BBC Wildlife, Vol. 41.01 (January 2023)

discoverwildlife.
com
BACKGROUND: GUY EDWARDES PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY; THIS PAGE: MURMURATION: GUY CORBISHLEY/ALAMY; PEREGRINE: SAM HOBSON/NATUREPL.COM; GOREDALE: ROB FEATHERSTONE/ALAMY
ALAMY; KESTREL: GARY CHALKER/GETTY; CARDER BEE: ANDRE SKONIECZNY/GETTY; PUFFIN: JAMES WARWICK/GETTY; PURPLE EMPEROR & RED SQUIRREL: GETTY; FUNGI: MICHAEL HARVEY/RSPB;
COVER COMPOSITE BY CHRIS STOCKER; COVER IMAGES: WEASEL: DAVID TIPLING/UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP/GETTY; RAZORBILL: ANDREA PUCCI/GETTY; PASQUEFLOWERS: GILLIAN PULLINGER/
We’re marking our

60th birthday by
celebrating great
British nature spots
Avon Gorge peregrine; Goredale

Scar in the Yorkshire Dales It’s our birthday – we’re having
a party and you’re all invited
Which wild place PAUL McGUINNESS, EDITOR
is your favourite ?
We want to discover hen the first issue of this magazine was
the nation’s favourite published, Harold Macmillan was Prime
UK wildlife hotspot! Minister, The Beatles had yet to release
Read our special 60th their first LP, and Zoo Quest was coming to
anniversary round-up
the end of its run as David Attenborough’s
on page 42, then head
first major series for the BBC. Sixty years on and we’re still here
to discoverwildlife.
com/60faves to vote. – albeit having gone through one or two changes since Armand
You can search all the Denis launched the magazine under its then-title Animals.
places by region, then To celebrate our diamond jubilee, we asked 60 of our friends
have your say with an and colleagues in the wildlife world to nominate their favourite
easy click of the mouse! wild place in the UK. Their choices only serve to highight the
wonderful diversity of life on these islands – see page 42.
Keep in touch And now it’s over to you. We want
wildlifeletters@immediate.co.uk you to have your say as we look to find
instagram.com/bbcwildlifemagazine Britain’s favourite wild place – the
twitter.com/WildlifeMag panel on the left tells you how you can
facebook.com/wildlifemagazine
vote. Here’s to the next 60 years!
discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 3

EDITOR
Paul McGuinness
DEPUTY EDITOR Jo Price ART EDITOR Richard Eccleston
FEATURES EDITOR Sarah McPherson PICTURE EDITOR Tom Gilks
PRODUCTION EDITOR Catherine Smalley SENIOR DIGITAL EDITOR Debbie Graham
EDITORIAL AND DIGITAL CO-ORDINATOR Megan Shersby
CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE...
Nida Al-Fulaij, Doug Allan, Patrick Barkham, Simon Barnes, Amy-Jane Beer, Leif Bersweden, Kate Bradbury,
Gordon Buchanan, Pete Cairns, Fergus Collins, Nina Constable, Ashley Cooper, Dominic Couzens, Roz Kidman Cox, Mya-Rose Craig,
Rebecca Dawson, Oscar Dewhurst, Oliver Edwards, Suzi Eszterhas, Rhiane Fatinikun, Mark Feather, Manu San Félix, Richard Fleury,
Richard Fox, Nick Garbutt, Danny Green, Ben Hall, Will Hall, Daniel Hargreaves, Sheena Harvey, Andy Hay, Wim van den Heever,
Alex Hyde, Kabir Kaul, Miranda Krestovnikoff, Lucy Lapwing, David Lindo, Chantelle Lindsay, James Lowen, Sandy Luk, Megan McCubbin,
Lucy McRobert, Chris Packham, Jack Perks, Jasmine Isa Qureshi, Jini Reddy, Tui De Roy, Tara Shine, Florian Smit, Colin Stafford-Johnson,
Roberta Staley, Sandra Standbridge, Michaela Strachan, Tallulah, Pam Taylor, Ajay Tegala, David Tipling, Jenny Tse-Leon, Karim Vahed,
Fay Vass, Juliet Vickery, James Warwick, Iolo Williams, Savita Willmott
ADDRESS Our Media, Eagle House, Bristol BS1 4ST, UK

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES wildlifemagazine@ourmedia.co.uk
FACEBOOK @wildlifemagazine
TWITTER @WildlifeMag
INSTAGRAM @bbcwildlifemagazine
WEB discoverwildlife.com
YOUTUBE bit.ly/bbcwildlifeyoutube
ADVERTISING MARKETING
GROUP AD MANAGER Laura Jones SUBSCRIPTIONS DIRECTOR Jacky Perales-Morris
laura.jones@ourmedia.co.uk SENIOR DIRECT MARKETING MANAGER Aimee Rhymer
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Amy Thacker 0117 3008858 SUBSCRIPTIONS MARKETING MANAGER Natalie Lawrence
amy.thacker@ourmedia.co.uk PR MANAGER Emma Cooney
SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE Dan Baker 0117 3008280
dan.baker@ourmedia.co.uk PRODUCTION
BRAND SALES Mia Dorrington 0117 300 8266 AD CO-ORDINATOR Charles Thurlow
mia.dorrington@ourmedia.co.uk AD DESIGNER Julia Young
BRAND SALES Stephanie Hall 0117 300 8535 PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Sarah Powell
stephanie.hall@ourmedia.co.uk PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATOR Emily Mounter
CLASSIFIED SALES EXECUTIVE Marc Hay 0117 300 8758
marc.hay@ourmedia.co.uk BBC STUDIOS, UK PUBLISHING
INSERTS Laurence Robertson 00353 876 902208 CHAIR, EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARDS Nicholas Brett
laurence.robertson@ourmedia.co.uk MD, CONSUMER PRODUCTS & LICENSING Stephen Davies
DIRECTOR, MAGAZINES AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS Mandy Thwaites
LICENSING AND SYNDICATION COMPLIANCE MANAGER Cameron McEwan
RIGHTS MANAGER Emma Brunt 0117 300 8979 uk.publishing@bbc.com
emma.brunt@ourmedia.co.uk
DIRECTOR OF LICENSING AND SYNDICATION Tim Hudson BBC EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD
Nicholas Brett CHAIR
IMMEDIATE MEDIA PUBLISHING Lee Bacon HEAD OF DIGITAL, BBC NATURAL HISTORY UNIT
GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR Andy Marshall Alasdair Cross PRODUCER, BBC RADIO 4
MANAGING DIRECTOR Andrew Davies Jane Lomas SERIES EDITOR, BBC COUNTRYFILE
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Rob Brock Bill Lyons EXECUTIVE EDITOR, BBC COUNTRYFILE, COAST, SECRET BRITAIN
HEAD OF BRAND MARKETING Rosa Sherwood Susy Smith INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT
Mary Blanchard ZOOLOGY LECTURER, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
PHOTOGRAPHY AND ETHICS

BBC Wildlife champions ethical wildlife photography that prioritises the welfare of animals and the environment. It is committed to the faithful
representation of nature, free from excessive digital manipulation, and complete honesty in captioning. Photographers, please support us by disclosing
all information about the circumstances under which your pictures were taken (including, but not restricted to, use of bait, captive or habituated animals).
BBC Wildlife provides trusted, independent travel advice and information that has been gathered without fear or favour. We aim to provide options
that cover a range of budgets and reveal the positive and negative points of the locations we visit. The views expressed in BBC Wildlife are those
of the authors and not necessarily those of the magazine or its publisher. The publisher, editor and authors accept no responsibility in respect of
any products, goods or services that may be advertised or referred to in this issue or for any errors, omissions, mis-statements or mistakes in any
such advertisements or references.
Our Media Ltd is working to ensure that all of its paper is sourced from well-managed forests. This magazine is printed on Forest Stewardship
Council (FSC) certified paper. This magazine can be recycled, for use in newspapers and packaging. Please remove any gifts, samples or
wrapping and dispose of it at your local collection point.
BBC Wildlife (ISSN 0265-3656 USPS XXXXX) is published monthly with an extra copy in June by Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group Company),
Eagle House, Bristol, BS1 4ST United Kingdom. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by World Container Inc., c/o BBT 150-15 183rd St, Jamaica, NY
11413-4037, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11256.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to BBC Wildlife magazine, World Container Inc., c/o BBT 150-15, 183rd St, Jamaica, NY 11431, USA.
All rights reserved. No part of BBC Wildlife may be reproduced in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part, without prior written
permission from the publisher. Not to be resold, lent, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade at more than the recommended retail
price (subject to VAT in the Republic of Ireland) or in mutilated condition. Printed by William Gibbons Ltd.
BBC Wildlife is published by Our Media Ltd under licence from BBC Studios.
© Our Media Ltd 2022.
GETTY
4 BBC WILDLIFE January 2023

Slide on
over to page 40
and get your
Make time for what you love with a paws on a
great deal
subscription to BBC Wildlife
BBC Wildlife No. 01 Vol. 41
The entrancing Siberian jays of northern Eurasia
THE COVER
This month’s composite cover
celebrates 60 years since the
magazine was first published
in 1963 under the title Animals.
Clockwise from left, it features
the following British species:
weasel, razorbill, pasqueflower,
kestrel, shrill carder bee, puffin,
purple emperor butterfly, red
squirrel and bottlenose dolphin.
Every month, only in BBC Wildlife
NICK BAKER GILLIAN BURKE MARK CARWARDINE LUCY COOKE MIKE DILGER
Learn about the larvae that “Seals are terrified of us, so “I was dancing around my The ‘lesbian’ Laysan From distinctive tracks to
can survive without oxygen we really need to give them office when I heard Jair albatrosses that pair up wallows and rooted pasture
for six weeks, with our a wide berth and enjoy Bolsonaro was no longer with the same sex to raise and verges, Mike reveals
lively naturalist P.38 them from a distance” P.17 president of Brazil” P.31 a clutch of eggs P.27 how to spot wild boar P.34

YEARS
08 Wild Times
Catch up with all the latest
developments and discoveries
making headlines
34 Foraging wild boar

Mike Dilger sets the challenge of
seeing a wild boar this winter, or at
least their tell-tale signs
38 Hidden Britain
Nick Baker on the pond olive –
a mayfly larva that thrives during
frozen winters using a handy
SIBERIAN JAY: FLORIAN SMIT; ELEPHANT: JABRUSON/NATUREPL.COM; FENNEC FOX: BBC NHU; EGGS: LLOYD DAVIS/PHYS.ORG/CREATIVE COMMONS
metabolic trick
42 60 favourite
wildlife hotspots
We are celebrating our 60th
anniversary with a special round-up Keeping Kenya’s hungry elephants from harm
of UK locations. Find out how to vote
for your favourite!
72 Stunning Siberian
MORE
jay photos
Magical images of this intelligent,
forest-dwelling bird, from German
photographer Florian Smit
82 Saving seagrass in Ibiza

Read about the super-plant of the
Mediterranean Sea and one man’s
100 Q&A
Can bumblebees play?
mission to protect it
106 Go Wild
90 Elephant-friendly Chris Packham presents a
farming new BBC documentary on
wild canids
How growing crops that are less
appetising to elephants could 109 ID Guide
prevent conflict with farmers How to find a few treasures
for the nature table
115 Crossword
DON’T MISS...
Plus Spot the Difference
116 Photo Club
This month’s competition
...the little-known 120 Your Letters
penguins that lay Join the debate
one and a half
eggs – and then Fennec foxes star 122 Tales from the Bush
brood just one in a new BBC Two One young man’s close
Page 14 series p106 encounter on a night dive

What’s happening right now
LEAP FORWARD
Botswana’s Okavango Delta
consists of floodplains, forested
islands and waterways: a
haven in the Kalahari Desert
that attracts thousands of
animals, including red lechwe.
WIM VAN DEN HEEVER
The antelope retreat to remote

islands in the evening for safety
and return to bigger islands in the
morning to graze. These females
are springing across a channel to
a main island as a male looks on.

Let it snow,
let it snow,
let it snow
Ptarmigan stay cosy
when the weather
outside is frightful
he arrival of winter and hostile

weather conditions is a challenge
if your natural home is on rocky
tundra or an alpine summit. But when
temperatures plummet, rock ptarmigan
know how to cope. These small, Arctic
grouse excavate caves to make the most of
the insulating properties of snow because it
is comprised of a high percentage of air.
The birds moult into their white plumage
each autumn for camouflage and hunker
down in these caves during winter nights
or bad spells of weather. Found in northern
Europe and some areas of south-central
Europe, rock ptarmigan are well-adapted
to life between 2,000m and 4,800m.
They favour windswept ridges and slopes
because they help expose the sparse ground
vegetation that the birds depend on for food.
This female was spotted in a cave when
the temperature was -20°C in Sweden in
December. She left her snowy sanctuary
at the end of the day to feed and was
photographed when she stopped briefly.
MEET THE PHOTOGRAPHER
“I realised she
was very bold”
Norwegian photographer Orsolya
Haarberg stayed in Sarek National Park,
Sweden, with the aim of capturing Sami
moving their reindeer herds. “I left my
cabin early in the morning
and came across this
female ptarmigan,”
ORSOLYA HAARBERG/NATUREPL.COM
she says. “When

I approached
slowly, the
bird did not
flee so I spent
the whole day
with her and
took this image
when she left
her cave.”

Bucking
the trend
Brown trout choose to breed
in cold rivers during winter
ost freshwater fish spawn in

late spring, as the water
temperature in rivers, lakes and
ponds begins to rise. Brown
trout, instead, breed in winter,
with reports of spawning from
November through to February and March.
The rivers they favour are often those also
used by our rapidly declining wild salmon,
and share three features: they are chilly,
well-oxygenated, (cold water carries a lot
of oxygen) and have deep beds of clean
gravel. River pollution is calamitous for
these magnificent fish.
Before spawning can occur, the female
trout – like female salmon, known as
hens – must make one or more hollows
in the gravel. Facing upstream, they turn
on their side and thrash their powerful
tail to push the stones aside. The finished
scrapes, called redds, are frequently visible
from the bank as pale patches lacking silt
or algae. At last, the territorial male trout
patrolling this section of river is able to
fertilise the females’ eggs as they deposit
them in the redds. But he needs to be on
guard. If he’s not careful, a sneaky, lower-
ranking male will swim up alongside and
take his chances. Ben Hoare

The greater
white-toothed
shrew has not
been recorded
in Britain before
New species
of shrew in
Sunderland
Greater white-toothed
shrew discovery is a
first for mainland UK
new species of non-native mammal
has been confirmed for mainland
Britain after a social media post led
TROUT: JACK PERKS; ALLAN: SAM BROWETT; SHREW: RUTH CARDEN

to the chance discovery of a greater
white-toothed shrew in North East
England. The unusual-looking,
long-snouted mammal caught the eye
of ecologist Ian Bond and subsequent
DNA tests confirmed that it was a greater
white-toothed shrew, which is found across
Western Europe and North Africa but up
until now was not found in mainland UK.
This shrew species was also discovered in
Ireland nearly a decade ago where it is having
a negative impact on Ireland’s native shrews.
“The greater white-toothed shrew is
known to outcompete the native pygmy
shrew in Ireland,” says Allan McDevitt from
the Mammal Society. “It is urgent that its
distribution and potential impact
in England is assessed.”
Research is underway
to establish how the
greater white-toothed
A brown trout in shrew arrived
the River Derwent, in England.
Derbyshire. It has a Simon Birch
golden body and
ringed dark spots Allan McDevitt studies
shrews in Ireland

One egg
or two?
The extreme
reproductive
strategy of
the ‘forgotten
penguins’
ome birds lay 20 eggs per out. Virtually no work has ever been transition between a two-egg and a one-egg
clutch; others lay just one. Most done on them and you never see them on strategy. He says that while most penguins
fall somewhere in between. And documentaries, because no one’s allowed raise two chicks, species that nest far from
yet there’s a little-known species to go there and film.” their feeding grounds tend to reduce their
of penguin that lays one and a half. For his latest research on the species, clutch to a single egg.
Erect-crested penguins are, published in PLOS One, Davis and his Emperor and king penguins, for
according to Lloyd Davis of colleagues drew on data collected on a example, stop laying after the first egg.
New Zealand’s University of rare visit to the colonies in 1998. This For the erect-cresteds, though, it’s not so
Otago, “the forgotten penguins,” has revealed that erect-crested penguins simple, because for some reason they put all
largely because of the inaccessibility of employ a highly unusual egg-laying strategy, their effort into the second egg rather than
their breeding colonies on the uninhabited in which the first of the two eggs they lay is the first. “The problem is that you can’t lay
Bounty and Antipodes Islands 800km off only about half the size of the second. a second egg until you’ve laid a first
New Zealand. Davis says the difference is more egg,” says Davis. “So all you can
“No one visits them,” says Davis. “Sure, pronounced than in any other do is reduce the investment
every now and then, in the past, you’d bird. The smaller egg is not in the first egg as much as
get shipwrecked sailors or sealers there. brooded by the parents and you can.”
But the only people visiting those islands never hatches. Stuart Blackman
these days are scientists who have gone Davis believes that this
through the rigorous permitting process, bizarre situation represents University of Otago's
which is basically a fence to keep people a snapshot in a process of Lloyd Davis

Grey herons hunt
by walking through
the shallows or
standing still
The second egg the

penguins lay is much
larger than the first
Gillian Clarke
presents the grey
heron on Tweet
of the Day
Approach with care

This month, go heron watching – but try not to be seen
he grey heron breeding season is quick to take off with an irritated croak. As
but weeks away – from early February, naturalist Amy-Jane Beer says in The Flow,
these birds start to pair up and “herons can’t bear to be watched,” adding
construct their messy stick nests. In it may help to scrutinise them sidelong.
the meantime, short midwinter days Between their solitary fishing sessions,
can be excellent for heron watching. grey herons spend an inordinate amount
PENGUINS: TUI DE ROY/NATUREPL.COM; EGGS: LLOYD DAVIS/PHYS.ORG/CREATIVE COMMONS;

Grey herons do much of their hunting in the of time standing around in fields, often in
half-light around dawn and dusk, striding groups. It appears that while loafing they are
through the shallows or standing stock-still simply digesting their last meal. Given they
LLOYD: SCOTT DAVIS; HERON: DANNY GREEN; FAIRY RINGS: DR STEPHAN GETZIN
with a characteristic hunched neck. Approach can swallow eels 20–30cm long, these may be
cautiously, because they are famously nervy, pretty substantial. BH
IN BRIEF
Mystery solved?
Fairy circles are circular gaps in
grassland that form a distinctive
pattern – but what causes them?
FACT.
The broad black
The University of Göttingen stripe on a
has shown that, after rainfall, male great tit's
grasses within the fairy circles chest is a sign
in the Namib Desert, Southern of its status.
Africa, died immediately. The larger
Soil-moisture data revealed the stripe, the
that the grasses around the more attractive
Erect-crested penguins circles depleted the water within Fairy circles in the the bird is to
breed on the Antipodes the circles, likely inducing the death Namib Desert females looking
and Bounty Islands of the grasses inside the circles. for a mate.

Twigs and
buds are
of Trees cover
the history, art,
on display
science and
politics of trees
On winter walks, take
the opportunity to see
trees in a different light
ritain’s deciduous trees may be

leafless, but that doesn’t mean they
are lifeless. In January, the subtle
and not-so-subtle differences in their
twigs and buds come to the fore.
Some species are easy to identify.
Horse chestnuts have super-sticky buds
covered in dark brown scales. The buds of
ash are coal-black and stubby, arranged in
pairs at the tips of gnarly grey twigs. Beech
buds are sharp and pointed like spears, and
angled away from the twig. Alder buds are
purplish, on warty twigs.
Winter twigs can be surprisingly
colourful. Dogwood stems are bright red
(albeit not as vibrant as garden varieties),
while those of spindle, a scarcer tree of
ancient hedgerows, are lime-green.
Horse chestnuts “We tend to think of trees as leafy
can be identified giants,” says botanist Leif Bersweden in
in winter by
Where the Wild Flowers Grow, “but, in
their sticky buds
the winter, we get to see a whole other
side to them.” BH
ORIGIN
OF PIECES
AN ANATOMICAL MISCELLANY
A scorpion’s
BUD: ALEX HYDE; SCORPION: ALEX HYDE/NATUREPL.COM
pectines
hould you ever find yourself close
enough to a scorpion to examine its
underside, you won’t fail to spot a
pair of large comb-like structures,
which, were they to be found on
any less fearsome animal, might
be likened to an angel’s wings. Pectines
are unique to scorpions and function like No, it's not scene
insects’ antennae. Sensitive to vibrations and from Alien. You're
chemical stimuli, they brush the ground as looking at pectines.
the scorpion moves. Stuart Blackman

I could feel blunt claws grip
my arm through my thick winter
wetsuit, as the view from my
mask was taken up with muzzle,
whiskers, and the occasional flash of some
rather large canines. Were it not for my
mask’s rubber covering over my nose, no
doubt his warm, fishy breath would have
made the experience complete as an adult
male Atlantic grey seal inspected this visitor Catch up on all
to the waters that bathe Cornwall and the the episodes
Isles of Scilly. from this year’s
Autumnwatch
This was a close and magical swimming-
with-seals encounter filmed for BBC Two’s
Springwatch four years ago. Best practice
reasoned that being in the water meant the
seals were in their element and always in
control of the encounter. Yet, the experience
still left me feeling both elated and conflicted.
My job is to get people to love and
connect with nature, but is it possible to
get a little too close, and love nature a little
too much? Certainly, for anyone working in
wildlife media and tourism, the reality is that
habitats and many species often can’t handle
sustained close contact with humans.
Everything about grey seals is adapted
to slipping through the ocean with enviable
and mesmerising ease, but once out of the
Cornwall is known
water they are slow, clumsy and extremely
for its rich marine life,
vulnerable. Marine mammals they may be, but is it possible to
but seals are obligated to regularly return get a little too close?
to dry land. Unlike whales, dolphins and
even manatees and dugongs, seals must haul
themselves out of the water to rest, digest, OPINION
moult, breed and pup.
Haul-out sites are typically inaccessible
beaches or rocky islets that get temporarily
marooned as the tide falls away. These
safe havens become a terrifying drop when
disturbed, particularly by walkers, dogs,
kayakers and boats full of wildlife tourists.
When spooked, seals prefer their chances
of tombstoning into shallow seas or, worse
still, barnacle encrusted rocks, risking broken “The experience left me feeling
jaws, ribs and pelvic bones. Even if they
stampede across more forgiving terrain, seals both elated and conflicted”
can be left with grazes and rashes, and they
can also suffer cold shock if they are sent
panicking into the water too quickly. counterparts) but like any good predator- to seek out encounters with seals either in or
Why so scared? Historically, we were prey coevolutionary relationship, their fear out of the water, especially during the winter
one of their main predators. Humans have of us is written into their DNA. months when the grey seal pupping season
hunted seals for thousands of years for their Not great news for wildlife enthusiasts, is in full swing. Being flushed off haul-out
fur, blubber and meat. I am going to stick photographers and well-intentioned sites is always a waste of energy, often causes
my neck out here and say I do not wish to adventurers alike – after a long history of serious injury and is sometimes fatal.
demonise traditional hunting by indigenous being hunted and persecuted seals simply lob So, no matter how much we love seals,
people (I would assert indigenous people us all in the same boat. remember they are terrified of us, so we
are more aligned with natural law than In Scotland in February 2021, a ban came really need to give them a wide berth and
most of their 21st century animal-loving into force that stopped the fisheries industry enjoy them from a distance. But that is not
from shooting seals – vital protection to say there can’t be a connection. Joining
considering the UK is home to a third of the organised surveys helps monitor seals as
Gillian Burke is a biologist,
NINA CONSTABLE
writer and presenter. You

world’s grey seal population. Prior to this, well as the health of our waters. The marine
can visit gillianburkevoice. seals in Scotland could be shot under licence. mammals have much to contend with,
com to read her blog and Seal groups and charities are revising including climate change, and we have a lot
latest news. their policies to no longer encourage people to learn from these envoys from the sea.

