Nature

'Norfolk. Merely typing the word on a computer screen gives me a little twinge of satisfaction': D. J. Taylor on how Norfolk has inspired him for a lifetime

Novelist and local D. J. Taylor reveals the real magic of Norfolk, his home county.

John Lewis-Stempel: Birds' nests, wool, and how the dung of a single outdoor cow feeds 2.2 million insects per year

As he repairs a fence that’s gone floppy thanks to the cattle rubbing against it, John Lewis-Stempel pauses on a warm Spring morning to admire all the birds busily building and lining their nests with cow hair.

Rabbits: Our most underrated creature? The underground engineering and clever tricks of Britain's third-favourite pet

Pie filling, pest or pet of underrated beauty, the rabbit is a mute and gregarious commoner that will nonetheless scream, fight and kill when warranted, says award-winning nature writer John Lewis-Stempel.

The very best of Somerset, by the people who literally wrote the book

In their latest celebration of West Country people, places and produce, ‘Deepest’ book authors Fanny Charles and Gay Pirrie-Weir explore why Somerset is so different from its neighbouring counties.

Turtle doves: The sad plight of the bird made famous by one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time

Dainty, smaller and darker than its collared cousin, the turtle dove is in danger of dying out, but not if a new Norfolk-based trust has anything to do with it, says Robin Page.

How to get rid of rats

Getting rid of rats isn't easy: they're a notoriously destructive and stubborn breed, and require patience and determination to eradicate.

Cuckoos: An absurd little bird

Parasitic creatures with murderous and greedy offspring they may be, yet the prospect of no annual competition to hear the cuckoo’s first call is a bleak one, believes Claire Jackson

Curious Questions: What was the first OS Map?

Jack Watkins traces through the history of Ordnance Survey maps, going way past the 'official' first OS map — which was of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight — to find the tale of the extraordinary William Roy, whose cartographic concepts have barely changed in almost three centuries.

The Country Life nature picture quiz for Easter: Can you name the animals and their babies?

How is your countryside knowledge? Our nature picture quiz will test you out.

The secret life of rabbits

Pie filling, pest or pet of underrated beauty, the rabbit is a mute and gregarious commoner that will nonetheless scream, fight and kill when warranted, says John Lewis-Stempel.

Crows: Everything you need to know about the whole corvid family, from ravens and jackdaws to rooks, magpies, jays and choughs

Clever, companionable and mischievous, the crow or corvid family of birds has long loomed large in our lives and imaginations, as symbols of death and crop destroyers. But, contends Simon Lester, they’re not all black-hearted scoundrels.

A celebration of Spring, in words and pictures

The world isn't easy in these troubled times, but there are reasons to be cheerful.

Beech trees: A complete guide

The beech tree is one of the finest sights in British woodland: effortlessly tall and graceful, offering year-round colour in a hardy, native variety. We take a look at what you need to know about the 'Queen of Trees'.

In Focus: Gerald Durrell, the 'pioneer with a marvellous sense of humour'

The author, conservationist and avid nature-lover describes his childhood in Corfu with the 'recollections of a child in a kind of earthy paradise,' in his book, My Family and Other Animals, finds Jack Watkins.

A simple guide to the wildflowers of Britain

From deciduous woods yet to fill out with leaf, to windswept hilltop shingle beach and riverbank, our flora can give so much pleasure.

Spring blossom: 'A reminder that we that we have escaped deathly winter and life with all its possibilities is born again'

As attractive to artists as it is to moths and butterflies, the ‘White Period’ of heavenly spring blossom is upon us and John Lewis-Stempel couldn’t be happier.

Blackcaps: The small garden birds with a big voice

Small, shy and chubby with a neat black cap, this effervescent bird sings its heart out in spring. Jack Watkins meets the blackcap, also known as the March nightingale.

London's Pleasant Pastures: Uncovering the fascinating history of the city's Royal Parks and the animals who live within them

From evidence of prehistoric life in Greenwich Park to shire horses in Richmond Park, there’s more to London’s Royal Parks than meets the eye, says natural-history filmmaker Peter Collins.

Curious Questions: Why do cats have whiskers?

Martin Fone investigates the all-important role of feline whiskers—including how they contribute to enhancing the species' beauty.

Curious Questions: Do earwigs go in your ears?

For centuries earwigs were believed to be adept at entering our ears so as to lay eggs in the brain, sending us mad — but as Ian Morton finds, no creature has been more unfairly condemned. He celebrates this curious creepy crawlie in all its glory.