Autumn is here. You’re probably thinking about checking the boiler is working and packing away the garden furniture. And it’s a time for home-making for wildlife, too.

Hedgehogs are looking for a place to hibernate, insects are hunkering down in the undergrowth and birds are flocking to our garden feeders. It’s time to roll out the welcome mat for winter wildlife in your garden.

Attract hedgehogs…

The autumn winds blew hard towards the end of last week, leaving a strong sense of anticipation for what they may have brought with them…

Following a couple of days of very strong south-westerly winds emanating from the Atlantic and that well-known seabird hotspot the Bay of Biscay, I was hoping for an arrival of storm-blown rarities and I, and watchers across the UK, were not disappointed.

As ever, following the…

Millions of birds are heading our way and touching down in the UK from all points north, so it's fitting that our Photo of the Week pictures one of these migrants: our largest wader with a whopping beak and a spine-tingling call.

This curlew was photographed by Nature's Home reader Charles Woods during an Exe Estuary Cruise last winter. Charles has captured the quiet beauty of the UK's coast and estuaries at…

Did you know that a key part of any wildlife garden is dead wood? You may not have thought it, but dead and decaying trees and plants can actually provide rich habitat for a number of species.

Here’s everything you need to know about dead wood: why it’s important, what lives in it and how to use it in your garden.

Stag beetles might look ferocious, but they are not poisonous and don't bite. These threatened…

What's your "most wanted" species?

Everyone has one, don't they? That bird, mammal, butterfly or insect that teases you with a "no show" every time you go looking for it. Years of staring out to sea, searching through flocks or craning your neck looking into treetops hoping for that glimpse. When I started birdwatching, the bittern was my most wanted bird, then when I got into butterflies…

The wonderful yet hungry nuthatch spends its time feeding on (you guessed it) nuts. But also seeds an insects. This chap is no exception. Upside down, it seems this nuthatch has wedged some food into a wooden post and is ready to hatch those nuts (or insects or seeds).

The lunch bell chimes (photo courtesy of Nature's Home reader, Jim Walker)

Thanks Jim for sending in this stunning photo of a nuthatch dining.

Flipping through your latest issue of Nature’s Home magazine, you’ll be in no doubt that nature reserves are a good thing for wildlife. From thriving seabird communities (p28) to the carefully managed Balranald (p62), our Autumn issue is packed with evidence that reserves provide vital homes for nature.

But did you know that our reserves can be good for you, too?

With the help of RSPB volunteers, it's easier…

It’s back to school week round my house, and I’ve sent two somewhat forlorn youngsters back to primary school, marking the end of a summer of camping, wild swimming, cliff walks, pond dipping and woodland bike rides.

Nature is good for children – it’s an instinctive need – and its increasing absence from many children’s lives manifests as Nature Deficit Disorder. As children’s access…

The long, hot summer has been great for insects, but September's "Indian summer", when dewy mornings give way to calm conditions, blue skies and sunshine  have plenty of treats to offer still.

I took a walk opposite The Lodge shop last week, in an area known as Sandy Heath - confusing as it's not heathland now, but it is a wonderful area of grassland with wildflowers and bird seed crop that provides as feast…

It's my opinion that little owls are both the most adorable and the most grumpy looking of all the owls. None more so than this fella who seems to be irritated by a tiny fly over head.

Never has there been a stronger case of Irritable Owl Syndrome (photo courtesy of Nature's Home reader Eric Browett)

Thanks Eric for capturing the annoyance many of us have felt this summer when a fly won't leave you alone.…

Whilst officially, we don't say goodbye to British Summer Time until the 27 October, I think we can all agree that its starting to feel like the season is on the turn. We've experienced some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the UK this summer, which has seen citizens (of all species!) finding unusual ways to adapt. Whilst butterflies flourished in the dry heat, hedgehogs and other small mammals struggled to…

September is one of the biggest months of the year for bird migration in the UK. Not only are hundreds of thousands of birds making their way past, over and through the UK, they’re arriving from all corners of the globe. To help you get ready for this magic month, I've picked out five star September species to look for, with a few tips on how to find them. Good luck!

1.Wryneck – a cryptic, Scandinavian head…

It's the Friday before the summer bank holiday and I'm sure everyone is excited to have an extra day of enjoying what's left of the UK summer. So in light of said excitement, this week's photo of the week reflects just that.

The bearded seal is a rare occurrence to our UK shores tending to stay within Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. But occasionally we're graced with their joyous and smiley presence. They…

How do you tell the difference between a cricket and a grasshopper? In the UK we have 23 species of cricket and 11 species of grasshopper, including a few exotics that have been accidentally introduced, and every year these insects supply summer’s soundtrack with their symphony of stridulation. Here are some simple ways you can identify your crickets from your grasshoppers.

In the current issue of Nature’s Home magazine, Peter Exley tells the story of the fabulous Isles of Scilly Seabird Restoration project. I’ve visited the Isles of Scilly around 10 times since my first visit in October 1996. Then, I was a wide-eyed teenager gawping gleefully at American rarities such as black-and-white warbler, bobolink and black duck and I've been fortunate to see a lot of amazing wildlife there…

Did you know that you can have some incredible wildlife encounters without ever leaving UK shores? And few wildlife spectacles compare to the sight of dolphins riding the waves.

Around 25-30 species of whale and dolphin can be seen in the waters around the UK, from the mighty humpback whale to the nimble harbour porpoise. They come here to take advantage of the abundance of fish and clean waters found on certain parts…

The July issue of Nature's Home has prompted a huge number of emails and photographs from you, our fabulous readers. The inbox has been fuller than I can recall for a long time, so a big thank you from me. There's nothing like a reaction to know that a magazine is being read.

We read every email and letter and enjoy all of your photographs. Two fabulous RSPB volunteers, Roger and Ben, help me manage our super…

The great skua, the thug of the sea. Also known as a Bonxie in the UK, the great skua will go to aggressive lengths to get it's breakfast. They're almost pirate like in their behavior harassing gannets and gulls and showing no mercy to puffins. Even humans daren't get too close for fear of being dive-bombed.

But with all that in mind they are fascinating birds, even down to their origin. Though it doesn't look…

It's the summer holidays, which can only mean one thing – it's time for the Big Wild Sleepout! Take the Wild Challenge this summer and spend a night outside to discover what nocturnal wildlife is out and about in your area. Here are 10 things to see...

What goes on in your garden as the night shift takes over? (Chris Shields rspb-images.com)

Badger parade
For a truly wild experience to put your tracking…

I've seen more grass snakes in the last couple of months than in my whole life previous. I'm guessing that with ponds low on water and the incredible heat perhaps making them more active, they just seem to be popping up everywhere for me.

This photo of the week sent in by Steve Norfolk is a lovely one, as you can see the whole snake submerged and keeping cool. Most of the grass snakes I've seen recently aren…

The summer holidays are in full swing, with long balmy evenings ahead, so it’s the perfect time to take part in the Big Wild Sleepout. Join the Wild Challenge with your family this summer and camp out to discover wildlife after dark, it’s easier than you think.

1. Build a base

You can head down to one of our reserves for the full Sleepout experience – enjoy an evening meal and breakfast at RSPB Leighton…

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…