The red kite is a scavenger
and now a familiar sight
at many places in the UK
Bruce Winney
presents the red
kite on Tweet
of the Day
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
he red kite is always a sociable raptor, but especially so in winter.

January sees dozens wheeling in the air together, and at feeding
stations in Wales and south-west Scotland numbers often reach
three figures. Since red kites were released in the 1990s, the
breeding population is up almost 2,000 per cent. It must surely be
Britain’s most successful species reintroduction ever.
Rosary pea
beans pack a
big punch
10 deadly plants
There is an astonishing amount of toxicity
in the plant kingdom WWF’s Mark Wright
says, “Nature is still
1 DEADLY NIGHTSHADE in an increasingly
As few as 10 berries can kill an adult precarious situation”
2 TOBACCO
Responsible for the deaths of 8 million
RED KITE: DREW BUCKLEY; NARWHAL: ERIC BACCEGA/NATUREPL.COM; ROSARY PEA: VIVEK S/EYEEM/GETTY; MARK: SIAN WRIGHT; TURTLE: JORDI CHIAS/NATUREPL.COM/WWF
people a year due to smoking and MEET THE SCIENTIST

exposure to second-hand smoke
3 MANCHINEEL
Known as ‘the world’s most dangerous
tree’ – every part of it is highly toxic
4 LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY
Mark Wright
Its cardiac glycosides make it very toxic Director of science at WWF on the Living Planet
5 OLEANDER
A pretty, pink plant packed with poison
Report 2022 and what it means for wildlife
6 ROSARY PEA
Ingestion of just one seed can be fatal Mark Wright finds it hard to imagine why take for granted – stable weather systems,
7 CERBERA ODOLLAM anyone wouldn’t be interested in the natural productive soils for crop production, water
Tree that bears a highly toxic fruit world: “Nature allows us to simply ‘be’,” for people, farming and business – the list
8 HEMLOCK WATER-DROPWORT he says. Having spent 15 years overseas on goes on,” he says. The scientist stresses
Poisoning causes lung collapse, brain development and conservation projects, in his how important it is to stop the long-term
haemorrhage and death current role as WWF’s director of science, he trend of decision-makers reneging on their
9 MONKSHOOD focuses on the importance of using evidence commitments to the environment.
Almost all members of the Aconitum to take people on a journey: “There are
genus are highly poisonous
millions of species on this planet and every “Sadly, we have known for decades what
10 THORNAPPLES single one of them has its own story to tell.” is driving these declines and therefore what
All species in the Datura genus are
needs to be done. There are two key culprits:
extremely toxic
“The latest Living Planet Report degradation of habitats – much of which
reveals that not enough is being is driven by the way we produce
IN BRIEF done to avert the risk of food – and over-exploitation.”
climate change, slow the Mark declares that we need
Narwhals are depletion of nature, and to stop these directly (by
long-lived give it time and space preventing rampant
to recover,” he states. deforestation, for
“The size of global example) or indirectly
wildlife populations (by removing the vast
has plummeted by 69 levels of subsidies that
per cent on average encourage destructive
since 1970.” The report practices, for instance).
is a study of trends in Entanglement of
global biodiversity and the marine life is a “We need to better
health of our planet and is global problem understand the impact of our
Delayed journey primarily a collation of the work choices to make the best decisions
PNAS reports that narwhals are of thousands of researchers around the for the environment – of where there
adapting to the climate crisis by world. It features the Living Planet Index (one may be positive interactions, such as planting
delaying their seasonal migration,
measure of the state of the world’s biological biodiversity-friendly mixed woodland that
matching sea ice trends. By analysing
data spanning 21 years, scientists diversity), which is curated by ZSL experts. soaks up carbon, but also where there might
found that these Arctic whales were be negative trade-offs, for example, if those
remaining longer in their summer “It is critical to protect the planet’s natural same woodlands are planted on agricultural
areas at a rate of 10 days per decade. systems, not just for their own sake but also land, impacting options for growing food.”
because they underpin so much of what we Jo Price

CRICKETTE: SEAN GARCIA; CHIMPS & GORILLA: SEAN BROGAN; KOALA: DAVID NORTHCOTT/GETTY; OWL: PHILIPPE VERBELEN
In the Goualougo Triangle,
chimpanzees (left) and
gorillas (right) were
observed associating in
the same tree
Already in trouble:
the Principe scops-owl
NEW SPECIES DISCOVERY
Principe
scops-owl
WHAT IS IT?
A new owl species (Otus bikegila)
belonging to the scops owl genus. One
of the main clues leading to this species’
Jane Goodall discovery was its distinctive call – a short
on living with “tuu” note, which is rapidly repeated and
chimps on The sounds a bit like insect calls. Pairs of owls
Life Scientific often emit this call as a duet at nightfall.
WHERE IS IT?
The common name of the species reveals
its location – Príncipe Island, off the coast
Best friends forever of Central Africa. From a survey of the

island, scientists found that the owl had
a low population and limited range and
therefore proposed the IUCN should
Chimpanzees and gorillas can make lasting declare it as Critically Endangered.
friendships with each other, reports iScience WHAT IS THE MEANING BEHIND THE
SCIENTIFIC NAME?
‘Bikegila’ was chosen to honour Ceciliano
reat apes of different species can not recognised or reported,” says Crickette de Bom Jesus, who is nicknamed Bikegila.
He took part in every field effort that led to
make great friends. New research Sanz of Washington University in Saint
the bird’s discovery for science.
shows that wild chimpanzees and Louis, USA, who led the study. “Based on
Megan Shersby
gorillas can form lasting relationships the literature, we had anticipated that the
that persist for years. apes would avoid one another,” she adds. “In Find out more bit.ly/PrincipeScopsOwl
An analysis of data collected some cases, it seemed to be the opposite.”
over 20 years in the Republic of Congo, at The study also revealed the development IN BRIEF
sites where – unusually – both chimps and of close bonds between certain individuals,
gorillas are habituated to human observers,
turned up 285 social interactions between
resulting in friendships lasting six years or
more. “It has long been known that these
Aussie rule
Australia is to set
the species. These included the apes feeding, apes can recognise individual members
aside at least 30
resting, playing and travelling together. of their own species and form long-term per cent of its
“The surprise to us was relationships, but we had not known that land mass for
the extent of overlap this extended to other species,” says Sanz. conservation in an
and interaction that The team suggest there may be several ambitious bid to
occurred between benefits to such cross-species sociability. protect plants and
these apes that One possibility is mutual protection from animals found nowhere
was previously predators by responding to each other’s else in the world, such as
the iconic koala. Australia’s mammals
alarm calls. They may also be drawing on are facing an extinction crisis and the
Anthropologist each other’s knowledge of seasonal food country has one of the worst rates of
Crickette Sanz sources. Indeed, interactions between the species decline among the world’s
works at Washington two species were most common during richest countries.
University in St Louis foraging activities. Stuart Blackman

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
NATURE
Pulsar offers a range of
thermal devices that can be
connected to smartphone to
record footage and control
the device
OBSERVATION
MADE EASY
Thermal imaging is an
invaluable technology
that can reveal more
than the eye can see,
both by day and night
t’s fair to say that the tools during the daytime, in misty or
I
conveniently. Better still, the daytime binoculars, the Merger
and equipment used for foggy conditions and of course in observer can remain undetected LRF XP50 feels familiar in the
detecting wildlife have total darkness. Better still, due to as the thermal imagers are hand, and its ergonomic design
come by leaps and bounds their versatility, they can be used passive systems that don’t rely reduces the likelihood of fatigue
over the years. That’s not to for spotting all kinds of wildlife, on light sources to work. over long periods of observation.
say there’s anything wrong such as bat roosts, nocturnal Knowing which type of Another, more cost-conscious
with using a trusty pair of foraging animals and birds. model is best for you depends recommendation is the Axion
binoculars, however, as any on your needs as requirements XM30F, which features a
avid wildlife watcher will tell VALUE OF THERMAL IMAGING will naturally differ from person 320×240, 12µm, <50mK NETD
you, nocturnal wildlife watching Thermal imaging technology to person. Thermal imaging thermal sensor, combined with
can be challenging. With less works to make any surrounding devices are all designed to limit a powerful 28mm F1.2 objective
specialised equipment, it’s only wildlife more noticeable than it disturbance as much as possible lens to provide stunning thermal
possible to cover smaller areas would typically be, especially when it comes to observing imagery at distances of up to
— and detecting animals and in total darkness or dense fog nature and allow you a more 1350m. This picture is presented
birds at a greater distance can when thermal contrast is low. efficient experience. However, a onto the Axion XM30F’s
prove to be rather tricky. By detecting thermal energy, few things you’ll want to consider 640x400 AMOLED display. This
Thermal imaging technology thermal imaging devices can are, what range you want it to compact and lightweight device
has become an invaluable tool gather information about objects work over or more specifically, puts power in your palm without
for nature observation and through a clear and detailed what you are hoping to detect. breaking the bank.
it’s easy to see why. Thermal picture of the observed wildlife. Other points to consider
imaging devices have a distinct One of the main advantages of are if a wide field of view or
upper hand over alternative types using this type of technology is magnification is more important
of night vision technology. This that you can scan larger areas to you, it’s also worth factoring in
is because you can use them for sources of heat quickly and what kind of sensor you want.
FINDING YOUR DEVICE

One recommended option is
the Merger LRF XP50, the new,
intuitive pair of thermal imaging
binoculars from Pulsar. Seen as
the gold standard in handheld
thermal imaging binoculars, this
device features a 640x480, 17µm,
<25mK NETD thermal sensor,
providing an impressive To find out more about thermal
You can quickly and detection range of up to imaging for wildlife visit
conveniently scan large 1800m; and its fast aperture tj-focus.co.uk
areas for heat sources 50mm F1.0 germanium
at long range without objective lens will produce Thomas Jacks is the exclusive UK trade-only
startling observed wildlife distributor for Pulsar. t. 01789 264100
an astonishingly clear
e. info@tj-focus.co.uk www.tj-focus.co.uk
thermal image. Retaining the Although we are trade only, we are very happy
aesthetics of a pair of standard to offer guidance to consumers.
Lang’s short-tailed blue
(pictured) is usually
seen in Mediterranean
countries like Italy, not
the county of Berkshire
Lost & Found VAGRANT SPECIES DIARY
Lang’s short-tailed blue, Berkshire

ome butterflies are prone to long- Secondly, a butterfly, eggs or larvae
distance migration and therefore to may arrive with imported produce such as
vagrancy at a considerable distance vegetables or houseplants. This can happen
beyond their normal range. The UK with long-tailed blues on pea plants, for
has its share of vagrant butterflies but example. Finally, there is the possibility of
proving natural unassisted vagrancy is unassisted vagrancy.
generally impossible. So which is most likely here? The IN BRIEF
The occurrence of a male Lang’s short- accidental importation route is perhaps the
tailed blue (a migratory species that visits most plausible and some circumstances of Shear audacity
European regions from North Africa) found this record remain suspicious: it was found Some seabirds would rather fly into
in mid-October in a house in Three Mile a long way inland and inside a house, albeit the eye of a tropical cyclone than
Cross, Berkshire, by Claire Hawkins and near an open window. be pushed onto land. PNAS reports
SHEARWATER: YUSUKE GOTO;
identified by Aaron Soh on iNaturalist helps Only one previous UK record, from that streaked shearwaters in the Sea
ACONITE: LAURIE CAMPBELL
illustrate the challenge well. Dorset in 1938, is recognised. As with that of Japan are most likely
There are three likely explanations. one, this year’s record coincided with a to expose themselves
to a cyclone if they
Firstly, captive origin. Butterflies are very large arrival of migrant moths from south-
find themselves
commonly bred in captivity with larvae and west Europe and north Africa (assisted by sandwiched
pupae easily ordered online. Adult butterflies a prolonged south to south-west airflow) between the storm
ALAMY
may escape or be deliberately released, appearing to lend some credibility to the and the mainland.
sometimes to establish a wild population. vagrancy theory. James Hanlon

The bright flowers of
winter aconite provide
an early source of
nectar for pollinators
LOOK HOW THEY SHINE FOR YOU
lowing under trees like out-of-season buttercups, the cheery

yellow flowers of winter aconite never fail to lift the spirits in
January. Native to southern Europe, their spectacular growth so
early in the year, as with crocuses and snowdrops, is fuelled by
underground food stores (tubers in this case). The nectar can be
life-saving for any newly emerged bumblebees.
Seals have
a sense of
Living World
presents harbour
seals pupping
rhythm
in Scotland
Study reveals similarities
between harbour seals
and human babies
earning speech by listening,

imitating and making new vocal sounds
is something humans do from infancy.
A sense of rhythm is also linked to both
our speech and to how we create and
enjoy music.
Our closest primate relatives don’t have
such a strong combination of these abilities.
But harbour seals – also good vocal learners
– seem to have what it takes on both counts,
reports Biology Letters.
To uncover this, lead author Laura
LEVANT SPARROWHAWKS: KLAUS BJERRE/NATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS LTD/ALAMY; LAURA: DE VERBEELDING; SEALS: SUZI ESZTERHAS/NATUREPL.COM
Verga and her team played back different seal
pup sounds to 20 wild-born, untrained
youngsters in the Dutch Sealcentre in
Pieterburen. Calls varied in tempo,
length and how they were arranged
in long sequences.
Based on how long and often
According to lead author they looked back at a speaker
Laura Verga (right) seals during playback, the seals had clear
show rhythm processing preferences. Their taste was for fast
and vocalisation learning tempo over slow, long calls rather than
short and for regular rhythm. Kenny Taylor
COLLECTIVE
NOUNS WHAT’S IN A NAME?
A cast
of hawks
he term ‘a cast of hawks’ derives
from sporting terminology in reference
to birds cast from the fist in both
falconry or hawking. Strictly speaking
the term relates only to a pair of hawks The Forum
being cast; if there were three it would covers the
be a leash. Their other collective nouns history of Take your pick!
include aerie, knot, mews, moulting, screw, hunting with Many collective
stream and schizophrenia. For more specific birds of prey nouns are used to
categorisations relating to flight there are boil describe hawks.
and kettle. Adam Jacot de Boinod

WILL YOU WIN
THE WAITING
GAME?
As an Investment Trust that’s been trusted for generations since
1888, we know a few things about long-term investing.
Our research shows that impulsive investors could be missing out
on significant potential growth (we call this the ‘Impatience Tax’).
In comparison we found that patient investors could have
benefitted from added growth (up to 141%) based on analysis
of past performance. All the more reason to see patience as a
value, not just a virtue.*
Find out how you too could win the waiting game.
alliancetrust.co.uk/patience
*
The Profit from Patience Report, Alliance Trust, September 2022 alliancetrust.co.uk/patience
When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investment may rise or fall as a result of market fluctuations
and you might get back less than you invested. TWIM is the authorised Alternative Investment Fund Manager of Alliance
Trust PLC. TWIM is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Alliance Trust PLC is listed on the
London Stock Exchange and is registered in Scotland No SC1731. Registered office: River Court, 5 West Victoria Dock
Road, Dundee DD1 3JT. Alliance Trust PLC is not authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and gives
no financial or investment advice.
The treecreeper’s
mottled plumage
is ideal camouflage
for ascending trees
in woodland
Bill Oddie
presents the
treecreeper on
Tweet of the Day
Moving on up
Usually a loner, the mouse-like treecreeper joins flocks of tits in winter
hanks to its beautifully patterned, part of the tree. The species feeds on insects In truth, the treecreeper is more of a
bark-like plumage, the treecreeper is and spiders from crevices. flock follower, since it stays on the fringes
one of the easiest woodland birds to But in winter, the treecreeper’s of the group. And, usually, there will be only
overlook. Things are not helped by behaviour changes. It joins mixed flocks of one or two treecreepers per flock – listen out
its mousy demeanour. It hesitantly great, blue, coal and long-tailed tits, moving for a high-pitched ‘srreee’ sound – so they
inches up trunks and along and under through woods with them in search of food. are greatly outnumbered by the tits. Being in
branches, gripping the bark so tightly with its Colourful and noisy, these flocks are far a flock is worth it though, because there are
extra-long, strong claws, it could almost be more likely to catch your attention. more eyes to spot danger. BH

FEMALE OF THE SPECIES
LAYSAN ALBATROSS
Lucy Cooke on Hawaii’s seabirds

pairing up with the same sex
he Laysan albatross is a great
example of how looks can be
deceiving. Albatrosses are a famous
Foxes outfoxed symbol of monogamy – they
Researchers in Finland have found typically mate with the same bird
that spreading a prey-like scent for life. When Republican First
without food rewards in an area Lady Laura Bush visited Hawaii,
reduced red fox predation on eggs of she commended the nesting Laysan
ground-nesting birds there, perhaps albatross couples for their lifelong
by affecting foxes’ nest-finding ability. commitments. What no one knew at the time
Such non-lethal methods could have was that many of those committed couples
wider use, they say, as ethical and
effective ways to manage how native
were, to put it anthropomorphically, lesbians.
predators interact with vulnerable prey. The colony at Kaena Point, Oahu, has
been documented by biologists for over a
century, but their unconventional coupling Sisters are doing it for themselves
went undetected until 2008. It’s easy to
see why – both male and female are all but
UP identical. The only clue that something while the other sits tight, protecting their
‘avant-garde’ was going on was the curious noisy but needy investment.
preponderance of nests bearing two eggs. These innovative females have adapted
DOWN
It is physically impossible for a single by soliciting another albatross’ husband as
albatross to lay a double clutch so these extra sperm donor, then partnering with a female
eggs were mysterious – until zoologist Lindsay to raise the chick. Although both females
Young decided to check their custodians may lay a fertilised egg, only one will survive.
were indeed male and female. Young ran The reproductive success rate for females
DNA checks on feathers and discovered, to in same-sex couples is therefore half that of
TREECREEPER: JAMES LOWEN; IVORY: CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/GETTY; FOX: SCOTT SURIANO/GETTY
her great shock, that over a third of the nests heterosexual – better than not breeding at all.
were, in fact, female-female. But why? Some of these females will eventually
It turns out these females are pioneers, in switch to an available male. Some remain
every sense of the word. The colony at Kaena in same-sex relationships for life. Young
Point is new – Laysan albatrosses have only introduced me to one couple that have been
been nesting there since it became protected together for 17 years, raised eight chicks and
land. It was forged by offspring from congested grandparents to three more. These birds
colonies on nearby Laysan and Midway atolls. indulge in all the same lovey-dovey preening
Young females tend to be the adventurous that heterosexual albatross couples engage in.
ones, whereas males remain at their birth These same-sex albatross demonstrate the
colony, which leaves fresh colonies with flexibility of sex-roles in nature. They also
a shortage of males. Being a single signify hope. On Midway and Laysan,
parent is not an option, however. 95 per cent of the albatross nests are
Tsk tsk Albatross chicks are uniquely likely to have disappeared by the
By carbon-dating ivory from four slow maturing and take almost middle of this century due to rising
large shipments seized by authorities six months to become airborne sea levels. So, these pioneering
since 2017, scientists have found
themselves. During that time females, nesting on fresh higher
ILLUSTRATION BY HOLLY EXLEY
evidence that some illegal exports are

originating from supposedly secure
parents must tag-team foraging ground, are literally preserving
government stockpiles. PNAS reports missions as far north as Alaska, their species.
that, while three of the shipments
contained tusks from elephants killed Catch up
with Lucy’s Lucy is a broadcaster,
recently, presumably by poachers, the
BBC Radio zoologist and author of
fourth contained tusks derived from
Four three-part series Bitch: A Revolutionary
animals killed in the 1980s.
Political Animals Guide to Sex, Evolution
and the Female Animal.

