spring wildlife
Divine spring walks: 23 of the best UK trails to enjoy right now
The countryside is awash with the sights and sounds of spring – it's time to get outside. From magnificent meadows and wildflower woodlands to gorgeous springtime hills, here is our guide to the UK's best spring walks.
Spring blossom is out now - here's how to identify it
As light flows slowly back into our woodlands and hedgerows, once-bare branches begin to bloom again. It's blossom season – but how do you tell the difference between blackthorn and hawthorn, rowan and wild cherry?
Spring wildlife guide: what to look for and where to see it
From the fragrant aroma of wild garlic to the delightful song of the chiffchaff, the British countryside comes to life in the spring months. Our expert spring wildlife guide explains how to identify the season's best wildlife spectacles and best places to see.
How to identify chicks
From baby blue tits and cygnets to cuckoos and ducklings, here is your guide to spring chicks emerging across the UK.
How to identify common hedgerow species
Discover the flowers, shrubs and trees that make up a typical British hedgerow and why they are so important for wildlife, in our expert guide.
Willow warbler guide: song, appearance, distribution and migration
This small, greenish bird has a soft, lilting song, a sure sign that spring is here. Learn all about this tuneful member of the warbler family – including appearance, song and migration patterns – with our birder's guide
Reed warbler guide: song, appearance, distribution and migration
Find reeds and you have a chance of finding the reed warbler. Learn all about this common warbler – including what they look like, their song and migration patterns – with our birder's guide
Blackcap guide: song, appearance, distribution and migration
The blackcap is an easily identifiable warbler with a distinctive cap, which is black in males and brown in females. Learn more about this woodland songster, including how to identify males and females, their song and migration patterns with our expert birder's guide
Warblers guide: UK species and how to identify
Warblers are a group of small, often green-brown birds with varied songs. Learn more about these spring songsters – including the blackcap, chiffchaff and willow warbler – with our guide to warblers of the UK
Day out: Cors Dyfi, Powys
There is more to Cors Dyfi than ospreys – look too for vibrant bog flowers, sunbathing lizards and zipping dragonflies from the reserve’s wheelchair-friendly boardwalk
Best of the British countryside in May
A selection of the month's best photos from the UK countryside
Virtual escapes: magical woodlands and forests
Experience the sights and sounds of the countryside with our round-up of the best wildlife and nature films about Britain's forests and woodlands.
Best of the British countryside in April
A selection of the month's best photos from the UK countryside in April.
How to take beautiful photos of blossom
The start of spring sees trees and hedgerows bursting with beautiful blossom, and longer days providing us with more opportunities to get outside and photograph these flowering trees. Our guide explores some top tips for taking photographs of blossom on spring days, including advice on exposure, contrast and composition.
Podcast: Take a hedgerow safari with TV naturalist Dr George McGavin
Discover the amazing lives of bees, flies and other invertebrates in a typical British hedgerow with the One Show's George McGavin in episode 12, season 5 of the BBC Countryfile Magazine podcast
Guide to Britain's rarest birds: how to identify and where to see them
Learn how to identify rare birds with our guide to some of the UK's most endangered bird species, plus learn why they are they so rare, distribution and ongoing conservation efforts.
Guide to nightjars: identification, distribution and where to see them
Learn all about one of Britain's most unusual bird species with our guide to nightjars, including how to identify them, folklore, where they live and when you can see them.
Virtual escapes: peaceful rivers and splashing streams
Experience the blissful sights and sounds of the British countryside with our stay-at-home tour of the most beautiful rivers in the UK.
Britain's best spring arboreta
Put a spring in your step through the countryside's finest collections of trees and shrubs
Podcast: Looking for the first signs of spring in Silent Valley in Wales
Wander Silent Valley national nature reserve listening to spring birdsong and looking for other signs of the new season with Countryfile Magazine's Fergus Collins and Rebecca Ward from the Gwent Wildlife Trust
Mike Dilger on his favourite places to spot spring wildlife
From a dawn chorus serenade in Somerset to migrating birds in Dorset and swooping ospreys in Scotland, there are plenty of wildlife spectacles for enthusiasts to enjoy this spring. TV presenter and naturalist Mike Dilger shares his top tips on where to spot spring wildlife.
