by the minibeasts. I mean who didn’t like the charming and buggy narrator of Pinocchio? I remember the first time I heard one in the wild I was told it was a cricket so I named it Jiminy. Every cricket I heard after that throughout my childhood was also named Jiminy (I was an imaginative child). So my previous experience of crickets was limited to nostalgic childhood…

Have you ever just wanted to be part of a group that you didn't quite fit with? Well it turns out nature gets the same feeling sometimes. Take this sand martin who seems to be being tormented by the swallow on its left. Although it doesn't seem to care too much.

"You can't sit with us!" (Photo courtesy of Nature's Home reader Ian Wilson)

Thanks Ian for this comical and urban view of a gang…

In our Autumn issue of Nature's Home magazine (out now!) we tell the story of Etta Lemon, 19th-century co-founder of the RSPB, as told by author Tessa Boase. 

Back in the late 19^th Century, the threat to wild birds came not from climate change but from milliners, who fuelled a demand for feathers that saw birds killed in their hundreds of thousands – purely to decorate the hats and accessories of fashionable ladies…

Lots of trees, shrubs and flowers are absolutely parched (and in some cases over well before their usual time), so it’s well worth looking out for those that are still in flower. Some of them are swarming with life at the moment.

Ragwort is a hardy plant and its flowers are providing rich feeding grounds for all sorts of bees, beetles, hoverflies and insects. I know where a large area of this yellow flower grows…

Ever wondered what a sandwich tern eats for lunch? Wait for it…. Here comes the punchline… sandeels, sprats and whiting.

Sorry about that. You were probably expecting something funny but instead I just told a fact. But this amazing photo of a sandwich tern catching its lunch will definitely make up for my failed joke.

Personally, I prefer tuna mayo (photo courtesy of Nature’s Home reader Andy Leonard…

We hope you’re enjoying the new issue of Nature’s Home, currently reaching homes across the UK. It’s packed full of things to see and do this season - here’s just a small selection of creatures to look out for in the coming weeks. 

Winter waders at their summery best

Catch a dunlin in its summer plumage. (Photo: Mike Langman, rspb-images.com)

Early-returning Arctic waders are still in their…

If your lawn is anything like mine, it probably resembles a desert at the moment, both in its sandy colour and in dryness. I can’t recall such a long, hot dry spell for many years and there is no doubt that it’s starting to make life tough for some of our wildlife. Jack and I discovered a fire here at RSPB The Lodge on Friday due to a discarded cigarette, so be super careful as it is unbelievably dry in places…

You may remember that I’m a sucker for a cute baby animal from my photo of the week choice back in April of two baby ducks. And I’m back with an even stronger contender for, in my opinion, cutest photo of the week ever.

Check out this tiny baby lapwing. It almost doesn’t look real it’s that cute!

Bird ringer: “I want the cute!” Baby lapwing: “You can’t handle the cute!” (Photo courtesy of Nature…

Summer is synonymous with butterflies and from bright brimstones to dappled fritillaries, the UK has 59 fantastic species to see. Here are some star species to look out for, and where to find them.

MARBLED WHITE

On the wing: June-August

The marbled white is actually a member of the "browns" subfamily. Photo: Richard Bowler (rspb-images.com)

What to look for: Like slivers of Bakewell tart icing, you’re…

It's a great time to visit RSPB HQ here at The Lodge in Sandy Bedfordshire.

There's no need to take my word for it though - here, hot off the press are some of the great sightings I had on the reserve yesterday during my lunchbreak. It may be a quiet time for birds in our woods, but there really is a tremendous amount of other species to see in the sunny weather.

It is an excellent summer for purple hairstreaks…

The village I live in has one of the best pubs in the world. It might have a limited beer selection and few seats, but what it lacks in this area it makes up for in owls. On many a single evening, I have seen a barn owl quartering a field, a little owl perched on a wire, and a tawny owl observing me from a tall tree - all from the comfort of an outdoor table with a beer. On evenings like the ones we've had recently, does…

Look what’s landed on my desk this morning! It’s always an exciting moment when the first copies of the new issue arrive in the office. In the next couple of weeks, Nature’s Home will be winging its way to RSPB members across the UK. 

As you can see, we have a beautiful corncrake on the cover - an emblem of a successful scheme with farmers in the Outer Hebrides. In our cover feature the RSPB’s Jess…

One of my favourite days of the year comes at the halfway point, when variable June slips into the scorching days of July and things are starting to look a little parched. On that special day each year, I head deep into the woods in search of purple emperors. Not just one, or two, but as many as I can get. The purple emperor is that sort of beast - you just can't get enough as the hundreds of fellow fans will testify…