Explore
The sail of a by-the-
wind-sailor is attached
to a disc called a float
a shore
Visit a beach to search
for a marine voyager
that has lost its way
inter storms may bring
mysterious, jelly-like ocean drifters
to our shores. Lacking bones, a
brain, central nervous system, heart
or blood, they are nearly all water
and rely on simple nerves in their
tentacles to detect light and odours. Though
not true jellyfish, they belong to the same
giant marine phylum of animals with stings,
the Cnidaria.
One of the most frequently encountered
species is the by-the-wind sailor. Its
gelatinous body, called a float, has a purplish
gleam and several short tentacles under
it, which it uses to ensnare prey. On top of
the float is a sail, which catches the wind
to propel the floating organism. Or rather,
organisms, because this is actually a colony.
The Portuguese man o’war is another
similar colonial species. Both hydrozoans
usually wash up dead, sometimes in large
numbers, and their beautiful colour fades in
POLAR BEAR: PATRICK J. ENDRES/GETTY; POLAR BEAR POO: ANDREW DEROCHER; BY-THE-WIND SAILOR: DAVID CHAPMAN
a couple of days. Don’t touch: in death, the
tentacles can still sting. BH
POO CORNER
A diet of seals
results in
liquid poo
ID GUIDE
Polar bear
On sea ice, there’s little that can be confused
with a polar bear poo. That of an Arctic fox is
much smaller, whilst seal poo is associated with
ice edges or holes. “The trouble is that polar
bear faeces are like hot liquid tar and they melt
into the snow and ice,” says professor Andrew
Derocher from the University of
Alberta. “One good wind and
they’re very quickly hidden
out of sight by blowing
snow, making them hard
to find.” During onland
periods, when the diet
changes, the scats
resemble those of
brown bears.
Megan Shersby

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
CREATING ART
‘Green Turtle’ by
Karen Laurence-Rowe
TO PROTECT
WILDLIFE
The latest project from non-profit

Invicta Wildlife Fund is supporting
conservation efforts in Africa
nvicta WF was founded in will showcase original artwork particularly resonate with Invicta
I
Africa), Project Vulture (South
2021 by wildlife enthusiasts by some of the top wildlife WF, inspired by conservation Africa), Tsavo Trust (Kenya)
Lauren and Richard McEnery. artists around the world, with 50 and wildlife. Top wildlife and Local Ocean Conservation
This non-profit organisation per cent of the proceeds from photographers such as Thomas (Kenya). Invicta WF had been
aims to work alongside well- artwork sales being donated to Vijayan and Patsy Weingart have working with Wildlife ACT for
established charities in Africa, wildlife conservation charities in provided high-quality reference some time, however, it wasn’t
providing funding for their Africa, and the rest of the funds photos for the wildlife artists until the Invicta WF team were
conservation efforts, in addition going to the artists themselves. involved, allowing them to create introduced to Tsavo Trust and
to educating local communities. truly unique and meaningful Local Ocean Conservation
Invicta’s latest venture is Africa INSPIRED BY WILDLIFE works of art. by Kenya-based wildlife artist
Wildlife Art (AWA), an online art AWA works with over 100 By purchasing one of the Karen Laurence-Rowe, that
gallery, launching on the 15th artists from across the globe. 200 original artworks from AWA they decided to also begin
of December. The AWA gallery These artists create pieces that for yourself or perhaps as a gift supporting these projects.
for someone else, you will be Karen had already been selling
supporting vital conservation her art to raise money for these
efforts in Kenya and South specific charities but now does
Africa. Accessibility is hugely so through Invicta WF, who
important to Invicta WF and that very much bridge the gap
is why the AWA gallery offers a between international donors
range of artwork prices to suit and African conservations.
different budgets, from £100 up
to £10,000.
WORKING TOGETHER
‘Wild Dog’ The artists involved in AWA care
by Zoe Fitchet deeply for their subjects. Most
of them have previously been
involved with fundraising for
wildlife or have a background in
conservation or animal biology
such as Sarah Stribbling, who
studied zoology. Money raised
from the gallery will support
‘Woodlands Kingfisher’ ‘Genet’ by not only the artists involved but To find out more about Invicta
by Ilse de Villiers Sarah Stribbling also Invicta’s partners in Africa, WF and the AWA project,
including Wildlife ACT (South visit africawildlifeart.com
Join some of the biggest names in adventure and
exploration on a memorable P&O Cruises holiday
Ben Fogle Monty Halls Simon Calder
Rotterdam
Sail from Southampton on this 5-night Netherlands holiday

19 September 2023 | Ventura | N327
To find out more and book your place,

visit pocruises.com/sailwiththestars
was dancing around my office when I
heard the news. Abhorrent enemy of the
environment Jair Bolsonaro is no longer
president of Brazil.
A high-stakes election in the fiercely
polarised country had gone down to the
wire, resulting in a run-off vote at the end
of October. Mercifully, former president
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (known as
Lula) narrowly defeated far-right incumbent
Bolsonaro. Anyone who cares about the future
of the Amazon rainforest and all its wildlife, the
lives of hundreds of thousands of indigenous
peoples and, indeed, the future of all life on
Earth, can breathe a huge sigh of relief.
The future of the Amazon rainforest
– and the well-being of the world – really
did rest on this election. If the man dubbed
‘Tropical Trump’ had been voted back for a
second presidential term, it could have been
a comprehensive disaster.
Never showing anything but contempt Healthy rainforest
for conservation, Bolsonaro did more sits alongside
environmental damage during his short, deforested land
divisive, four-year tenure than almost anyone in the state of
on the planet (neck and neck with Donald Rondônia, Brazil
Trump, Scott Morrison and Xi Jinping).
He promptly dismantled environmental
regulations, slashed the budgets of
environmental enforcement agencies, stripped “The future of the Amazon really
protection from conservation areas and
indigenous territories, and actively encouraged
the expansion of mining, logging and other
did rest on this election”
MARK CARWARDINE
damaging industries.
He also fostered an increasingly dangerous
culture for environmental campaigners.
Anyone brave enough to speak out feared
being threatened – or even murdered. His
main target was the largest rainforest on Earth.
Covering 40 per cent of the South American OPINION
continent, with 60 per cent of it in Brazil, the
Amazon rainforest is home to one in 10 of all
known species and a critical carbon storehouse. Amazon is no longer a carbon dioxide sink that global warming is dangerously close
This life-support machine has been (helping to absorb greenhouse gases). Now it’s to spiralling out of control. Unless countries
plundered and destroyed for decades. Clearing a major carbon dioxide emitter. dramatically scale up their efforts to counter
to make room for cattle and crops, logging for But there could be worse to come. The the climate crisis, he said, the world faces a
timber and paper, mining, dam construction, Amazon is hurtling towards an irreversible global catastrophe.
road building and urban expansion are all tipping point when the region will enter what But this shouldn’t be the end of the
to blame. But rates of deforestation nearly one expert describes as matter. Bolsonaro may end up
doubled during Bolsonaro’s presidency: an area ‘a sustained death spiral’. “An area of in jail anyway, for a litany of
of rainforest almost as large as Switzerland Scientists believe that rainforest almost alleged misdemeanors ranging
LEONARDO CARRATO/BLOOMBERG/GETTY
(approaching 40,000 km²) another decade (possibly from his mishandling of the
was wiped out during his two) of current levels of as large as Covid-19 pandemic to the
four-year term. As a destruction would push it Switzerland was embezzlement of public funds.
result, the Brazilian over the edge and start an But the really good news is
irreversible process that
wiped out during that a 286-page case has been
Want to comment?
would convert the rainforest Jair Bolsonaro’s filed with the International
into a dry savanna. That four-year term.” Criminal Court (ICC) in The
Share your thoughts
on Mark's column would release more carbon Hague, to investigate him for
by sending an email dioxide into the atmosphere ‘crimes against humanity’. He
to wildlifeletters@ than several years’ worth of global emissions must be held accountable.
immediate.co.uk from all other sources. Quite frankly, the planet Meanwhile, we can only hope that
couldn’t afford a second term of Bolsonaro. Lula keeps his pledge to fight for zero
The timing of his departure was deforestation and focus on reforestation.
particularly apt. That same week UN Maybe, just maybe, some of the damage can
Secretary-General António Guterres warned be reversed.

Natural
Histories
features the
aye-aye
Aye-ayes could give

human children a run
for their money when
it comes to nose-
picking abilities
and down into the throat. Her research,
WAXWING: VIСTOR DUBINKIN/GETTY; ANNE-CLAIRE: DAVID HARING; AYE-AYE: NICK GARBUTT/NATUREPL.COM

published in the Journal of Zoology, also
documents evidence of nine other primate
species picking and eating their nasal
mucous, which she found by trawling
through online videos.
The challenge now is to work out why
Finger food they do it. One possible answer is: because

they can. “The aye-aye’s finger is shaped
like it is because of its specialised feeding
behaviour,” says Fabre. “It puts it in its nose
Scientists may have discovered the mysterious because it fits in its nose.”
purpose behind the aye-aye's long digit But it’s also possible that rhinotillexis – to
give it its technical name – has a biological
function. Fabre doubts the mucous, being 95
ye-ayes are surely most famous for eating its snot.” The behaviour was all the per cent water, provides much in the way of
the extraordinary, elongated, bony more startling for the fact that the aye-aye nutritional benefit. She is intrigued by the
middle fingers they use to winkle was capable of pushing the entire finger – all idea that it plays a role in priming the immune
grubs from wood. But that’s not all 10cm of it – into its nostrils, a feat system via the ingestion of microbes
these nocturnal lemurs use them for, that might make even human trapped in the mucous. There is
according to new research – they also children’s eyes water. also some evidence that people
double as the perfect nose-picking tools. “It was pretty who pick their nose require
“I was working on the evolution of impressive,” says Fabre. fewer dental cavities.
grasping ability in primates, so I was studying “I started wondering “I am not a nose-picking
lots of species eating and moving,” says where exactly the finger specialist,” says Fabre.
Anne-Claire Fabre of Bern Natural History was going.” Scans of the “But in the future it would
Museum, Switzerland. “I was recording aye-aye’s skulls revealed Anne-Claire Fabre
be really fun to look at the
this aye-aye eating and all of a sudden it that the finger passes all the and an aye-aye precise composition of nasal
stopped and started picking its nose and way through the nasal cavity mucous.” Stuart Blackman
FROM THE BBC WILDLIFE ARCHIVE January 1988
NEXT ISSUE
WAXWINGS
Large numbers of these
berry-loving birds are
predicted to show up
in the UK this winter
from Scandinavia

)5HFHLYH\RXUƅUVW3 issues
TRY 3 for only £5*

)$IWHU\RXUWULDOFRQWLQXHWR
save over 30% on the shop price
ISSUES* ZKHQ\RXSD\E\'LUHFW'HELW
) Expert adviceRQJHWWLQJWKH
PRVWIURP\RXUREVHUYLQJ
FOR £5
When you subscribe to BBC
HYHU\PRQWK
) In-depthIHDWXUHVVWDUJD]LQJ
JXLGHVDQGHTXLSPHQWUHYLHZV
Sky at Night Magazine today!
3 ISSU
CARLOS FERNANDEZ/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES
ES
FOR
£5!
Subscribe online at www.buysubscriptions.com/SKYHA22

Or call 03330 162119† and quote SKYHA22
$OOVDYLQJVDUHFDOFXODWHGDVDSHUFHQWDJHRI%DVLF$QQXDO5DWH7KH8.%DVLFDQQXDOUDWHLVdZKLFKLQFOXGHVHYHQWLVVXHV LVVXHVFKDUJHGKLJKHUWKDQVWDQGDUGFRYHUSULFH SXEOLVKHGLQDPRQWKSHULRG7KLVVSHFLDOLQWURGXF
WRU\RIIHULVDYDLODEOHWRQHZ8.UHVLGHQWVYLD'LUHFW'HELWRQO\DQGLVVXEMHFWWRDYDLODELOLW\2IIHUHQGVVW'HFHPEHU7KHPDJD]LQHXVHGKHUHLVIRULOOXVWUDWLYHSXUSRVHVRQO\\RXUVXEVFULSWLRQZLOOVWDUWZLWKWKHQH[WDYDLODEOH
LVVXH$IWHU\RXUILUVWLVVXHV\RXUVXEVFULSWLRQZLOOFRQWLQXHDWdHYHU\LVVXHVWKHUHDIWHUVDYLQJRYHURIIWKHVKRSSULFH)XOOGHWDLOVRIWKH'LUHFW'HELWJXDUDQWHHDUHDYDLODEOHXSRQUHTXHVW
Ţ8.FDOOVZLOOFRVWWKHVDPHDVRWKHUVWDQGDUGIL[HGOLQHQXPEHUV VWDUWLQJRU DQGDUHLQFOXGHGDVSDUWRIDQ\LQFOXVLYHRUIUHHPLQXWHVDOORZDQFHV LIRIIHUHGE\\RXUSKRQHWDULII 2XWVLGHRIIUHHFDOOSDFNDJHVFDOOFKDUJHVIURP

PRELOHSKRQHVZLOOFRVWEHWZHHQSDQGSSHUPLQXWH/LQHVDUHRSHQ0RQWR)ULDPWRSP
WILDLIFE SPECTACLES
The broadcaster, naturalist and tour guide shares the
most breathtaking seasonal events in Britain
FORAGING WILD BOAR
Accept a challenge this January and

see if you can spot elusive wild boar
or tell-tale signs of their presence
n ecosystem engineer helping to when its (crucially) straight tail is tacked on
revitalise our woods and grasslands, the end. Endowed with a large head, long
or destructive and dangerous menace snout and relatively small ears, the boar’s
to the British countryside? There can coarse coat has a softer under-layer. The
be few animals that polarise opinion males also have a distinct ‘Mohican’ mane
quite like the wild boar. of bristles running from their neck to the
Originally hunted to extinction in middle of their back, and their characteristic
Britain by the 17th century, escapees and tusks become visible from about two
deliberate releases from wild boar farms years of age. The piglets, by contrast, have
in the 1980s and 90s have since led to longitudinal brown and cream stripes, which
their controversial return across a few are believed to help with camouflage – hence
discreet English and Scottish woodlands. their ‘humbug’ nickname.
In possession of a justifiable persecution Most wild boar live in small social
complex, Britain’s wild boars are shy, groups called sounders. These consist of
secretive and difficult to study. two to five reproductive females
OSCAR DEWHURST/NATUREPL.COM (X2)
Considered the wild with their most recent young

ancestors of our modern and surviving subadults from
European pigs, boar can
reach quite a size. Weighing
in at between 60 and Did you know?
100kg, an adult male can Opportunistic eaters, wild
stand up to 80cm at the boar will occasionally eat
shoulder and may reach birds’ eggs, carrion or even
close to 200cm in length small mammals

“The piglets have
longitudinal brown and
cream stripes, hence their
‘humbug’ nickname”
Survival rates of
piglets can be high
in the UK, helping
populations to rise

Mike Dilger’s WILDLIFE SPECTACLES
TOP
FIVE
ABERCHALDER AND
1 GLENGARRY ESTATES
This location in the Great
Glen has a population of WILDWOOD, KENT
PLACES
wild boar, but please stick
to clearly marked trails.
2 Set in 16ha of ancient
woodland, Wildwood offers the
opportunity to catch up with
wild boar, along with a range
of other British wildlife – past
and present – in a confined but
FOREST OF DEAN,
5 GLOUCESTERSHIRE
The woodlands situated
naturalistic setting.
between Cinderford and

Coleford are considered
Britain’s best boar-
BRIDPORT, WEST DORSET
spotting location.
4 Dorset’s wild boars originate
THE WEALD
from escapees from a now
defunct boar farm near Bridport,
3 Britain’s second
largest population is
which have subsequently been
believed to exist in
bolstered by escapees from
lowland woodland along
elsewhere within the county.
the Kent-Sussex border.
previous litters. The more solitary males Sometimes emerging from the forest LOOK CLOSER
are only found in the vicinity of the female to feed, wild boar are undoubtedly guilty
groups during the autumnal rutting season of causing havoc to many a well-tended Telling tracks
when they will fight with other males for garden, but the main concern tends to be Finding wild boar tracks is a great way of
access to the sows. focussed on public safety. Wild boar avoid honing in on a regularly used site. They
Omnivorous by nature, the majority human contact wherever possible, and so are cloven and up to 7cm wide. Look for
of a wild boar’s diet consists of roots, will typically flee as soon as they become two distinct and widely spaced points
bulbs, seeds, nuts and aware of your presence. While produced by their dew claws at
the rear end of each print.
terrestrial invertebrates. “Wild boar true that a mother will defend
Most of this is located by her young against what she
‘ploughing’ the woodland floor, typically flee perceives as a threat, the Mud,
which frequently results in an as soon as biologist Martin Goulding
glorious
unsightly appearance, but this has never had a wild boar
act of breaking up the sward
they become come towards him during six mud
can challenge the monopoly aware of your years spent tracking them. Wild boar do not
possess sweat glands
of bracken, for example, and presence” Dog owners, however, should
so wallowing in mud is
provide space for wildflowers, exercise a level of control
WOODLAND: ANDY ROUSE/2020 VISION/ NPL; TRACKS: PIOTR WYTRAZEK/GETTY; BEE: GETTY
vital for keeping cool. Large,

shrubs and trees to germinate. where boar reside.
oval-shaped depressions are frequently
The disturbed ground will additionally give As wild boar have no natural predators smooth where boar have been rolling.
burrowing bees and beetles a head start and in Britain, there is a need for control And ‘rubbing trees’, which the boars will
help unearth food for hungry birds during measures to help reduce conflict. In the use to help remove insects, parasites and
the winter months. Wild boars also excavate Forest of Dean, for example, culls by moulting hair, are often situated close by.
cooling mud-wallows in the summer, which Forestry England are carried out every
in turn can double-up as breeding habitat year to reduce the population to a more
for amphibians and watering holes for other manageable figure of about 400. Grubbing around
mammals and birds. Mammalogists often spend far more A distinctive sign of wild boar is a severely
time looking for signs than observing the rooted pasture field or roadside verge
where they have overturned turf in search
animals themselves, and this is especially of worms and grubs. The absence of
the case with wild boar. A familiarity with scratch marks from badgers’ claws and
their tracks, wallow-holes and ‘rubbing existence of hoofed footprints should help
trees’ builds a picture of their movements. confirm wild boar as being responsible.
But for those keen to catch a glimpse,
dusk is undoubtedly the best time. Wild
boar have a heightened sense of smell and
hearing, so silence, patience and minimal
personal scent are essential. Woodland
rides stay lighter for longer and often give
good visibility – so having picked your spot,
NEXT MONTH
Butterflies and bumblebees
A female wild boar and piglets feed beneath why not get your wildlife-watching year off are emerging from hibernation
the trees in the Forest of Dean to the best possible start?

TRY 3 ISSUES*
FOR ONLY £5
when you subscribe to BBC Countryfile Magazine
HURRY!
OFFER ENDS
31 DECEMBER
2022
• Try your first 3 issues for just £5!*
• Continue to pay just £19.99 every 6 issues – saving 30% on the shop price
• Free UK delivery direct to your door in our new paper wrapping
• Never miss an issue of your ultimate guide to the British countryside!
Subscribe online or call us

WWW.BUYSUBSCRIPTIONS.COM/CFL22HA
03330 162112 † Quote code CFL22HA
†UK calls will cost the same as other standard fixed line numbers (starting 01 or 02) and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances (if offered by your phone tariff). Outside of free call packages call charges from mobile phones
will cost between 3p and 55p per minute. Lines are open Mon to Fri 8am – 6pm and Sat 9am – 1pm. *3 issues for £5 offer is only available to UK residents paying by Direct Debit. After your first 5 issues your subscription will continue at £19.99
every 6 issues. If you cancel within 2 weeks of receiving your 2nd issue you will pay no more than £5. BBC Countryfile Magazine is published 13 times a year. Your subscription will start with the next available issue. Offer ends 31st December 2022.
Nick Baker’s HIDDEN BRITAIN
The popular naturalist, author and TV presenter
reveals a secret world of overlooked wildlife
POND OLIVE
A mayfly larva that thrives during

frozen winters using a handy
metabolic trick
n streams and ponds, ditches and pond net. They are, like their parents, also
dykes, life beneath the surface goes on, quite small and dull, but they make their
even during the coldest of winters. These presence known by being rather active
watery environments are nurseries to when disturbed.
creeping and crawling larvae, nymphs Turn a pond net out into a container of
and naiads. They are the juvenile stages water and they’ll start to rocket around with
of more familiar winged manifestations: the characteristic frenetic undulating action.
insects that enliven the air space of spring They can even act like a dragonfly nymph
and summer – but one in particular stands and fire a jet of water out of their anus
out from the crowd. when an extra turn of speed is needed.
The pond olive (Cloeon dipterum) is not Unlike its 50 fussy British mayfly
an obvious headline act. It’s a mayfly, but brethren – most of which require clean,
not a large and spectacular one. At first flowing, well-oxygenated rivers and streams
glance it is a bit of an unremarkable little – Cloeon dipterum not only survives in
brown job. A small, dowdy, delicate-looking almost any freshwater habitat, it’s also able
thing, both as an adult and a larvae. to positively thrive where others cannot.
Once possible,
You can easily miss the adults, which So how do they do it? Like most pond olive larvae
fly from spring to autumn, as they are small mayflies, their dietary requirements are will gather under
reddish-brown insects about 1cm in length, relatively simple and they literally scratch thawing ice to get
including their two ‘tails’ (most other a living, scraping off the film of algae that a boost of oxygen
mayflies only have three). The species also covers submerged surfaces. They breathe
has only a single pair of wings. by way of seven pairs of gills that protrude
The larvae or naiads are less cryptic from their abdomen. These thin flaps can
though, especially to those armed with a be regularly flickered to circulate a current

of oxygenated water around them. They
can also move to where oxygen levels are
highest: when they are low, they ascend the
water column and hang around near the
more highly oxygenated surface, but when
they are high they will move downwards.
But the real secret to their success
is their ability to tolerate the build-up of
certain compounds in the water, such as
hydrogen sulphide, and cope with low
oxygen levels, particularly during the cold
winter months when, in some small ponds,
a covering of ice forms and the water
becomes depleted of oxygen derived from
the air above.
For most pond life this presents a
serious problem, but the pond olive can
survive without oxygen for up to six weeks.
It does this by swapping oxygen for glucose,
which it stores in its blood as winter
approaches, producing energy and lactic
acid. When the oxygen level rises again, the
lactic acid is broken down and the oxygen
debt is repaid. It’s like the process that you
might experience in your body when you
run for the bus.
The pond olive is famous for clustering
on the underside of ice as it melts, to get
first dibs on the dissolved oxygen as it is
released. In being able to dodge a metabolic
bullet, the mayfly can survive where few
other creatures can, giving it the edge.
In a survey by the Freshwater Habitats Trust,

the pond olive was found in over half of
Britain’s ponds and was the second most
“The pond olive widespread pond species.
can survive LOOK CLOSER
without oxygen
for up to six
weeks”
A ‘dun’
emerges
ILLUSTRATIONS BY PETER DAVID SCOTT/THE ART AGENCY
from a larva
Shedding skin
Mayflies go through multiple moults –
when an insect sheds its exoskeleton –
but advanced insects have reduced this
number to just a handful of condensed
moults where big leaps in processes
are made rather than tiny, gradual ones.
Mayflies are also the only insects to
have two winged developmental stages.
The first is the ‘dun’, which moults out of
its full skin into the final adult form.

ALAMY
To celebrate our 60th birthday, we have a tempting

round-up of special places to visit around the UK
WHERE ARE THEY?
60 favourite
places
Isle Martin
Ben Shieldaig
Spean Bridge
Isle of Mull
ixty years ago, BBC Wildlife made Causeway

Lough Coast
its first appearance as the magazine Erne
Animals. To celebrate this special Scaur Glen
birthday, we’ve asked 60 people

from our wonderful network of
writers, presenters, photographers
and conservationists to share their
favourite places in the UK for Goredale Scar
wildlife. As the nominations have

flooded in for exquisite forests, lofty Y Foryd
hills, shimmering wetlands and

windswept shores across the country,
AJAY: KEVIN SAWFORD; SEAL: ANDREW MICHAEL/ROBERTHARDING/GETTY
Ynys-hir
New
Quay
we’re reminded that, despite the Skokholm
Island
pummelling nature has taken in recent
decades, there are still many corners
of the UK where wildlife thrives. Ham Wall
Lundy
We want your say, too. Vote for your Island
Exmoor
Jersey
favourite of the 60 nominated spots
Polzeath
(see p71). And if there’s somewhere
else that’s special to you, email or Dartmoor
Isles of Scilly Buckfastleigh
write to us (addresses on p121).
60 PLACES O
Hermaness
Chanonry Point
Strathspey
Glen Tanar Forest
Bass Rock
Farne Islands
Boasting 6km of
shingle and dune,
Hackfall Blakeney is a grey
Teesside seal hotspot
Bempton Cliffs
Blakeney Point
Brockholes Rodley Norfolk
Winter Hill
Blakeney Point
Ajay Tegala
Stanage Edge
Sherwood Forest
Where land and sea contrasting with the speckled coats
Foxley collide, nature is wild of the adults. They’re best admired
Attenborough
Wood and dynamic. Shifting by boat to avoid disturbance, and the
Middleton Rutland shores are shaped by sound of their calls is both serene and
Lakes Water River Chet
Hampton the tide each day, no slightly spooky.
Rodborough two the same. Blakeney Summer is all about the seabirds.
Common Point, on the North Norfolk coast, Tons of terns arrive here from Africa to
Haugh Brasenose Barton
Woods Wood
Wallasea Island offers the remoteness and solitude nest in dense colonies on the ground,
Hills
Great I often crave. Sea breezes blow the foraging at sea for sandeels and small
Wormwood North cobwebs away, the eyes can gaze for herring. I love watching them plunge-
Scrubs Wood Canvey Wick miles to the horizon and there is dive into the water, gracefully folding
limitless fresh, salty air. their angular wings and emerging with
Avon Gorge As well as a dramatic landscape, a shining, silver fish.
St Catherine’s Hill
Wimbledon space to think and miles to explore, When I worked as a ranger
Chew Common
Valley Lake it’s the wildlife that makes this at Blakeney Point, the spring and
Knepp Estate Dungeness National Trust National Nature autumn bird migrations were always
London Reserve so magnificent. There’s a a highlight. Birds are on the move in
Wetland Centre constantly changing cast of plants dramatic fashion and almost anything
and creatures throughout the seasons, can turn up, from tiny warblers to
Frays Farm Meadows so it’s rewarding at any time of awesome raptors. I could never relax,
Jurassic New Forest year. Between Halloween and New though, in case I missed something
Briddlesford
Coast Year, grey seals take over the beach. special flying right over my head.
Woods
Hundreds and hundreds of pups Ajay Tegala, countryside ranger,
are born annually, their white fur BBC presenter and author

Goredale’s wild,
craggy cliffs are
a spectacular
Goredale Scar
Yorkshire Dales National Park
natural landmark
Amy-Jane Beer
There are places you go for
grand spectacle, and others
where the wonder is in
microcosms. The Yorkshire
Curlew Dales offers superlatives of
both. Here, the land shows
its bones – in this case they are made of
limestone, shaped and hollowed and made
wondrous by the movement of water, which
both weathers and redeposits. I especially
love the mad hopscotch of limestone
pavement around Malham and Ingleton,
where blocks of weathered stone are exposed
to excoriating wind, sun, rain and ice, but
where sheltered crevices contain worlds as
humid and green as a Victorian fernhouse.
NEW FOREST: GREGORY DAVIES/ALAMY; DARTMOOR, GOREDALE & CURLEW: GETTY; BUTTERFLY: SANDRA STANDBRIDGE/GETTY; DIPPER: ANDY WILSON/500PX/GETTY
Then there are the scars – enormous,
water-worn ravines with a distinctly Middle
Earth vibe. Perhaps the most epic of these
is Goredale, with two cascading waterfalls,
tenacious yews, carpets of luxuriant
mosses and one of the most thrilling public
footpaths in England, which takes you
directly up to one of the falls. As you explore,
listen and look out for curlews, lapwings,
golden plovers, peregrines and brown hares.
Amy-Jane Beer, naturalist and author
New Forest
Hampshire
Dominic Couzens
Not much of southern
England feels wild and
remote, but if the mood is
right – a cold winter day or
during an angry storm – you
feel a frisson of isolation here,
particularly around Bolderwood and Fritham.
The whole national park, with its ancient
woodlands, plantations, heaths and bogs,
and with the ponies and other livestock, is
distinctly different from the surrounding
land and feels special. Its wildlife is special,
too – I have seen everything from honey
buzzards to toadstools that could almost kill
you at a glance. I have been at dawn, by night
and amidst seething crowds of tourists, over
whom flew hawfinches and crossbills. One
favourite memory is spying a lesser spotted Free-roaming ponies and
woodpecker, the icing on the nervous idyllic glades are highlights
cake of a group-of-six pandemic walk. The of a walk through the
exhilaration pointed to a happier future. 1,000-year-old New Forest
Dominic Couzens, naturalist and author

60 PLACES O
Dippers frequent the
Dartmoor is a rushing waters of
hotspot for Nick’s the Scaur River
favourite habitat:
rich and colourful
Rhôs pasture
Scaur Glen
Dumfriesshire
Juliet Vickery
The Scaur water rises in

Polskeoch on the Southern
Upland Way, bubbles
through moorland, meanders
Dartmoor through sheep pasture and

then tumbles through wooded
Devon riverbanks to Penpont. As a PhD student I
Common blue spent three summers in this glen; 35 years
Nick Baker butterfly on, summer still draws me back.
Walking the Scaur River’s lower
stretches, you can glimpse the white bib of a
There are few moments in A hobby snatches fat emperor moths, dipper bobbing on a boulder or the flitting of
life that can compete with their wings tumbling like confetti as the a grey wagtail at the water’s edge. In spring,
a still, sunny day perched bird rips them off and feeds on the wing. the woodlands welcome pied flycatchers and
on a granite boulder while I see marbled white and common blue redstarts returning from Africa.
contemplating the delights of butterflies and the blooms of butterfly Upstream, the glen opens up, the water
a Rhôs pasture. orchids and ragged robins, and can hear calms and its shingle banks host another
Rhôs means ‘moorland’ in Welsh, but is skylarks and tree pipits as well as crickets migrant, the common sandpiper. This
so much more than that. I tend to think of scraping the day away. In the dimpsy wader’s gentle manner and muted plumage
moor as an impoverished place, a landscape light of evening, this landscape becomes contrast with the red, white and black of the
beaten by the hand of man and the foot the hunting ground of the nightjar, its oystercatchers breeding in nearby fields.
and tooth of beast. But in this soggy, boggy mechanical purring intertwining with the Above the treeline, in wilder moorland,
corner of Dartmoor National Park, there’s a drumming of snipe. the ever-narrowing glen is guarded by
biodiverse, banging party going on. A Rhôs pasture experience transcends the steep rockface of Hallscaur Craig, the
This waterlogged grassland habitat is that Welsh word. It is a rainbow of occasional site of breeding peregrines.
a living pallet of colours provided by bog life that fills ears, eyes and nostrils; Now it feels remote and bleak, the silence
grasses, asphodels and sphagnum mosses, a flowering, fluttering, scratching, broken only by the call of a meadow pipit or
and is a haunt of both the common and rare. melodious place that never fails to instil wheatear. One river, one glen, capturing so
Carnivorous sundews lie at my feet, their in me the thrill of being alive. much magic of our natural world.
scarlet hairs reaching for clumsy insects. Nick Baker, naturalist and writer Juliet Vickery, CEO of BTO

O60 PLACES
The Chet winds
through South
Norfolk, emptying
into the Yare
A grey seal in its

watery home off
Lundy Island
Lundy
Devon
Miranda Krestovnikoff
wildlife-watching
destinations don’t get
much better than Lundy.
Lying 18km off the North
River Chet
SEAL: ALEX MUSTARD/NATUREPL.COM; MIRANDA: COLIN GARRETT; RIVER CHET: JON GIBBS/ALAMY;
Devon coast, with the
Atlantic Ocean to the west A paddle
Norfolk down the
and the Bristol Channel to the east, this
OTTER: MIKE POWLES/GETTY; MARSH HARRIER: DAVID TIPLING/EDUCATION IMAGES/GETTY

Chet may
little island hosts a variety of rarely seen Simon Barnes yield otters
Mediterranean-Atlantic species. if you look
On my most recent trip, we were down; marsh
accompanied by a pod of common dolphins The formal set-piece harriers if
on much of the two-hour boat journey nature we find in our you look up
from Ilfracombe. Spring birdwatchers reserves from hides
are in for a treat with resident shags, and lookout points is
peregrines, rock pipits and ravens joined incomparably great, but it’s
by breeding visitors such as oystercatchers also good to catch nature off its
and skylarks. From April to late July, guard, not as a treat but as part of daily life. politely giving way to swans, swifts dropping
nesting seabirds arrive, including growing Whenever I can, I take my kayak out on down to sip water a yard or two in front,
numbers of Manx shearwaters. The island the River Chet. It’s not a pilgrimage spot for deer barking on the banks and chevrons of
even has its own endemic cabbage! naturalists, but once there you can encounter waterbirds flying overhead in winter.
As a diver, my best encounters have nature on a come-as-you-are basis. It can be I have paddled energetically through
been in the water, particularly in the spectacular: otters at play in the water; marsh films of ice with my breath smoking like
sheltered eastern coves. The local grey harriers sky-dancing overhead; the vivid blue a dragon, and I have drifted on indolent
seals are accustomed to humans and flashes of kingfishers. summer evenings. I have noted the first signs
are incredibly inquisitive, playing hide But a paddle without highlights-reel stuff of spring and the early onset of autumn. As I
and seek among the kelp and using their is just as good: banded demoiselles dancing paddle, I cease to be an observer and become
sensitive whiskers to explore your diving along the edges; the voice of Cetti’s warblers; instead a participant, just one of the crowd
equipment. It’s an experience that I will the summer extravagance of purple loosestrife moving along our river under our enormous
never tire of. and hemp agrimony along the banks. There Norfolk sky.
Miranda Krestovnikoff, BBC presenter you are, sitting on the water like a duck, Simon Barnes, author and journalist

Chanonry
Point
Ross and Cromarty
Mark Carwardine
Fancy a close encounter

with a dolphin? Easy. All you
have to do is go to Chanonry
Point, on the Black Isle just
north of Inverness, and
stand on the shingle beach.
Chances are you’ll see them chasing salmon
just a few metres away.
There is a resident population of some
200 bottlenose dolphins along the east coast
of Scotland; many of them frequent the
Inner Moray Firth. They have been studied
since 1989 and researchers know most (if
HAM WALL: NEIL JUGGINS/ALAMY; DOLPHINS: ALAMY
not all) of them by name. Chanonry Point

is a hotspot – the Moray Firth narrows,
channelling the dolphins close to shore.
They are seen here almost every day in
summer and sporadically during winter.
Prime viewing time is a couple of hours
before high tide, when the rushing currents
push through the bottleneck and concentrate
the dolphins’ salmon prey close to shore.
Chanonry Point can get busy in summer,
Experience the
and while I’d normally travel in the opposite acrobatics of
direction to hordes of people, I make an bottlenose dolphins
exception for this very special place. from the Scottish shore
Mark Carwardine, writer and tour leader
On cold, clear days, tens

of thousands of starlings
Ham Wall
swirl in the sky before Somerset
roosting in the reeds
Mike Dilger
The magnificent somerset

Levels has been my local
patch for the past decade,
and it’s stuffed to the gunnels
with wildlife. The jewel in
its crown is RSPB Ham Wall,
whose expansive reedbeds, open water and
wet woodland deliver year-round. In spring,
you can hear 10 different species of warbler
before breakfast; summer is marvellous for
dragonflies and butterflies; and autumn
brings wildfowl and waders from the north
– whistling wigeon, tiny teal and rafts of
lapwing. As winter beckons, the reserve is
dominated by one event: vast, morphing
flocks of starlings at dusk, one of the most
mesmerising spectacles in nature.
Mike Dilger, naturalist and broadcaster

Frays Farm
Meadows
Frays Farm
Meadows
West London
Kabir Kaul
This delightful reserve is

one of my favourite places.
A SSSI managed by the
London Wildlife Trust, its
wet grazing meadows are a
hinterland of sorts, bound by
MIDDLETON: ANDY HAY/RSPB-IMAGES.COM; WOODPECKER: MIKALAY VARABEY/ALAMY; HOBBY: GETTY; FRAYS

the Grand Union Canal to the west and the
roaring A40 to the south.
FARM: DUDLEY MILES/WIKIPEDIA/CREATIVE COMMONS; FLYING GANNETS: LUIS JIMENEZ BENITO/GETTY

Frays teems with bird life and I see
raptors on almost every visit. Red kites and
buzzards soar, while kestrels hover metres
above the shrub, anticipating an emerging
woodmouse. Hobbies dart through the air
in summer, the sunlight illuminating their
red ‘trousers’ as they search for dragonflies
along the weaving chalk stream. At the same
time of year, the vegetation bursts with the
songs of warblers – chiffchaffs, blackcaps and
whitethroats all belt out a chorus.
My first visit was my most memorable.
I witnessed a spectacular emergence of
mayflies rising from the stream in their
The ultimate birds of summer, thousands to fulfil their goal of breeding.
hobbies are agile and swift, I never doubt Frays’ ability to surprise.
seizing prey on the wing Kabir Kaul, conservationist, writer and young
ambassador for Cameron Bespolka Trust
Middleton Lakes
Staffordshire
Lucy Lapwing Lesser-

spotted
woodpecker
The first time I visited RSPB
Reeds rustle at this
Middleton Lakes – or Middy
peaceful spot a
as I call it – I barely knew stone’s throw from
my blue tit from my great Tamworth
tit. Little did I know that
this hidden patch of rustling
reedbeds and stretching skies would
become a place of learning and escape.
Nestled between the urban stretches of
Tamworth and Birmingham, Middy reveals
wild wonders with every visit, ringing with
the squawks of herons, the ‘oi-oi-oi’s of
nuthatches and the tapping of woodpeckers.
In spring, Middy is JOY! I’d travel there
specifically for my first cuckoo of the year.
A good day in May and 10 types of warbler
will grace your ears with their song. The
hours spent absorbing wild things here are
consistently uplifting.
Lucy Lapwing, naturalist

Megan prepares
60 PLACES O
to be doused in
gannet excrement
Gannets are
Bass Rock adept hunters,

plunging into the
sea at speeds of
East Lothian
up to 100kph to
Megan McCubbin swipe fish
There are few places in the breeding from foraging trips.

UK that can make you feel season. I’ve It’s chaotic, and you
like you’ve travelled back been lucky might leave covered in
in time. Stepping foot in a enough to visit excrement, but it’s one of
habitat that’s truly wild and twice; both times it the best, most beautiful wildlife
seemingly unimpacted by was like arriving into a experiences out there!
humans is rare, but Bass Rock is scene from Jurassic Park, with these These gannets, like many other seabirds,
one of those special places for me. birds, with angular, 1.8m wingspans, soaring were hit badly by bird flu in 2022. I have
Situated just 2km off the coast in the above in their thousands. It’s the largest hope that numbers will recover – until then,
Firth of Forth, this chunk of carboniferous colony of its kind in the world. Nests are I’ll continue using Bass Rock as motivation
rock is home to a staggering 150,000 scattered over every available inch, and the to keep fighting for our precious planet.
northern gannets during the peak of the sound is overwhelming as adults return Megan McCubbin, BBC presenter

Chew I have lived in the Chew
Valley all my life. My
parents would often go
families wanting to get out of the city.
In the past five years, I’ve noticed lots
more visible minority ethnic families
Valley Lake birding at the lake and
ended up moving to the
visiting, drawn by the opportunity to feed
the birds, eat fish and chips, explore the
Somerset area. The lake is a beautiful easy, pushchair-friendly footpaths and
spot – I used to go past it every day on the enjoy the views.
Mya-Rose Craig bus to school, and I loved watching the Autumn is always an exciting time
birds as we whizzed along. as there’s the possibility of American
As a local patch, the lake is fantastic. waders – autumn 2011 was particularly
Besides birding, I go bird-ringing and take amazing, with sharp-tailed, white-tailed
part in BTO surveys and nest-recording and pectoral sandpipers and a short-
schemes, as well as the annual Canada billed dowitcher. I love all of the lake’s
geese round-up, which all give me the birds – terns, grebes, ducks and egrets –
chance to study birds close-up. It’s also but my favourite is still the bearded tit.
a great destination for casual birders and Mya-Rose Craig, ornithologist and author
Bearded tit
Mya-Rose runs
nature camps on
her home patch of
Chew Valley Lake
CONSERVATION; SQUIRREL: JOHN F SCOTT/GETTY; HACKFALL: ADAM BURTON/WTML; GEESE: MIKE POTTS/NPL
Jurassic Coast
(X3); JURASSIC COAST: STEPHEN BRIDGER/GETTY; LULWORTH SKIPPER: KEITH WARMINGTON/BUTTERFLY

This stunning stretch of
MYA-ROSE CRAIG: OLIVER EDWARDS PHOTOGRAPHY (X2); BEARDED TIT, GANNET & LAPWING: GETTY
coast is a tourist honeypot,
but away from the beaches,
Dorset
the chalk hills are one of
Richard Fox my favourite UK haunts for
butterflies and day-flying moths.
There’s a particularly strong association
with butterflies at Lulworth Cove – not only
The iconic is Butterfly Conservation HQ just a few
rocky arch of miles inland, but this is the only specific
Durdle Door place in Britain to have given its name to a
resident species: the Lulworth skipper. The
entire UK range of this diminutive insect is
in the tussocky grasslands of south Dorset.
This is a place to sit among the flowers
and watch. In summer, the downland
shimmers with Adonis and chalk hill blues,
Lulworth marbled whites and six-spot burnets, while
skipper dark green fritillaries and graylings zoom
past. Moths include the wood tiger, bordered
grey and yellow belle, and it’s a great spot
for migrants. I once watched a red admiral
fly out to sea in a steady, unwavering course
– at the exact moment I was talking about
butterfly migration for BBC Radio 4.
Richard Fox, head of science at
Butterfly Conservation

60 PLACES O
Strathspey Forest SHORTS
Bempton Cliffs,
Cairngorms National Park
Yorkshire
Pete Cairns Sheena Harvey,
editor of BBC Wildlife, 2015-2019
I love a seabird – and you can’t beat a
Close your eyes and soundtrack. Overhead, an osprey drifts gathering of ocean wanderers at breeding
imagine. An ethereal mist silently by, speculating for an early meal. time. My favourite spot for this spring
rolls over a mirror-calm The Caledonian pine forests of spectacle is RSPB Bempton
peaty lochan, fringed Strathspey are magical places to visit, Cliffs, where clifftop paths Gannet
with twisted Scots pines but these dawn forays have taught me to get you up-close to
that have stood sentinel for not only look, but ‘feel’. Pine martens, gannets, and viewing
platforms provide a
centuries. The dawn silence is punctured goshawks and white-tailed eagles are glimpse of thousands
by the frantic scurrying of a red squirrel making a comeback to these primeval of nesting guillemots
across fissured bark. From somewhere woodlands, and sitting quietly beneath and razorbills on the
unseen, the mournful, spine-tingling a weathered granny pine as the first rays cliff-face. It’s a full-on
song of a red-throated diver is abruptly of sun warm the air, it’s easy to imagine assault of the senses!
interrupted by angry chattering from atop more: the work of beavers, the distant
a nearby pine. The Mohican headgear bugling of cranes and perhaps even the
silhouetted against the emerging sun thrilling presence of lynx. These pine Y Foryd, Gwynedd
reveals an agitated crested tit. woods are not just about what is, but what Fergus Collins, editor of BBC Countryfile
Goldeneye drakes squabble as they could be. Close your eyes and imagine. Just south west from Caernarfon and its
do each spring, their rasping calls and Pete Cairns, executive director of castle is a peninsular that jags into the
whirring wingbeats a familiar, uplifting SCOTLAND: The Big Picture Menai Straits. This finger of land protects
a huge area of mudflats
and sand. At high tide it
becomes the shallow Pale-bellied
lake of Y Foryd; at brent geese
low tide the bay is
threaded by eerie
creeks beloved by
waders and wildfowl.
It’s a perfect, timeless
wild haven.
Hackfall, Yorkshire Dales

Mark Feather, UK estate manager
at Woodland Trust
I’ll never forget my first visit to Hackfall – a
wooded gorge full of crumbling ruins – in
1989. I took in the views of
the North York Moors,
I wandered amid the
ferns of Grewelthorpe
Beck and I walked the
The ruins of
River Ure, the haunt
Fisher’s Hall
of kingfishers and
dippers. I’ve explored it
all now, but it’s a place
I could never tire of.
Lough Erne, Fermanagh

Colin Stafford-Johnson, BBC presenter
Lough Erne is one of Northern Ireland’s
few remaining strongholds for breeding
waders. In spring, curlews call, lapwings
tumble through the air and
redshanks make their
Lapwing
presence felt. The
reedbeds are full of
coughs and squeaks
and a gravel island
hosts a rare inland
Red squirrels colony of screeching
are thriving in sandwich terns. It’s a
the Cairngorms place where the world
appears as it should.

Skokholm Island
Skokholm
More than
11,000 puffins
flock to this
Island
Welsh paradise Pembrokeshire
in spring
Iolo Williams
SKOKHOLM AERIAL: ALAMY; PUFFINS: JAMES SILVERTHORNE/GETTY; KNEPP: KNEPP WILDLAND;

PEREGRIN: NATHAN GUTTRIDGE/ALAMY; RAVEN: GETTY; CATSHARK: SUE DALY/NATUREPL.COM
Lying 4Km off the south
Pembrokeshire coast and
with more designations than
you could shake a stick at,
Skokholm is a wild Welsh
gem. It is less known than its
sister island of Skomer, but is nonetheless
home to 15 per cent of the world population
of Manx shearwaters and 20 per cent of the
European population of storm petrels, as
well as thousands of puffins, guillemots and
razorbills. Choughs, ravens and peregrines
all breed here, as do oystercatchers and
wheatears. Skokholm also has some of the
world’s largest slow worms.
But what makes the island most special
is its tranquility. With visitor numbers
restricted, Skokholm is far less busy than
Skomer and offers the natural solitude so
often lacking in the modern world. There
is an old Welsh proverb that describes it
perfectly: Lle i enaid gael llonydd - ‘a place for
the soul to find peace’.
Iolo Williams, BBC presenter
Knepp Estate
West Sussex
Kate Bradbury
The wonderful thing about
Knepp (the rewilding estate in
the grounds of Knepp Castle)
is that it’s like stepping back
in time. I like to visit early
and walk among free-roaming
Tamworth pigs and longhorn cattle, looking
out for Exmoor ponies, beavers and deer.
The dawn chorus there last May was unlike
anything I’ve ever heard, with blackbirds and
robins mingling with Cetti’s warblers and
what sounded like hundreds of nightingales.
Who gets to hear hundreds of nightingales
these days? Me, at Knepp, that’s who!
In summer, I hear the purring of turtle
doves, I watch purple emperor butterflies
fight and I’m roused from my tent by the
unfamiliar clacking of stork bills. Against a Once farmland, the Knepp
backdrop of climate change and extinction, Estate is reverting to the wild,
Knepp is a beacon of abundance and hope. driven by grazing and the
It’s my absolute favourite place for nature. restoration of water courses
Kate Bradbury, wildlife gardener and author

60 PLACES O
A small-spotted catshark,
known in its former life as
the lesser-spotted dogfish
Causeway
Coast
Peregrine falcons guard Northern Ireland
Brunel’s landmark
gateway to Bristol Tara Shine
The Causeway Coast is a
Avon Gorge possible to see up to 65 bird species that

regularly use the gorge (which is also a
wild place of outstanding
natural beauty, with dunes,
Bristol gull highway) and at night, bats – lots sheer cliffs and, of course,
of them, including lesser and greater the amazing rock formations
Roz Kidman Cox horseshoes. The cliffs provide nest sites of the magnificent Giant’s
for the celebrity peregrines and ravens. Causeway. It is a coastline to meander along
Leigh Woods, which hugs the west by land or by sea, keeping an eye out for
My top spot is my home patch side of the gorge, is a panorama of soft whales, dolphins and basking sharks.
– immediately accessible greens in spring and golden hues in While studying at Ulster University, I
and with a richness of autumn, offering rare fungi, bryophytes spent some of my most memorable days
biodiversity that matches and trees, including the Bristol here, both in and under the water – catching
anywhere in the UK. Partly whitebeam. Among its rocks and gullies waves at Portrush, snorkelling with curious
within Bristol city boundaries, live strange invertebrates, including my seals and scuba diving. Dives off the Skerries
the Avon Gorge includes not only the holy grail of spiders, the scarce purse- and below the dramatic cliffs of Rathlin
magnificent limestone gorge itself and the web, Britain’s only tarantula relative. Island have brought me face to face with
tidal River Avon, but also a triad The wealth of floral rarities include the the dark eyes of conger eels peering out
of special conservation sites, Bristol onion, the Bristol rock-cress of shipwrecks and the steely shark eyes of
including a National and limestone grassland gems dogfish patrolling stony reefs. People ask
Nature Reserve. from speedwell and squill to me why I choose to dive in such cold water,
Brunel’s famous bee and fly orchids. There is and the answer is simple: the Causeway
Clifton Suspension even a café, complete with Coast is as beautiful underwater as it is
Bridge is what sunbathing green-backed above. Spending time exploring from the
attracts tourists, Raven wall lizards. What more sea enthralls every time and provides a very
but that’s just the could you ask for? special window into the natural world.
headline. Beside Roz Kidman Cox, editor of Pick a calm day and off you go!
the bridge it’s BBC Wildlife (1981-2004) Tara Shine, environmental scientist

O60 PLACES
An undulating swathe of chalk
downland, St Catherine’s Hill
offers superlative views of
town and country
Kestrel
St Catherine’s Hill
Hampshire
Chris Packham
I remember bounding about I released it and didn’t have a camera). In poodle Scratchy, shortly before he died.
on these chalky slopes in 1986, I sprinted up the slippery paths chasing Last year, I panted to the top again to
1966, peering down rabbit kestrels for a film I was making for the BBC, honour my father, who had introduced me
holes and hoping to spot a and in 1996 I climbed to the beech hanger on to this magical place all those years ago.
stoat, a superstar species in the summit on a stormy winter’s day to try That gift of a little bit of our planet’s
my Observers Book of British and ameliorate a bout of serious depression. geography has made and saved my life,
Mammals. One sunny afternoon in 1976, In 2006, I dragged my stepdaughter Megan more a lifemark than a landmark. I love
I caught a mazarine blue in my butterfly up to play in the turf maze, and in 2016 I St Catherine’s Hill.
net (though I can’t prove the record because trudged to the summit with my beautiful Chris Packham, BBC presenter
Great North Wood

South London
Chantelle Lindsay
Once stretching across South Chantelle leading
London, the ancient Great a practical
North Wood today survives conservation
as a mosaic of habitats that volunteer day
provide oases for wildlife and
green lungs for people. Stepping
into its wildest corners, I feel the power of its
history dancing through the trees – a reminder
of its resilience. It is peace to the chaos; fresh
air to the smog. Woodpeckers yaffle, firecrests
trill, hedgehogs snuffle and bats soar as the
moon rises. As a a self-proclaimed GNW
fangirl, I implore you to discover its magic.
Chantelle Lindsay, project officer at London
Wildlife Trust and CBeebies presenter

Canvey Wick
Essex
Karim Vahed
Nestling in the south-west

corner of Canvey Island,
Canvey Wick was
designated an SSSI in 2005
thanks to the phenomenal
variety of invertebrates (1,500
at the last count) that call it home. It’s
Shrill carder bee
now one of the best places in Britain for
endangered insects, with rarities such as
the shrill carder bee, Canvey Island ground
beetle and scarce emerald damselfly. In
fact, so abundant is the insect life here that
Canvey has been compared to a rainforest
for species per square metre.
Nineteen hectares of the site are now
managed as a nature reserve by Buglife in
partnership with the RSPB, on behalf of The
Land Trust. What I love most about it is how
nature has brazenly reclaimed the land from
industry. The site was developed as an oil
refinery in the 1970s, but was never used.
It differs from the surrounding marshland
because the land was stabilised using
dredgings from the River Thames, creating
the foundations for well-drained, sandy,
flower-rich habitats, perfect for invertebrates Canvey Wick was the
to colonise. Spring and summer bring a first brownfield site to
glorious abundance of wildflowers a-buzz be protected specifically
for invertebrates
ST CATHERINE’S HILL: ROD VARLEY/ALAMY; KESTREL: PAUL MCMULLEN/GETTY; KARIM: KATE BELLIS; BEE: NICK UPTON/
with pollinators.
Karim Vahed, England manager at Buglife
NATUREPL.COM; CANVEY WICK: GORDON SCAMMELL/ALAMY; MANX SHEARWATER: ED MARSHALL/IOSWT
Isles of Scilly
Cornwall
Lucy McRobert
I have the best job in the

world: talking about wildlife
on the Isles of Scilly. From
windswept winters to
sunkissed summer days, life
on the Atlantic edge is ever-
changing. I’ve watched humpback whales on
Christmas Eve. I’ve been at sea surrounded
by shearwaters, skuas and storm petrels with
common dolphins bow-riding and sunfish
flopping past. Twice a year I’m treated to
an array of migrant birds, from hoopoes to
bee-eaters. Song thrushes tune up from 3am,
house sparrows steal crumbs from cream
teas, and shags stand sentry on the rocks.
Manx shearwaters are on the Diversity and abundance, rare and common
up thanks to the Isles of Scilly meet in this land beyond Land’s End.
Seabird Recovery Project Lucy McRobert, communications manager at
Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust and author

Dormice thrive
in the rich hazel
coppice at
Briddlesford
Farne Islands
Northumberland
Michaela Strachan After that little ditty, it will come

as no surprise that one of my favourite
places for wildlife in the UK is a group
Black and white; of islands off the Northumberland coast
Colourful beaks; where, in spring, you are guaranteed to
Known as ‘clowns of the air’; see these quirky little birds. Watching
Fun to watch, comical; (and photographing) puffins flying in,
Birds with character and flair; their beaks crammed with sandeels, soon
I love this bird, can you guess becomes an obsession.
what it is? Its name rhymes with ‘nuffin’! But puffins are not the only A-listers.
A summer visitor to UK shores; The Farnes support a cast of thousands:
The wonderful, adorable... puffin! razorbills, guillemots, shags, cormorants,
Briddlesford
Woods
Isle of Wight
Nida Al-Fulaij
A few miles south of Landing on the Farne

Fishbourne, bordering Islands is currently
Wootton Creek and restricted due to bird
surrounded by farmland, is flu, but boat trips are
a wonderful, semi-natural still running
DORMOUSE: CLARE PENGELLY/PTES; FARNE ISLAND: DAVE COLLINS/GETTY; PUFFIN: GETTY;
ancient woodland that is at least

400 years old, though some claims date it
back to the last Ice Age. With no resident
deer population, a walk through Briddlesford
OSPREY: JAKE STEPHEN/GETTY; NEWT: MIKE POWLES/GETTY; JERSEY: GETTY
is a unique experience. Free from the

Ospreys have made a
pressure of browsing, the understorey
triumphant return to
flourishes. Brambles, honeysuckle, spindle Rutland, with the 200th
and guelder rose compete with one another, chick hatching in 2021
providing a haven for small woodland
mammals. Red squirrels and hazel dormice
make homes here, alongside rare woodland
bats, bank voles and pygmy shrews.
Dotted between the woodland copses
is a rich mosaic of parkland, flower-rich
meadows and a tidal saltmarsh. Rare flora
such as narrow-leaved lungwort thrives
alongside green hellebores, butterfly orchids
and thin-spiked wood sedge. Sea eagles have
recently been released to the area and – it’s
claimed – goshawks are making a comeback.
Whatever the season, exploring this
magnificent wood is always a joy.
Nida Al-Fulaij, conservation research manager
at People’s Trust for Endangered Species

60 PLACES O
Puffin SHORTS
Hampton Nature
Reserve, Peterborough
Jenny Tse-Leon,
conservation manager at Froglife
You’d never know there’s a lovely wildlife
kittiwakes, terns (which have become oasis just 15 minutes from Peterborough
notorious for dive-bombing unsuspecting town centre. A former brick pit, Hampton
tourists, so a hat is recommended), grey Nature Reserve is home to
seals and so much more. some of our rarest species,
and hosts the largest Great-crested
A visit to these islands is a memorable newt
attack on the senses. There’s a cacophony great-crested newt
population in Europe.
of noise from the seabirds and barking It is a private site but
seals, it’s a visual smorgasbord, and the can be visited during
pungent smell – a reminder of an amazing volunteer sessions and
wild experience – will stay with you long events run by Froglife.
after you’ve sailed home. It really is a hidden gem.
Michaela Strachan, BBC presenter
Jersey
Will Hall, presenter and photographer
I spent my childhood clambering over
this magical island. It may be small, but it
has huge ecological importance. Marsh
harriers breed here, choughs
have been reintroduced, Jersey
crustaceans thrive in
the rockpools and
cetaceans regularly
pass by. Jersey also
has one of the biggest
tidal variations on the
planet – at low tide, it
nearly doubles in size.
Buckfastleigh, Devon
Daniel Hargreaves, bat programme
manager at Vincent Wildlife Trust
A self-proclaimed ‘Bat Friendly
Community’, this small town hosts the
largest colony of greater
horseshoe bats in western
Europe. Sitting on the
banks of the River Greater
Mardle on a summer’s horseshoe
evening as 3,000 bats bat
whoosh past to hunt
Rutland Water has to be one of the

most impressive wild
spectacles in the UK.
Leicestershire
Sandy Luk
CHASER: PAM TAYLOR/BDS; BAT: ANDREW MCCARTHY/VWT
Rodley Nature Reserve,

Leeds
The astonishing thing about spending a magical evening watching ospreys Pam Taylor, trustee of British
Rutland Water is that it’s hunting fish, defending their nests against Dragonfly Society
human-made – a reservoir intruders and taking elaborate, fussy baths. Nestled between Horsforth
that didn’t exist 50 years All this while chatting to the volunteers and and the River Aire, Rodley
ago. Today, its tapestry of staff of Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife is a dragonfly and
lagoons and wetlands are a Trust, who know everything there is to know damselfly hotspot on
the edge of the city.
paradise for anyone who loves being out in about the reserve’s wild residents.
At least 18 species
nature and is a ‘bad’ birdwatcher like me. In winter, Rutland Water is a hotspot for have been recorded
There are not many places where you migratory species, hosting tens of thousands here, with jewels Four-
can try to spot a cuckoo (unsuccessfully) by of ducks, geese, swans and even – I’m told such as banded spotted
following its calls, then watch a great-crested – bitterns. It’s an impossible mixture of demoiselle, emperor chaser
grebe attempt to swallow a fish larger than colourful, joyful, noisy birds. and four-spotted chaser.
itself (successfully, in the end), before Sandy Luk, CEO of Marine Conservation Society

Brasenose
Wood
Oxford
Leif Bersweden
When I moved to this area

two years ago, Brasenose
Wood – an ancient remnant
of Shotover Forest and a
100ha SSSI – was one of the
first places I stumbled upon
and I’ve been going back ever since.
Like many woodlands, it’s a window to
the seasons, with different elements coming
to the fore with each passing month. I like
to wander, sit and soak it all up, gathering
memories like a jay collecting acorns. The
trees offer mosses, liverworts and colourful
buds in winter, before my attention is
drawn to spring’s bluebells. A mellow,
soothing light settles during the summer as
honeysuckle twines through the hazel copse
and treecreepers flit from oak to ash. Then
comes the opportunity to collect leaves
DUNGENESS: BEN HALL/RSPB; BEE: RICHARD BECKER/ALAMY; MOSS: LEIF BERSWEDEN; BADGERS: DAMIAN KUZDAK/GETTY; WIMBLEDON: GETTY
patterned and coloured by autumn.
This small square of trees is a vital green
space for Oxford, separated from rows of
As its name suggests, houses by the curving ring road and a lovely
wood bristle moss has hay meadow. It stands with the promise of
a liking for trees peaceful wanderings and nature treasures.
Leif Bersweden, botanist and author
Dungeness
Kent
Jasmine Isa Qureshi

The cold air fills my lungs
as I breathe in the salty
smell of the crashing waves. Brown-banded
And yet, if I turn my head carder bee
in the opposite direction, I
can smell heather and fresh,
wet grass. RSPB Dungeness is special to
me because it is so varied and so vast, a
landscape filled with gravel, sand, marshes
and memories of jumping hillocks. It’s the
third most biodiverse site in the country for
insects, and my star species would be the
beautiful brown-banded carder bee, which is
most frequently seen in June and July, when
the land is set alight with wildflowers. If I
can tear myself from my beloved bees, I’ll
wander over to Burrows Pit, near the visitor Discover a wild
centre, to watch seabirds raising their young. headland on the
Jasmine Isa Qureshi, ambassador for Bumblebee south coast of Kent
Conservation Trust

60 PLACES O
Queensmere Pond
There are thought to

be some 17 badger
setts in London’s
famous green space
Wimbledon Common
South West London
Jini Reddy
I live in green, leafy its rich grassland and heathland, and a I traipsed alone across the common at dusk,
Wimbledon, a suburb far marvellous green lung for Londoners. my ears filled with the lightly quavering
removed in spirit and I love walking or cycling to Queensmere ‘twoo’ of a tawny owl.
landscape from the hurly- Pond, the deepest lake on the common. Plenty of mammals live here, too,
burly of central London. I’m Shrouded by woods, at noon on a blue-sky including badgers and foxes, and let’s not
spoilt for choice where wild day, it’s a tranquil sun-trap with the feel of forget the thriving populations of toads,
spaces are concerned – rural dwellers would a far more remote wilderness. I’m always frogs, grass snakes and lizards. Of course,
be agog at the riches on my doorstep. But on the lookout for swans, Canada geese and some will argue that the most sought-after
Wimbledon Common remains a perennial – my favourites – a heron and cormorant, sighting on Wimbledon Common is the
favourite in all seasons. Covering 460ha but more patient, keen-eyed birders might legendary litter-picking Womble, but that’s
of green space, it’s both an SSSI and SAC encounter a kestrel, sparrowhawk, red kite another story...
(Special Area of Conservation), owing to or even a kingfisher. Once, in a fit of daring, Jini Reddy, author and journalist

O60 PLACES
SHORTS
Stanage Edge, Peak

District National Park
Ben Hall, wildlife photographer
I’ve lived on the edge of the Peak District
my whole life and know the area well,
particularly the Stanage Edge escarpment.
I’ve had some unforgettable
wildlife encounters here,
particularly with red
grouse. My favourite
time of year is
August, when
blooming heather
swathes the moors
in pink and purple
Stanage Edge hues. I could never
tire of Stanage Edge.
Haugh Woods, Hereford

Savita Willmott, CEO of The Natural
History Consortium
This isn’t my local patch, rather one I
adopt when visiting family, but it is fast
becoming a favourite
Pearl-bordered place for happy times
fritillary in the wild. It’s
nationally important
for butterflies and
moths, home to
more than 600
species, including
the rare pearl-
bordered fritillary.
May brings a riot of
colour as bluebells
Attenborough Reserve, carpet Foxley’s floor
Nottingham
Jack Perks, underwater photographer
I’ve been visiting this
Wildlife Trust reserve
for 15 years and it
Foxley Wood but was nearly destroyed in the 1960s when
half its ancient oaks and coppice were felled,
burned and sprayed so a conifer plantation
still surprises me. Norfolk
As well as 30 could rise in its place. Rare woodland flowers
Kingfisher species of fish, Patrick Barkham and invertebrates were crowded out and the
highlights include purple emperor went extinct in the county.
sand martens, Foxley’s recovery began when Norfolk
kingfishers, otters Foxley Wood is not a famous Wildlife Trust bought it just over 30 years
and, in winter, place, and its low dome of ago. The conifers were sold off as Christmas
bitterns and flocks of
trees is not particularly trees and the site allowed to regenerate.
murmurating starlings.
conspicuous in the flatlands The transformation today is astonishing.
of central Norfolk. But there’s It’s difficult to tell ancient woodland from
Spean Bridge, Highlands magic within. modern in the tumult of self-sown gelder rose,
Fay Vass, CEO of British Hedgehog I grew up 5km or so from Foxley. It was dogwood, sallow, hazel, blackthorn and field
Preservation Society our local wood, and we visited in autumn for maple. Its rides ring with birdsong in spring
I always think fondly of Spean as it’s here fungi and falling leaves, in spring and thrum with dragonflies in summer,
I saw my first pine marten, somersaulting
out of a skip. The area is
for bluebells, and in summer – while raptors dash overhead.
also a Scottish wildcat in vain – for the mysterious There’s restored coppice, huge
stronghold and the purple emperor butterfly. vines of honeysuckle and, most
nights are alive My childhood marked remarkable of all, after nearly
with owl calls. You the nadir of Foxley. five decades of extinction,
Pine
can even see the Norfolk’s largest ancient the purple emperor has
marten
Northern Lights woodland was recorded returned, flashing iridescent
from the Commando
in the Domesday Book, purple as it glides through
Memorial statue,
which is still on my list the midsummer trees.
– I must return! The purple emperor is a Patrick Barkham, journalist
woodland specialist and author

Isle Martin
OLIVER SMART/ALAMY; STANAGE EDGE: JOHN FINNEY/GETTY; ISLE MARTIN: RICHARD CHILDS/ALAMY; SISKIN: LEE ADCOCK/500PX/GETTY
Ross and Cromarty

RED KITES & PURPLE EMPEROR: GETTY; PINE MARTEN; ANDY WILSON/500PX/GETTY; KINGFISHER: ANDREW HOWE/GETTY; FRITILLARY:
Doug Allan
I looked through the

stunningly clear water at the
seabed 15m below. A dogfish
lazily tail-swiped over the
sand, disturbing a flounder
who undulated for cover in
the nearby kelp. I drifted along steep-sided
underwater gullies, their walls orange and
yellow with cup coral. Gobies, blennies and
squat lobsters peered out from the crevices;
urchins grazed the rocks.
That was back in 1972, and the vibrant
colours, dappled seabed and feeling of
floating in space were all so vivid they felt
unreal. I’d only made 60 or so dives up to Siskin
that point, but when I surfaced I knew that
the sea and I were destined to have a deeply
personal relationship.
Isle Martin lies about 6km north of
Ullapool. April to June brings breeding
birds; as summer rolls on, twites, redpolls
and siskins fly around the old houses while
sea eagles soar overhead. To the west of
the island, Annat Bay is visited by grey and
harbour seals, common dolphins, minke
whales and even the occasional humpback.
It’s a lovely wee island, a microcosm of all The wild, wondrous
that’s wonderful about Scotland’s west coast. waters of Isle Martin
Doug Allan, wildlife cameraman
Barton Hills
Bedfordshire
Rebecca Dawson
A short hop from Luton, at

the northernmost tip of the
Chilterns, lies the Barton
Hills National Nature
Reserve – a place I adore
exploring. Walking in nature
nourishes my mind and body, and this is the
perfect spot. It teems with butterflies and
chalk downland wildflowers, including the
stunning pasqueflower, and is the ideal place
to marvel at one of our most majestic birds
of prey: the red kite.
Driven to extinction in England in the
late 1800s, the sight of a swooping, reeling
Tumbling over
red kite is testament to one of the most the Bedfordshire
successful reintroduction projects ever countryside, red kites
undertaken. I always feel a sense of wonder are a symbol of hope
when these magnificent birds soar overhead. for conservation
Rebecca Dawson, chair of Ramblers

O 60 PLACES
Golden eagle With hundreds of

miles of coastline,
Mull offers plenty of
habitat for wildlife
Isle of Mull
Inner Hebrides
Gordon Buchanan
Until the age of 17, exists

my experience of the against a
world’s wildlife was limited backdrop
to whatever was local. of unrivalled
However, I was raised on beauty. There are
Mull, and this island’s wild towering mountains,
offerings are nothing short of magnificent. sheltered bays, white-sand
I’ve spent 30 years in the wilds of the beaches, caves, woodlands, moorland,
world, from the high Arctic to the tip of sparkling waters and rugged coastal cliffs.
South America. I’ve have had more than my I’ve lived a life on the road, following
fair share of encounters with the furred and tracks and trails in some of the world’s
the feathered, with creepers and crawlers, most stunning places, but one path always
with animals that scamper and those that leads me back to the most special place of
sprint, but some of my best have been on all. If you want to know what paradise looks
the island of my youth. like, it is this island full of Hebridean magic
Intimate encounters on frosty off the west coast of Scotland.
shorelines with a family of otters; golden Gordon Buchanan, BBC presenter
eagles sky-dancing in spring skies; the and film-maker
bewildering bounty of summer: minke
whales, dolphins, puffins, razorbills, Otters can be spotted seeking prey in the
guillemots, Manx shearwaters. All of this seaweed or resting on the shore

Meet the weasel,
the UK’s smallest
Brockholes carnivore
Lancashire
Rhiane Fatinikun
A vast quarry in its former

life, Brockholes is now
a thriving 100ha nature
reserve and wild haven
right next to the M6 and
River Ribble, managed
by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust. It’s a
wonderful place to connect with nature,
and I particularly enjoy reading all the latest
sightings in the bird hide. Ospreys are seen
relatively often, though I haven’t managed to
spot one yet. I have, however, seen kestrels,
herons, deer and my first ever weasel
(a lucky encounter) at Brockholes.
I joined a guided walk around the reserve
recently, through its ancient woods and
around its reed-fringed lakes. The guide was
incredibly knowledgeable and passionate
and it was great to learn how the reserve
is managed for wildlife. We have so many The Brockholes
fascinating species in the UK – you see a lot wetlands
more of them once you start taking notice.
Rhiane Fatinikun, Black Girls Hike
OTTER: IAIN TALL/500PX/GETTY; EAGLE: LAURIE CAMPBELL/NATUREPL.COM; MULL: CAVAN IMAGES/GETTY; WEASEL: GLYN THOMAS/ALAMY;
Wormwood
BROCKHOLES: BEN HALL/2020VISION/NPL; RING OUZEL: NEIL BOWMAN/GETTY; WORMWOOD SCRUBS: JOE DUNCKLEY/GETTY
David has a soft spot

for the ring ouzel (here
a female), usually an
upland bird Scrubs
West London
David Lindo
I am in love with a place so

innocuous that, when I first
stumbled across it some 25
years ago and claimed it as
my nirvana, my birdy friends
thought I had lost my mind.
That place is Wormwood Scrubs, a 77ha park
that adjoins the prison of the same name and
was featured lyrically in The Jam’s Down at
the Tube Station at Midnight.
Consisting of playing fields, a small area
of grassland and limited woodland, it doesn’t
look like it would attract wildlife. But after
my inaugural visit, I realised its potential
for birds and became a regular visitor.
I have seen more than 150 species here,
including regional scarcities such as
meadow pipits and short-eared owls.
It was here that I coined the phrase
‘look up’. And it is here that the ring
ouzel, my favourite bird, occurs annually
Wormwood on migration – just, it seems, to delight me.
Scrubs David Lindo, The Urban Birder

O60 PLACES
Hear the
cuckoo’s call
in the Smithills
woodlands Hamza on
location
Winter Hill
CUCKOO: ANDY WILSON/500PX/GETTY; EAGLE: MARK HAMBLIN/ALAMY; SHERWOOD: COLIN WILKINSON/RSPB; DOLPHIN: GRAHAM
Greater Manchester
Anita Sethi
EATON/NATUREPL.COM; BEN SHIELDAIG: ANDY SUTTON/ALAMY; CORMORANT: HELEN DAVIES/GETTY; BUTTERFLY: GETTY
When I climb to the summit of

Winter Hill, which dominates
the 688ha Smithills Estate,
I feel like I’m on top of the
world. I’m level with the clouds
hanging in the blue sky, and
looking into the horizon I can see the rooftops
of my home town of Manchester.
The site is managed by the Woodland
Trust and is being restored and revitalised
The Major Oak –
with tree-planting galore – thousands of
one of the UK’s
saplings have gone into the ground here. most iconic trees
Wildlife to look out for includes deer,
common lizards and cuckoos, while walking
through woodlands replete with wonderful
fungi, trees and plants.
I began exploring Smithills a few weeks
after a serious fall that shattered my right
wrist. Getting back out in nature walking
again was brilliant for my recovery, and
I now lead ‘walkshops’ focused on the
ameliorative effect of the natural world on
our physical and mental health. I’ll never
forget seeing two glorious lapwings swirling
in the skies one afternoon, singing their
hearts out above the wild west Pennine
moors. It was a sight and sound that made
my heart soar.
Anita Sethi, nature writer

60 PLACES O
SHORTS
New Quay, Ceredigion

Chris Vick, director of strategic
development at WDC
I’ve seen dolphins all over the world but
Glen Tanar my best sightings have been at New Quay.

An arching back, a tell-tale whoosh of
breath, an acrobatic breach, a fast, silver
Cairngorms National Park body more powerful than you
imagine. As well as the
Hamza Yassin magic of dolphins, there’s
a magic of place here –
this is Dylan Thomas
Glen Tanar is a phenomenal country. Visit out of
part of Scotland. It’s a season, look out into
remnant of the ancient the night and breathe
in the “sloeblack,
Caledonian pine forest, the Bottlenose
slow, black, crowblack
green belt that once ran the fishingboat-bobbing sea”. dolphin
breadth of the Arctic Circle, and
it shelters some of the oldest, largest pine
trees in the UK. These trees are incredible – Ben Shieldaig, Highlands
they’re known as granny pines and have been Oliver Moore, advisor at Plantlife
standing for hundreds of years. The trees you I have spent many captivating hours on
see in modern pine plantations tend to be these looming, steep slopes, mapping
the same age (20-30 years old); those in Glen and surveying the vegetation. I’ve studied
everything from sparkling
Tanar range from the young to the old to the
signal moss and prickly
absolutely ancient. featherwort in the
The bird life here is astounding, too – birch woodlands to
we’re talking apex avian predators. There dwarf junipers on the
are hen harriers, golden eagles, white-tailed windswept, wet heath
eagles, goshawks and ospreys, plus the rare of the summit ridge.
and lovely capercaillie and the Scottish Scottish rainforest
crossbill, Britain’s only endemic bird. doesn’t come much
finer than Ben Shieldaig. Ben Shieldaig
A few years ago, I filmed golden
eagles breeding in Glen Tanar for a David
Attenborough film. These raptors don’t Teesside, Yorkshire
usually nest in trees, preferring remote cliffs,
Steph Wray, chair of The Mammal Society
but the massive, gnarly, ancient pines here When I was growing up on Teesside in the
A male golden eagle
can easily support the bulk of a one-tonne 1980s, the tidal Tees was the UK’s most
comes in to land, his eyrie. Watching the chicks develop and grow polluted river. Today, it’s very different.
talons full of prey that spring is one of my all-time favourite Grey seals bob, cormorants
for his chicks memories of this inspiring, beautiful place. dry their wings, skuas
Hamza Yassin, BBC presenter and cameraman and terns fly overhead
and, at the transporter
bridge, otters feast
on salmon. This
burgeoning of life in
Sherwood Forest what was a poisoned

wasteland shows how
we can restore nature. Cormorant
Nottingham
Beccy Speight Rodborough Common,

Gloucestershire
Matt Swaine, editor of
this historic forest, an rspb for the mysterious churring nightjars and BBC Wildlife (2013-2015)
reserve, is just half an hour the joyful woodlarks. Sometimes it’s for the Patrick Barkham’s The Butterfly Isles
from where I live. With more high-pitched contact calls of tiny goldcrests inspired me to seek out all
than 1,000 ancient oak trees flitting through the canopy, and occasionally 59 native species, but on
and beautiful lowland heath, even the elusive sight of a goshawk. But at two wheels. Rides so
far include to Dorset
it traces a direct line back to any time of the year it offers tranquillity
for silver-studded
the royal hunting ‘forest’ it once was. At its (once you’ve escaped the jousting!) and the blues and Devon for
heart sits the Major Oak, a popular colossus chance to immerse yourself in a greener, clouded yellows, but
said to have once housed Robin Hood. wilder space. Sherwood is where I recharge nothing beats the mix
In spring, I’m drawn to Sherwood for my batteries and breathe more deeply – just at Rodborough. It is
the sound of woodpeckers and the ethereal for a moment. my perfect day out.
Large blue
sight of a roding woodcock. In summer, it’s Beccy Speight, CEO of RSPB

A wild haven in the heart
of Wales – and within
the only Welsh UNESCO
Biosphere Reserve
Ynys-hir Of all the places I visited in

my 10 years co-presenting
Springwatch, RSPB Ynys-hir
Ceredigion
is the most memorable. The
Martin Hughes-Games scenery is spectacular, with
gnarled green oakwoods and the
yellow sands of the Dyfi Estuary against a
GETTY; ORCA: SCOTLAND: THE BIG PICTURE/NPL; PONY: NICK GARBUTT/NATUREPL.COM

Grass snakes are
majestic backdrop of curving mountains.
widespread in
SNAKE: GETTY; BEDDAUS BEAST: PAUL WESTON/ALAMY; GANNET: ASHLEY COOPER/

England and Wales I walked in every morning and felt like I was
plunging into a world teeming with wildlife.
There can’t be many places with such
a mix of habitats and diversity of wildlife,
including, to name a few stars, otters,
stoats, kingfishers, redstarts, water rails, hen
harriers and merlin, as well as a plethora of
insects, reptiles and amphibians. I remember
one mesmerising day filming grass snakes
in a compost heap using a heat-sensitive
camera – we could see glowing holes where
the snakes moved in and out, warmed by
the compost. We also filmed a common
sandpiper nest beside the railway line – the
incubating adult would jump off as the train
thundered past, then scamper back.
There are, apparently, lesser-spotted
woodpeckers at Ynys-hir. I’m tempted to
return to see if I can ‘break my duck’. As a
keen motorcyclist, the ride through Wales
would be the icing on the cake.
Martin Hughes-Games, BBC presenter

60 PLACES O
Hermaness Exmoor ponies are

mentioned in the
Unst, Shetland Islands Domesday Book
Andy Parkinson
It is the raw, untamed nature birds have been badly hit by the recent
of the UK’s most northerly outbreak of avian flu, they remain an
point that most appeals to ever-present malevolence.
me. To the west is 5,000km of Summer brings a glut of species,
nothing but unbroken ocean, including passing orcas, but it is autumn
from where ferocious storms that most stimulates the senses.
barrel in towards the jagged coastline. The ocean becomes a cauldron
The cliffs of this National of unbridled ferocity, with
Nature Reserve are both gannets soaring effortlessly
perilous and precipitous but and imperiously over
teem with bird life in the the raging tumult.
summer. The vast and Hermaness gets under
expanding gannet colony is your skin like no other
visually the most dramatic, place in the UK.
but then so too are the Andy Parkinson,
grassy clifftops when filled wildlife photographer
with the comical presence
of puffins. Just inland lies the Gannets command the
skua colony, and though these skies over Hermaness
Exmoor
National Park
Devon and Somerset
Paul McGuinness
Growing up in North Devon,

it was on the moors that my
love of nature was born. Up
the steep hills and cliffs from
the sea, a rugged landscape
as ancient as anything England
has to offer unfolds across rolling hills,
disappearing into impassable valleys.
Ancient forests, rich in lichens, mosses
and ferns, give way to heathland and peat
bogs. Red deer have lived on the moors since
prehistoric times. Birds of prey soar overhead
– buzzards, peregrines, sometimes merlins –
and the heather is home to countless insects.
It’s not uncommon while walking on the
moors to encounter a small herd of Exmoor
ponies – ‘wild horses’ to the locals – whose
dark backs and light bellies brought to
my young mind animals painted on Stone
Age cave walls. I remember once waking
from a doze in a valley to find these horses
completely ignoring me at very close quarters.
As a child, day trips up onto the moors
were like stepping back in time. Human
Summer is orca
settlements here date to the Mesolithic, and
season around the
Shetland Islands some areas still feel largely unchanged since
then. It’s a wonderful wilderness.
Paul McGuinness, editor of BBC Wildlife

Wallasea
Island
Essex
Ollie Olanipekun
and Nadeem Perera
Less than two hours from

our base in London, RSPB
Wallasea is the perfect
spot for walks with Flock
Together, our birdwatching
collective for people of colour.
It was here that we saw our first owl – a barn
owl, hunting like a ghost in the golden dawn
light. Formerly arable farmland, the 740ha
reserve is now a landscape of saltmarsh,
mudflats, lagoons and grazing marsh. In
summer, terns dive for fish while marsh
harriers seek small mammals from the sky.
Autumn brings passage birds such as ringed
plovers, dunlins and greenshanks, and flocks
of wildfowl such as teal, wigeon and brent
geese arrive for the winter. It’s an ideal spot
Brent geese make for experienced and novice birdwatchers
landfall from the alike – we love Wallasea!
Essex skies Ollie Olanipekun and Nadeem Perera, authors
and co-founders of Flock Together
London Wetland Centre

South London
Sarah Fowler A bird’s-eye view of

Barnes – an oasis of
green in the cityscape
This wonderful spot, which
BARNES: SAM STAFFORD/WWT; GREBES: WWT; GEESE: TERRY WHITTAKER/2020VISION/

I first visited in 2018 for the
NPL; OLLIE & NADEEM:DHAMIRAH COOMBES/FLOCK; RABBIT: TONY MILLS/ALAMY

launch of the government’s Great-crested
grebes
25-year Environment Plan,
is creating new nature
memories for me. Walking in
on that cold, damp January day, my eyes
were opened to a wetland in the heart
of London, a place for wildlife to thrive
and a deeply meditative place for people
to explore. Once four reservoirs, it has
been transformed into a 40ha wetland
and provides a key stopping-off point for
migratory birds. The view from the Peacock
Tower is stunning and a great vantage point
for spectacular displays, such as courting
great-crested grebes. Many species have
made a home here, some of which are found
nowhere else in the capital. Only recently did
I catch sight of a green sandpiper while on a
quest to see my first bittern. No success on
that visit; maybe I’ll be luckier next time.
Sarah Fowler, chief executive of WWT

60 PLACES O
Polzeath to
Holywell
Bay
North Cornwall
Hannah Stitfall Rabbit
The north Cornwall coast

is famous for its spectacular
scenery, with high, rugged
cliffs and white-sand beaches.
I moved here 20 years ago and
there is nowhere I’d rather be.
One stretch that is absolutely exquisite for
wildlife runs for roughly 50km from Polzeath
to Holywell Bay. The rocky outcrops and
headlands are frequented by the likes of
peregrines, kestrels and barn owls, and are
brimming with rabbit warrens, badger setts
and fox dens. Spring and summer bring
bustling seabird colonies filled with the
chatter of fulmars, guillemots and razorbills,
while common dolphins slice through the Hannah atop the
seas. If you need a wildlife fix, this part of Bedruthan Steps,
Cornwall has so much to offer. There is a wonder of the
nowhere in the UK quite like it. Cornish coast
Hannah Stitfall, presenter and film-maker
Now, over to you... V OT E

F O R YO U R
F AV O U R I T E
We’ve heard from

RIVER CHET: JON GIBBS/ALAMY; DOLPHINS: ANTHONY PIERCE/ALAMY; MURMURATION:
the experts, now it’s

your turn. We want
GUY CORBISHLEY/ALAMY; ST CATHERINE’S HILL: DYLAN GARCIA/ALAMY
to find out which of

these 60 places is the
nation’s favourite
– and we need your
votes! Have your say
at discoverwildlife.
com/60faves and we’ll
reveal the winner in a
future issue. Clockwise from top left: River Chet, Chanonry Point, St Catherine’s Hill and Ham Wall

PORTFOLIO
Seeing red
A rust-red flash on an otherwise grey
wing and tail, a dusting of cinnamon
beneath, a glint of curiosity in deep
brown eyes – it can only be a Siberian
jay. Nature photographer Florian Smit
captured the autumnal activities of
this small corvid, about the same size
as a mistle thrush, in a remote conifer
forest in Arctic Sweden.

The small, forest-dwelling Siberian jay
is widespread, intelligent, agile
– and a photographer’s dream
Photos by FLORIAN SMIT

Fanning out
Several million Siberian jays flit among the
pines, spruces and larches of the taiga – or
boreal forests – of northern Eurasia, inhabiting
a vast range spanning nearly 20 million km2,
stretching from Scandinavia across Siberia.
Bill of fare
A Siberian jay’s bill, silhouetted against the soft
light of an autumn afternoon, is a handy foraging
tool used to snaffle berries and seeds, insects
and larvae, spiders and, occasionally, carrion
and other birds’ eggs.
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Florian Smit is a nature
photographer and writer
based in northern
Germany. He also
teaches photography
courses and presents
visual shows about
his travels and wildlife
experiences. Find out
more at floriansmit.com.

PORTFOLIO
Cache deposit
As autumn ebbs,
Siberian jays secrete
food – particularly berries
and small insects – in
caches, which they’ll
raid in coming months
to see them through the
darkest, coldest days of
the Arctic Scandinavian
winter. Mixing titbits with
its sticky saliva, a jay will
lodge such food packages
in bark crevices or among
the beard moss (actually
lichens) coating conifers.
PORTFOLIO
Rock art
Florian used the subtle shades and
textures of lichen on scree rock as
the background for this shadow
portrait of a perching Siberian jay.
Lichen-rich old-growth forests provide
the ideal habitat for this home-loving
bird, which typically doesn’t migrate;
an individual rarely moves more than
a few kilometres from its patch.
Throwing shapes
“Siberian jays are real acrobats,”
says Florian. “On the one hand,
these curious birds aren’t shy, which
sometimes makes tricky shots possible
– but on the other hand they are
incredibly agile and fast, which can
make capturing an image challenging!”

Fall feast
“The weeks from mid-September
to early October are wonderful for
photography in the forests of northern
Sweden,” says Florian. “Autumn
colours are at their loveliest, and
the Siberian jays can still find an
abundance of food, including the
last mossberries and blueberries
of the season.”
Cryptic colouration
When a Siberian jay perches on a
dead pine, the camouflage provided
by its plumage becomes clear. Despite
its agility in the air, this small species
risks predation by goshawks and
sparrowhawks; it’s evolved different
alarm calls to alert conspecifics to the
activities of nearby raptors.

Flock together
Though this individual – like the
others in this feature – seems
to be flying solo, Siberian jays
actually live in small flocks, usually
comprising from two to seven
members, which defend a territory
from interlopers. These groups
display an unusual social structure:
males are dominant over females,
and breeding birds are dominant
over non-breeders.

PORTFOLIO
Dark side
With such a large, widespread population,
the Siberian jay is not considered to be
of conservation concern. Yet its habitat
is becoming increasingly eroded and
fragmented by human settlement, agriculture
and deforestation. As a result of this and other
factors, populations are declining in parts of its
range, particularly in southernmost regions.
Ghost dance
The bird’s scientific name, Perisoreus
infaustus, reflects its historical reputation.
In some regions, it was considered a bad
omen (in Latin, infaustus means ‘unlucky’). In
Finland, though, the Siberian jay was believed
to bring good fortune. And, according to
ancient legend, on his death, the soul of
a hunter might pass into a Siberian jay –
sometimes known in Finland as the ‘soul bird’.

Twilight flight
Florian learned the birds’
favoured routes and locations to
plan his shots, using a fish-eye
lens and flash to compose this
spectacular image. Fortunately
for photographers, Siberian jays
are famously accommodating
– in other places, where they
became accustomed to forestry
workers, they’ve been known to
gather to take food from people.
Forest sanctuary
This haunting image of a single
bird, silhouetted between
two trees, emphasises both
the beauty and the fragility
of the dense, old-growth
conifer forest that’s the
Siberian jay’s favoured home.
Destruction and fragmentation
of this habitat further isolates
populations of this sedentary
bird, reducing gene flow and,
potentially, resilience.

PORTFOLIO
Final flourish
Having endured the
Arctic winter, this
Siberian jay and its
lifelong mate (the
species is monogamous)
may breed in early
spring. Building a nest
amid dense foliage,
lining it with down
feathers, beard moss
and other insulation,
the female will lay three
or four eggs – forming
the next generation of
this charismatic denizen
of the forest.

To learn more
about the world
of plants catch up
with The Green
Planet
Posidonia oceanica is
the most widespread
seagrass in the
Mediterranean Sea

SEAGRASS O
Words by RICHARD FLEURY

Photos by MANU SAN FÉLIX
Ibiza’s seagrass is a wonder plant and one

man has made it his mission to protect it
OSEAGRASS
The ‘matte’ of roots and

rhizomes trap carbon-
filled sediment
Seagrass meadows
off the rocky coast
of Formentera
ithout dropping anchor, the dive

boat drifts slowly to a stop in some of
the clearest water in the Mediterranean.
The secret of this perfect turquoise sea, off
the Balearic island of Formentera, lives just
below its surface. I roll over the side with a
splash and there it is all around me: uniform
pale green mops swaying in the gentle party-island neighbour Ibiza is carpeted with A naturally photogenic wildlife haven, the
current. It is Posidonia oceanica; a seagrass the stuff. This entire submarine savannah BBC series The Green Planet filmed here,
found only here in the Mediterranean. is one huge, self-cloning organism that, at describing Posidonia as “one of the most
Named after the Greek sea deity, about 100,000 years old, is more ancient important plants on Earth”.
A
Posidonia (or Neptune grass in honour of its than both Poseidon and Neptune. But it is
Roman counterpart) is a subaquatic super- vanishing at an alarming rate. posidonia meadow is an
plant. It cleans water, fights climate change Punta de Sa Pedrera is a rocky outcrop a ecosystem of incredible
and generates oxygen. The 15km or so sea short RIB ride from Formentera’s La Savina biodiversity. As a nursery
floor separating Formentera from its noisy, harbour. Its secluded coves are dotted with for marine life, it provides
local fishers’ huts and painted wooden boats. food, protection and a place
Once a Roman fishing settlement, divers still to mate and lay eggs. More than 400 plant
ABOUT THE AUTHOR find pottery fragments on the seabed here. species and 1,000 animal species call it
Freelance journalist and film-maker Richard Back in the 1960s, hammerhead sharks were home. Residents include turtles, and fish
Fleury has travelled the world caught daily in this shallow bay. Today, they such as rainbow wrasse, grouper, pipefish,
reporting on everything from
are almost extinct. But for now at least, the scorpion fish and trigger fish.
marine life to motor racing.
His writing has appeared seagrass remains alive and well. Sea bream Its undulating emerald foliage is a
in numerous publications, and goldline swim through its waving, tape- habitat for fragile species such as the Pinna
including The Times, the like leaves, while sunlight catches the silvery nobilis, a clam that can grow to more than a
Guardian and Wired. flank of a well-fed sea bass patrolling above. metre in size, and which is recovering from

O SEAGRASS
Goldenline, which are

recognisable by their
golden stripes, call the
seagrass meadows home
a 2016 disease outbreak that wiped out 99

per cent of the population in Spain. At the “Posidonia oceanica absorbs carbon
opposite end of the scale, the rare, jewel-like,
long-snouted seahorse relies on Posidonia
for camouflage and protection, wrapping its
dioxide up to 35 times faster than
tail around the narrow leaves as it grazes on
plankton passing in the current.
a tropical forest”
Not to be confused with seaweed,
seagrasses are the only flowering plants
able to live in saltwater. There are just 72 of mammals that descended from land animals calculation, the meadow between Ibiza and
these so-called marine angiosperm species and re-conquered the aquatic world.” Formentera is providing the oxygen for the
around the world (see box right). Posidonia When he arrived here in 1992 as a young population of both islands to breathe,” he
can also reproduce asexually by generating marine biologist, the rocky bays of Punta de says. “This service is provided to us for free.
exact clones of itself, making it a potentially Sa Pedrera gave Manu his first, life-changing What more reason do you need to protect
immortal plant. glimpse of the island’s seagrass meadows. this plant?”
G
MANU: RICHARD FLEURY; WALES: PROJECT SEAGRASS; EELGRASS: NICO
“It looks exactly like a land plant because “I jumped in and I was blown away!” he
VAN KAPPEL/BUITEN-BEELD/ALAMY; SNAPPER: DANIEL POLOHA/ALAMY

it comes from a land plant that continued recalls. “Oh my God! I was in love!” Struck ifts that keep on giving,
evolving and went back to the ocean,” by their beauty, Manu immersed himself in these ‘lungs of the
says Manu San Félix, a dive instructor and every sense. He became a diving machine, Mediterranean’ are a crucial
underwater film-maker who has dedicated constantly roaming the Posidonia beds, natural defence against
30 years of his life to protecting Posidonia. photographing their marine life and teasing climate change. Globally,
“It’s like the marine apart the long leaves to observe the hidden seagrass meadows are significant carbon
world within. “This is a tiny jungle,” sinks and Posidonia oceanica is the most
Manu San Félix has he says. “You have starfish, sponges, effective species, absorbing carbon dioxide
fought
for Posidonia since anemones, nudibranchs, bryozoans, up to 35 times faster than a tropical forest.
the 80s
An estimated half of the carbon buried
in marine sediments around the world is
He speaks passionately, occasionally trapped in the tangled roots and rhizomes
(known as the matte) of seagrasses.
Dead fibres and roots also trap plastic
pollution in golf ball-sized clumps known as
‘Neptune Balls’ that eventually wash up on
the shore. A recent study found they bundle
up as much as 900 million pieces of plastic
Sonar devices
have mapped
seagrass areas
OTHER SEAGRASS PROJECTS
Seeds for Snapper

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Eleven species of
seagrass grow in the
waters off South
Australia, covering
an area of nearly
1,000km2. The Seeds
Australian
for Snapper initiative,
snapper
launched in 2020 by
fishing conservation
charity OzFish, involves
collecting seeds on the beach, which
are used to restore seagrass meadows.
The hope is to re-establish about 10ha of
seagrass off the Adelaide coast, which will
provide habitat for fish such as snappers
(hence the name), calamari and whiting.
A pregnant male
long-snouted
Danish divers
seahorse hides DENMARK
among the roots Seagrass once covered
the seabed at Vejle
Fjord, on Jutland’s
east coast, but
90 per cent of
the seagrass
meadows here have Eelgrass
been destroyed by
wastewater pollution
in the past 30 years. The
University of Southern Denmark has
enlisted volunteer divers to hand-plant
eelgrass seeds on the ocean floor.
Project Seagrass
UK
The UK has four types Seagrass
of seagrass in its in Wales
waters, including
two Zostera species,
commonly known as
eelgrass. Nearly 40
per cent of meadows
have been lost since
the 1980s. Project
Seagrass was founded in
2013 and its biggest restoration project
to date is in Dale, Pembrokeshire, where
more than one million seeds were planted
across 2ha in 2019 and 2020. The site is
Posidonia hosts now being monitored, and will guide other
epiphytes and restoration efforts in the UK.
microorganisms

from the Mediterranean every year. Posidonia
protects the coast from erosion too. The
meadows act as a buffer, slowing the power
of waves, while the plant’s dead leaves
accumulate on beaches in masses called
banquettes that shield the shoreline from
winter storms. In the past, this material was
used as roof insulation for Ibicencan houses
and as fertiliser for the island’s potato fields.
In return for all these ecosystem services,
all Posidonia needs is clean water and stable
temperatures. Yet humans are failing on
both of those fronts. Today’s Mediterranean
is widely agreed to be the most polluted
sea in the world, a dumping ground for 650
million tons of sewage and 500 shipping
containers worth of plastic every year. And
climate change is pushing sea temperatures
to dangerous levels. At 28˚C, Posidonia stops
growing and starts to die. The waters around
Ibiza and Formentera regularly reach 29˚C
during the summer.
Manu has been ringing the alarm bell
for decades. His report on the Posidonia
meadows paved the way for their designation
as the Mediterranean’s first UNESCO World
Heritage Site in 1999. That same year, the
13,000ha Es Freus Marine Reserve was
created between the southernmost tip of
Ibiza and north-west Formentera.
B
Manu raises
ut with Ibiza’s tourist awareness
through his
industry booming, Posidonia
diving tours
is under growing threat from
an explosion in boat traffic,
from pleasure cruisers and
local ferries to mega yachts and colossal
cruise ships. “Fifty years ago it was one or
two boats, but now we have thousands every
day,” says Manu. “I could see the damage
caused by anchors and chains, so I decided
to film it.”
Manu sought out the biggest boat with
the heaviest anchor and photographed its
drifting chain destroying a Posidonia bed
in just eight hours. The resulting video
provoked national outrage. “Many people
cried,” he recalls. “The Spanish newspapers
were ringing me every day and I was under
a lot of pressure from the boating industry.
We depend on tourism and we need boats to
come. This is not a battle against boats, but
to do things with common sense.”
Manu followed up with a seabed survey
between 2008 and 2012, which, together with
Leaves
previous studies, revealed plants being lost can grow
at an alarming rate: a third of the western to 2m and
Mediterranean’s meadows gone in a few camouflage
decades. “I was shocked,” he says. “If we species such
continue like this, boats will wipe out all the as this green
Posidonia in this area within ten years.” wrasse
Ibiza’s longest-established environmental
organisation, GEN-GOB, has been
monitoring the impact of anchoring
and declining water quality on Posidonia
meadows for the past three years. “The

SEAGRASS O
Transplantation of
Posidonia is limited in
its success due to the
plant’s slow growth rate
“In areas of anchoring you can lose 30 per cent in three

or four years; in some places as much as 50 per cent”
XISCO SOBRADO, MARINE AREA SPECIALIST
seagrass meadows in the Balearics are like decree making it illegal for boats to anchor The Med’s problems are far from
coral reefs in the tropics,” says marine area over Posidonia. Since then, using underwater unique, of course. The effects of overfishing,
specialist Xisco Sobrado. “Our divers check cartography technology known as side-scan pollution and climate change are visible in
density, cover and the percentage of meadow sonar, Manu and his team have developed seas worldwide. “But you see it here first,”
that has been lost or is already dead. In areas a free app to help skippers avoid meadows says Manu. “The Mediterranean is a small
with anchoring you can lose 30 per cent in and locate safe anchoring areas around and almost enclosed sea. Imagine being in a
three or four years; in some places as much Formentera. The efforts to preserve Ibiza’s cinema and turning off the air conditioning.
as 50 per cent. It’s a big emergency.” Posidonia are part of an ambition to recover The only way to refresh that air is to open a
R
the whole Mediterranean ecosytem by 2030. door – that door is the Strait of Gibraltar.”
eplanting is possible but Education also plays into this, and local His hope is that lessons learned around
is not a viable short-term skippers Mirko Abbruzzese and Diego de le Formentera can be applied to protect
solution: a square metre Vina have developed a government-approved seas and oceans globally. ‘‘We have an
patch of seagrass killed responsible sailing course aimed at the opportunity because we know the solutions.
in a few hours by a single charter industry. “Crews have to understand We can test mechanisms to recover fishing,
anchor can take a century to regrow. “If we the importance of biodiversity,” says Mirko. improve water quality and reintroduce
put a plant in the middle of a 15m diameter “Once they understand, they value; once species,” he says. “And if we do it the right
circle of bare sand, it will take 250 years they value, they will act.” Captains are way, we’ll see the return faster than in the
to cover that circle,” explains Manu. “The taught environmental best practice at sea, ocean because this is smaller.”
challenge is to make society change – this is from protecting Posidonia to cutting marine Restoring the world’s most damaged
always going to be difficult.” pollution. “We hope this course will one seas won’t be easy. But, properly looked
Fortunately, action has been forthcoming. day be mandatory for anyone navigating our after, Posidonia – a forever plant named after
In 2018, the Balearics’ government passed a natural reserves.” ancient sea gods – will be a powerful ally.

OELEPHANTS
Conflict between farmers

and African elephants
is a pressing issue, but
growing crops they find
STU PORTER/ALAMY
less appetising could be

the perfect solution
Words by ROBERTA STALEY
Elephants are
straying onto
farmland in
search of food

OELEPHANTS
Paths are smoothed

daily so animal prints
can be recorded
ob interviews sometimes
involve odd or awkward
questions. Abigael Simaloi
Pertet’s interview with
the Mara Elephant Project
(MEP) in Kenya was no
exception. “Are you okay
to live in a tent?” the Manager of the Mara Elephant Project’s
Experimental Farm, Abigael Simaloi Pertet
MEP asked Pertet. “I was
a scout – I can live in a ABOUT THE AUTHOR
tent!” 32-year-old Pertet Roberta Staley is an award-
winning, Vancouver-based
responded enthusiastically. magazine writer/editor,

author and documentary film-
maker. See more of her work
She got the job. at robertastaley.com.

An elephant’s daily
food intake can be as
much as 4-7 per cent
of its body weight
It wasn’t just her willingness to rough

it. Pertet’s honours degree in agronomic “The colourful smorgasbord would
engineering from EARTH University in Costa
Rica was key to securing the role as manager
of MEP’s Experimental Farm Project in the
help her pinpoint which crops
Transmara. The region lies to the west of
Kenya’s world-famous Maasai Mara National
elephants turn their trunks up at”
Reserve – one of the most biologically
diverse areas in the world.
T
possible – especially elephants – to peruse to pinpoint which crops elephants will turn
he project launched in the farm’s 32 different offerings: beans, their trunks up at and which will tantalise
August 2021 and by October garlic, onions, kale, cabbages, berries, ginger, their tastebuds.
of the same year, Pertet was peas, managu (African nightshade), wheat, Pertet is trying to find a replacement
throwing herself into the butternut squashes, tomatoes, spinach, for maize. This subsistence crop is grown
ALL IMAGES: TALLULAH
job. Assisted by four farm potatoes, lemongrass, coriander, tree to make the beloved national dish of boiled
researchers, she started preparing the five- tomatoes, chillies, watermelons, maize, sweet maize flour, known as ugali. All over the
acre plot to plant crops in neat, 5m² squares potatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, carrots, country, and especially in the Transmara,
separated by wide pathways. Unlike most lavender, okra, rosemary, citriodora, tea farmers are encroaching into elephant
farms in the area, the acreage isn’t fenced. tree, sunflowers, peppers and peppermint. habitat to plant fields of maize and beans.
Pertet wanted as many wild animals as The colourful smorgasbord would help her But for elephants, a ripe maize crop is like

O ELEPHANTS
Neatly divided
crop squares at the
Experimental Farm
a corner shop giving away free sweets. They route) and the 1,600-strong human
cannot resist the temptation. population of the town Emarti, there’s
It is a deadly food addiction. possibly no better location for a taste test.
O
Understandably outraged at waking up
to a decimated crop, farmers maim or nce Pertet establishes the
kill elephants using spears and arrows in crops that elephants like
an effort to deter future raids. Known as and dislike, the next step
human-elephant conflict (HEC), crop-raiding is determining which of
violence has become so widespread that it these can sustain a family or
now poses a greater threat to the species provide an income. Herbs such as lavender,
than ivory poaching. for example, are in demand for their volatile
It’s dangerous for people too. When the aromatic oils used in aromatherapy; peas
maize is close to ripening, farmers camp out and spinach can be marketed to local safari
in their fields, light fires and beat drums to camps; sunflowers have high value for their
drive away potential elephant marauders, seeds and oil. Pertet will also determine crop
risking injury and even death. viability by assessing how many nutrients
Understanding what choices crop-raiding they draw from the soil and how much
elephants make, therefore, is a critical irrigation they need.
component in mitigating the conflict. And Every new crop is sowed in several plots
with the Experimental Farm sitting at a across the Experimenal Farm to ensure
natural conflict point, at the junction of an the elephants don’t become habituated to Pertet has been carefully recording the
elephant ‘corridor’ (an ancient migration eating only in certain areas, and to help elephants’ food preferences at the farm

Discovering marketable crops will allow the local women to move away from subsistence farming
Elephants will eat

bark and leaves
“Five motion-sensor cameras, installed on trees,

TALLULAH (X3); ELEPHANT: YVA MOMATIUK & JOHN EASTCOTT/MINDEN/NPL
capture footage of any crop raiders”

Pertet obtain a statistically accurate picture and tracks shows that hippos and black-faced Data shows that hippos are enamoured
of which they prefer. Plants are watered vervet monkeys are so far the most voracious with sweet potato vines; one night, a hippo
from the nearby Mara River using a furrow crop-raiders at the Experimental Farm. Birds consumed the vines on all five plots. It then
irrigation system with soft hosing that can also target the farm’s sunflowers, which moved on to an entrée of maize, before
withstand the weight of an elephant. Five elephants shun. Despite sowing multiple delighting in a palate-cleanser of lemongrass.
motion-sensor cameras, installed on trees, crops, Pertet has yet to obtain a single One local farmer, Noorkidemi Tukero,
capture footage of any crop-raiders, and harvest of sunflower seeds. aged 50 and with eight children, points to a
H
at the end of each day, farm staff rake the brown, wilting field of maize stalks adjacent
pathways between crops, then run a heavy ippos, as it turns out, to the Experimental Farm. “This is my
drum over the dirt, smoothing the surface to are clever crop-raiding husband’s land; it was maize and the hippos
record hoof and paw prints. tacticians. A large bloat of ate it,” she says. “I came out and the crop
By June 2022, the Experimental Farm had hippos stays submerged was half gone. The other half was gone the
produced its first crops, and preliminary data all day in the Mara River next day. It was devastating. We had to sell
has yielded a few eye-openers. about 50 metres from the farm, resembling two cows to pay for food and school fees.”
The first is that elephants may be getting boulders in the turgid, brown water. At The farm, which has a US$38,000
a bad rap. Pertet says that camera footage nightfall, they clamber up the bank to forage. budget for the two-year experiment, has

OELEPHANTS
It’s not just elephants that love maize – hippos and black-
faced vervet monkeys were caught raiding the farm too
“Ranger teams drive the elephants away using non-

lethal deterrents such as chilli bombs and bangers”
tested possible deterrents, including digging peace between farmers and elephants. The encouraging local communities to embrace
ditches around crops. It worked, but only MEP, which has an annual US$1.5 million elephant conservation.)
I
for elephants and hippos, says Pertet. Vervet budget, keeps a small blue helicopter on
TALLULAH (X3); HERD OF ELEPHANTS: MARGUERITE
monkeys merely scampered across the standby at its Maasai Mara headquarters, ncreasingly, local farm women,
trench, happy to munch maize without any about 10km away by air. Reacting to farmers’ who are responsible for family
hulking competitors around. reports of elephant crop-raiders, CEO Marc meals, are becoming more open to
It’s clear that with so many animals mad Goss will pilot the chopper towards the the possibility of replacing maize.
SMITS VAN OYEN/NATUREPL.COM
about maize an alternative must be found. “I pachyderms, driving them away from human Pertet, a nutrition educator as well
feel really bad as it’s the farmers’ source of habitation and into a nearby conservancy as an agriculturist, recalls how joyful one
income,” says Pertet. “It’s their livelihood. where they will be safe. Alternatively, woman was when she learned that potatoes
It’s what they eat every day. But the bottom one of MEP’s eight ranger teams, located could grow in the Transmara. “We’ve never
line is: we live with the wildlife, so let’s look throughout the Maasai Mara region, drive the known that our land can give potatoes!” the
for a solution together.” elephants away using non-lethal deterrents surprised woman responded.
Pertet is hoping to come up with long- such as chilli bombs, bangers, bright lights The thought of making an income
term deterrents to crop raiding, but for now or patrol vehicles. (The MEP, created in 2011 from crops, rather than growing plants
is relying upon ad-hoc solutions to keep the as an anti-poaching group, focuses today on for sustenance, intrigues the local women.

Herds comprise of females
and their calves, usually
led by one matriarch. Males
tend to live in isolation.
IN NUMBERS
Kenya’s
elephants
elephants were
35,500 recorded by the
Kenya Wildlife Service in 2022, up from
16,000 in 1989.
“Anything you don’t eat directly you can use
to buy a cow and buy food,” says 32-year-old elephants were poached for their
Sharon Nashipae, who has five children. “If
we can get an income from it and we don’t
11 ivory in 2022.
have to protect it from elephants, we love

incidents of human-elephant
the idea.”
Such pragmatism, however, doesn’t 83 conflict were responded to by the
Mara Elephant Project’s ranger teams
necessarily extend to supporting elephants’ during 2021.
need for wide open spaces and lush
vegetation. Nashipae is aware that miles of
fencing and new home construction intrudes of ivory was seized in 2021
upon elephants’ ancient migration corridors 217kg by the Kenya Wildlife
service, based on Mara Elephant Project
and feeding grounds. However, “I don’t feel
bad,” she says. “It’s my land and I’m entitled intelligence. Poaching no longer poses a
significant threat to elephants in Kenya.
to live here.”
The Transmara is a highly fertile district
encompassing an area of more than 1,000km² elephants exist in
north of the Tanzanian border. It supports
a rapidly growing population of subsistence
400,000 Africa, down from
three to five million a century ago. About
farmers as well as wild animals. This includes 30,000 die annually from poaching and
an estimated 200 to 300 resident elephants human-elephant conflict.
Local communities have been forced to defend
that once ranged the Transmara, but are now themselves and their fields with weapons

OELEPHANTS
A ranger from the

Mara Elephant Project
disperses seed to
regenerate the forest
Nyakweri Forest
Lessons to learn from the loss of this vital habitat
A
herd of elephants, many There are two solutions. Pay farmers
of them cows with calves, to turn their land into wildlife habitat,
use their trunks to tear or move the elephants. The latter is the
branches off trees in the only likely solution – there is not enough
Nyakweri Forest, on the habitat to sustain elephants long term.
western edge of the Maasai Mara National Moving the elephants will entail catching
Reserve in Kenya. and tranquilizing them and trucking them Both males and females
It should be bucolic, but the air is acrid into the Maasai Mara, where the Maasai grow tusks – making them
from the smoke of burning charcoal kilns, are paid to keep the savannah open. vulnerable to poaching,
while the elephants eat within metres “One lesson learned is catch it while mainly for Asian markets
of enormous stacks of illegally chopped it’s still early,” Goss says. In future, it
trees that will be sold as timber or turned will be key to deliver “early childhood
into charcoal. It is a stark reminder of education about ecosystem services” to
the harsh competition for land between Kenyans and have government planning hemmed in by fences and farms. Elephants
elephants and humans in Kenya. to ensure new settlements are compatible from the Maasai Mara grasslands to the east
The Nyakweri Forest, a carbon sink as with key wildlife habitat, he says. travel along corridors into the Transmara
well as an important watershed feeding on their perennial quest for food. Such
Lake Victoria, is being degraded at migration is key for connectivity between
breakneck speed. Here, 70 elephants are elephant herds and ensures genetic diversity,
hemmed in by the rapid fragmentation of which is crucial as populations must adapt to
land for crops and cattle pastures, while increasingly extreme environments.
KILN: TALLULAH; RANGER: TONY KARUMBA/AFP/GETTY;
miles of fencing cuts off their corridor into According to University of Kent elephant
the Maasai Mara. Unlike the Maasai Mara, researcher Lydia Natalie Tiller, Transmara
which has 14 conservancies where animals forest cover declined to 213km² in 2015,
ELEPHANTS: ANUP SHAH/NATUREPL.COM
roam unfettered by human habitation, the down from 348km² in 2000. Grassland
Nyakweri Forest is community owned and decreased to 1,030km² in 2015 from 1,300km²
individuals have their own plots of land. in 2000. Crop land increased by 42.5 per cent
“In the past 20 years, we’ve lost 50 from 2000 to 2015, covering 1,350km².
per cent of that forest,” says Marc Goss, With a mushrooming agro-pastoralist
CEO of the Mara Elephant Project. The population in the Transmara, the result is
elephants, wary of humans, stay deep biodiversity loss and increasing HEC, since
in the forest during the day, venturing elephants encounter human settlements
out at night to feed. Inevitably, they end whilst travelling vast distances to obtain
up roaming onto farms, where they raid Kilns for making charcoal (pictured) are the 150-270kg of vegetation they consume
crops, and gardens too. scattered throughout the Nyakweri Forest daily. A maize crop is high-calorie, tasty and

“Migration is key for connectivity between elephant
herds and ensures genetic diversity”
easy pickings for elephants who must spend and elephants. Maasai tribespeople, who own spatial planning and management study that
80 per cent of their day consuming enough the Maasai Mara, benefit from tourism as will identify areas where people can live,
grasses, roots, branches and tree bark to they receive guaranteed revenue from lease work and grow food without encroaching
sustain them. (Kenya’s human population in fees in return for leaving the grasslands open upon wilderness areas needed by elephants
2021 was 55 million – up from 31 million at to wildlife. and other animals. This will involve the
the turn of the century.) Transmara farmers don’t receive tourism development of buffer and mixed-use zones
A
revenue, making it easy for them to resent to “keep wildlife and people separate,” he
hindrance to harmonious elephants’ gourmand proclivities. “These are says. A buffer zone might include grazing
relations with elephants people who are very angry because elephants areas where livestock and animals co-exist.
is the lack of tourism in are very destructive,” says Pertet. Nor is Pertet is optimistic about the role the
the Transmara, unlike the the town of Emarti unique, she adds. “This Experimental Farm will play in enhancing
Maasai Mara, where luxury community represents a lot of others in co-existence, seeing herself as an “agent of
safari camps draw thousands of well-heeled Kenya when we talk about HEC.” change”. “This is what I want to do in life:
visitors each year to watch the wildebeest Jake Wall, MEP’s director of research put healthy food on the table, not only for
migration and ogle lions, zebras, leopards, and conservation, says the Experimental my family but my community.” A community
cheetahs, hyenas, baboons, buffalo, antelope Farm is part of a long-term, comprehensive that includes the wild animals of Kenya.

Email your questions to
wildquestions@immediate.co.uk
How were
dinosaur
footprints
preserved?
ANJANA KHATWA ANSWERS:
Imagine walking across a muddy

field in a pair of wellies, your feet
squelching with each step you take. If
the depressions left behind were quickly
filled in with sand or small pebbles, your
footprints could become ‘trace fossils’
(indirect evidence of your existence,
rather than preserved remains).
This is what happened to some
dinosaur footprints left on the muddy
surfaces of lagoons and swamps. Each
layer of sediment deposited on the
footprint compressed to become layers
of sedimentary rock, preserving this
moment of contact forever. Known as
ichnites, dinosaur footprints are found
in two forms: as shallow depressions on
a rock surface (see image) or as footprint-
shaped blocks known as casts.
These extraordinary fossils reveal
themselves when rock layers are split
apart either by quarrying or through
natural erosion. In the UK, there are
tracks preserved in a quarry in Dorset,
and the Isle of Skye is a particularly rich
location for dinosaur footprints.

About 170 million years
ago, Megalosaurus
dinosaurs walked over
what is now An Corran
beach on the Isle of
Skye, Scotland
Florida gars
can grow to almost
one metre in length
Why do gars gulp air?

SOLOMON DAVID ANSWERS: of air, which is stored in an organ called
a gas bladder. This serves as a kind of lung
The only surviving members of an ancient or scuba tank.
group of fish, gars are often found in slow- The gas bladder is highly vascularised
moving, warm waters, such as swamps and (meaning it has lots of blood vessels),
the backwaters of lakes and rivers. Water in allowing gars to take up oxygen. Once the
these places tends to hold less oxygen, and oxygen from their gas bladder is depleted,
most fish get their oxygen from the water gars will return to the surface and gulp
using their gills. If oxygen in the water new oxygenated air, while expelling the
is too low, most fish will have to move oxygen-depleted air out the back of their
elsewhere, or they can suffocate and die. gills. This adaptation allows gars to live in
Gars, however, can breathe air. By coming many habitats (such as bayous) where other
up to the surface, gars can take a quick gulp typically respiring fish cannot.
BBC WILDLIFE EXPERTS
FOOTPRINT: ASHLEY COOPER/ALAMY; GAR: MARK CONLIN/ALAMY
AMY ARTHUR STUART BLACKMAN JV CHAMARY SOLOMON DAVID

Science writer Science writer Biologist Aquatic ecologist
ASK US
Email your
questions to
wildquestions
@immediate.
ANJANA KHATWA MEGAN SHERSBY JOSHUA STYLES co.uk
Earth scientist BBC Wildlife Ecologist

Q A Are dandelion
flowers always
yellow?
JOSHUA STYLES ANSWERS:
When we think of dandelions, it’s usually

the bright yellow Taraxacum officinale
that first appears in early spring and can
be spotted throughout much of the year.
However, contrary to popular belief,
dandelions aren’t always yellow.
In Britain we have species such as
the sharp-toothed dandelion with vibrant
orange flowers, while in southern Japan
BEES: PAULINE LEWIS/GETTY; DANDELION: OLE SCHOENER/SHUTTERSTOCK; MOUSE LEMUR: HOUDIN AND PALANQUE/NATUREPL.COM; SAIGA: VALERIY MALEEV/NATUREPL.COM
there is the white dandelion, and in North
America there is the fleshy dandelion with
peachy-purple flowers.
This range of apperance among
the flowers means that dandelions can
Bumblebees seem sometimes be confused with other similar-
to enjoy a spot of
looking plants – not helped by the fact that
‘footy’ when they’re
not busy pollinating the size, leaf shape and form of dandelion
species can vary enormously too.
Can bumblebees play?

AMY ARTHUR ANSWERS: over 900 times, sometimes for 30 seconds
or more. One bumblebee appeared to enjoy
It sounds like the start of a joke – and if you the game so much he made 117 rolls across
think of a good punchline, do write in – but the experiment. And, just as in humans, the
bumblebees will seemingly interact with youngsters in the group were shown to be
objects around them just for the fun of it. the most playful.
A group of 45 bumblebees were placed There was no incentive for the
in a container where they could follow a bumblebees to go near the wooden balls,
clear path to a tasty sugar solution or take a and yet the behaviour was repeated even
detour via a space filled with small wooden after the bee’s initial curiosity was satisfied.
balls. The bees chose to go out of their way This, scientists believe, suggests the
for a game of ‘bumbleball’. bees found the game rewarding. Perhaps
The insects in the study rolled the balls bumblebees experience warm, fuzzy feelings The pretty Japanese white dandelion is just
around the arena, ‘playing’ with the ‘toys’ just like we do during play. one of several Taraxacum species worldwide
RECORD BREAKER!
What’s the world’s

smallest primate?
Madame Berthe’s
mouse lemur is
mainly found in
Kirindy Forest
FACT.
Like nearly all
mammals, humans
In the dry deciduous forests of western
and giraffes both
Madagascar, there lives a tiny primate
have just seven
that measures just 9-9.5cm in body length
bones, or cervical
and weighs 30g. Called Madame Berthe’s
vertebrae, in their
mouse lemur or Berthe’s mouse lemur, it
necks. But unlike
is the smallest primate in the world. It was
ours, a giraffe’s
only described as a new species in 1992
cervical vertebrae
and was first thought to be the pygmy
can be up to
mouse lemur, but further studies revealed
25cm long.
it was a undescribed species. MS

WHAT
ON EARTH?
On the nose
world. It’s almost as if the creator wasn’t
entirely sure what to do with a spare
hoofed limb. Millions of Saiga once
roamed the grasslands of Central Asia
in vast nomadic herds, but hunting and,
more recently, disease have taken a
huge toll and they are now critically
endangered. The bulbous schnozz might
serve the dual purposes of warming cold
winter air and filtering out dust during
the dry summers. SB

Q A FAST ANSWERS
Solenodons live in Cuba and Hispaniola
Are solenodons
shrews?
Although they have much in common
with true shrews, such as being
insectivorous mammals and looking
very shrew-like, solenodons are
actually a distinct family. Comprising
two remaining genera with one extant
species each, solenodons are thought
to be part of the wider Eulioptyphla
order, which comprises true shrews,
hedgehogs and moles. Like some other
true shrews, solenodons have venomous
saliva to incapacitate larger prey. MS
Why are
gingko
trees
so often
planted
in urban
Brain power
might help
areas?
Native to China, gingko trees are a
wild macaws
popular choice by urban planners
SOLENODON: SCIENCE HISTORY IMAGES/ALAMY; MACAWS: PAUL SOUDERS/GETTY

live longer
looking for suitable trees to plant on
streets in the middle of cities. As well
as having interestingly shaped leaves
and beautiful colours in autumn, gingko
How can parrots is able to tolerate the pollution and

confined soil space that comes with
an urban setting. It rarely suffers from
SEAHORSE: IBRAHIM SAYAK/EYEEM/GETTY; GINKO: GETTY;
live for so long?

diseases and in some cultivars the
female trees produce no pollen. MS
STUART BLACKMAN ANSWERS: – this may well be a driving force behind Do seahorses
As a general rule, large animals live longer
their longevity, as the species with the
biggest brains in proportion to their body
have scales?
Seahorses are a group of
than small ones. Parrots, though, punch size tend to live the longest. It is thought bony fish – which typically
well above their weight longevity-wise. that the problem-solving abilities of the have scales – but seahorses
In captivity, a macaw has a similar life most intelligent birds enable them to instead have flesh-covered
expectancy to a human that is 50 times as navigate threats encountered throughout bony plates. MS
heavy, and even captive budgerigars can their lives, although it’s also possible
make it to the ripe old age of 18 or so. that a long life enables the evolution of A hard exoskeleton
It may be no coincidence that parrots intelligence, as it provides the time required deters predators
are also famous for their fierce intelligence to learn and accumulate complex skills.

The Galápagos giant
tortoise lives life to
its own slow beat
hy do we die? Apart
from extrinsic causes
of mortality, such as
accidents, infectious
diseases or predators in
our environment, there’s
also what we call ‘death by
natural causes’: intrinsic
mortality from growing old,
frail and eventually dying. But while that
process may seem inevitable, many species
show no signs of ageing and some living
things never truly die.
What causes us to grow old?

Wear and tear, which is ultimately caused by
damage inside cells. Oxygen ‘free radicals’
can leak out of mitochondria (a complex
cell’s power stations) and react with other
molecules, for instance, and telomeres –
caps that protect the ends of DNA from
losing genes – get worn-away as cells divide.
Such damage leads to the gradual failure of
physiological function and we see this as
senescence, or physical ageing.
All organisms fix cellular damage, but
some can repair to the extent that they INSTANT EXPERT
show little to no signs of ageing – they
exhibit ‘negligible senescence’. That
includes about 93 per cent of flowering
plants, and species such as naked mole
Ageing, immortality
rats, which have discovered eternal youth...
despite looking old and wrinkly!
Can any organisms live forever?

and lifespan
Yes, but it depends how you define an WITH EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGIST JV CHAMARY
individual. When a bacterium divides,
both offspring are formed from a parent
that never actually died! Such asexual Nature can’t eliminate a mutation or in reproductive cells. As famously shown
reproduction creates an unbroken line of ‘ageing gene’ if its effects materialise after in experiments with fruit flies, artificially
clones with biological immortality. a parent has passed the gene to offspring. delaying reproduction prompts animals
Similarly, a multicellular organism that Over time, that lets mutations accumulate to live longer.
reproduces through sex has ‘somatic’ cells and cause ageing in a species. Moreover, if
that form the parent plus ‘germline’ cells a gene has antagonistic effects, meaning it’s Which species live the longest?
(eggs or sperm) for offspring. With distinct helpful in early life but harmful later on – At about 4,600 years, the oldest-known
generations, the parent’s body is disposable such as promoting cell division when you’re individual organism is a bristlecone pine
and the germline is immortal. young but allowing cancer (uncontrolled tree named after the Bible’s longest-lived
CORAL: VINCENT POMMEYROL/GETTY; TORTOISE: NICK DALE/GETTY
If you don’t think cloning or germlines division) later – then, if it improves fitness, man, Methuselah. The record-holder among
count as immortality, individual Hydra nature may favour that gene. vertebrates is a Greenland shark aged 392.
(relatives of jellyfish) regenerate body parts Long-lived species have a few features
and potentially live forever. What determines life expectancy? in common, including armour (such as a
Each species has a characteristic lifespan shell) or size that may deter predators,
Why has ageing evolved anyway? that’s a legacy of how evolution has shaped plus slow metabolism: the Galápagos giant
It’s a puzzle! If survival of the fittest its ‘life history’ – the strategy that dictates tortoise lives over 100 years, has negligible
favours individuals who survive long when individuals should grow, survive or senescence and a resting heart rate of six
enough to reproduce, why not keep living reproduce. Pacific salmon live fast and die beats per minute. When it comes to ageing,
and reproducing indefinitely? According young upon reaching sexual maturity, for maybe slow and steady wins the race?
to evolutionary theory, it’s because natural example, but other species might need to
selection is strong when there are many mate throughout their lifetime.
NEXT MONTH WITH JV

individuals but it’s weak when there are few. Life histories are influenced by limited
The strength of selection also declines resources, such as food, leading to trade-
with age: younger, fitter prey are at less risk offs between longevity and fecundity
of being ‘selected’ by a predator – an agent (number of offspring). A trade-off might HABITATS
of extrinsic mortality – after it’s eaten older, involve spending energy on repairing the More than an environment
less fit prey, for instance. body – to limit ageing – versus investing

Watch the new
series live on
BBC One, or
catch up on
BBC iPlayer
TV HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH
Best in show
Dogs in the Wild: Across the three episodes, there are young kits appear on screen, tumbling
beautiful characters who take turns to be around with each other.
Meet the Family centre stage. The series kicks off with the Other featured members of the family
BBC One, from 28th December Tibetan fox. This is the world’s highest include the talkative group of dholes
dwelling fox species and “a shapeshifter, that must work together to survive in
og lovers rejoice! At last, we who can hide in plain sight”. Living in the rainforest; the tiny fennec fox that’s
have a whole series devoted to the harsh environment of the Tibetan adapted to the harsh desert environment;
the canids of our world from the plateau, the canid must hunt pika (a small and the African wild dogs that use
BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit. lagomorph mammal) to survive – without sneezing to communicate and make
Narrated by wildlife presenter and any tree cover to rely on to help it hunt. decisions as a pack. The final episode
conservationist Chris Packham, The species is adorable, with its comically focuses on the scientists working to
the series travels the planet to meet these wide head and big fluffy tail, but the series understand and save the various members
stunning animals. goes into cuteness overload when three of this mammal family.

Rowan produces
television at the BBC
Natural History Unit
MEET THE PRODUCER
Rowan Crawford
We speak to the series producer of Dogs in the Wild:
Meet the Family about making the three-part series
Why make a series about canids? took all of their patience and resolve to
Never has the nation been so obsessed with keep going. In the end it paid off. Not only
dogs! Following the pandemic puppy craze, did they capture a beautiful insight into how
there are now more than a billion domestic these animals survive in one of the most
dogs across the globe – making now the inhospitable places on earth, but they also
ideal time to delve into the world of their created a second sequence, revealing the
wild cousins. We hope to reveal where devastating human impact tourism is having
the intelligence, agility, loyalty and sheer on this tiny animal.
‘doggedness’ of the wolf in your own living
room really came from! Are there any memorable sequences
Sadly, however, whilst domestic dogs that viewers will enjoy?
are growing in number, our wild species The dingo sequence in episode one, for me,
are in decline. Almost a third of wild dog is one of the most memorable – and, I think,
species are now listed as threatened or most beautiful in the series. This is kind of
near-threatened with extinction. Some a redemption story for the species. They’re
species have less than 20 individuals left in not popular in Australia and generally
the wild. And this decline is almost always speaking have a bad reputation, yet here
directly down to us humans. we’ve shown how important they are in
keeping a delicate ecosystem in balance.
Were there any particularly difficult Their good looks, coupled with the stunning
sequences to film? location of K’gari Island in Queensland,
The hardest of all the species to film was makes the sequence a feast for the eyes!
probably the fennec fox. This is the smallest Another sequence that I found
of all the dogs and lives in the blistering fascinating is the broken heart syndrome
heat of the Sahara Desert. They are also in African wild dogs story that’s in episode
incredibly shy and have an acute sense of three. Not only is this truly surprising
smell, so even once the team had finally science, but it’s also proof that dogs have
A black-backed
JACKAL: BBC NHU
located a burrow, they weren’t guaranteed feelings. They need their family and friends
jackal ambushes
birds at a waterhole
more than a glimpse. – their pack – not just physically to hunt
in Botswana It took them almost two weeks to get together etc, but they also need each other
their first usable shot on camera, and it emotionally to survive.

CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE MONTH
2023 Nature Month-By-Month

Zoologist By Anna Wilson, illustrated by Elly Jahnz, Nosy Crow and National Trust, £9.99
Isla Hodgson
talks sharks
his is so much more than a simple month special – from anniversaries and
month-by-month children’s nature the phases of the moon, to exploring how
almanac. Produced in partnership different faiths and cultures engage with
with the National Trust, this the natural world. Discover how the months
beautifully illustrated guide to a wild got their names, the religious festivals that
2023 is absolutely jammed full of happen around the world, and how they
inspiration for the month, from spotters’ connect with nature – even star signs get
guides, seasonal recipes and fascinating a look-in.
facts, to ideas for indoor and outdoor Anyone with young children knows how
games, crafty projects and things to do busy the days and weeks can be, and how
while out and about. this makes the months and years whizz by.
But it goes deeper. Within each month, This is a practical guide to immersing you
Anna Wilson explores what makes that and your family in the here and now.
PODCAST OF THE MONTH
The Whole
Tooth
saveourseas.com/worldofsharks/
thewholetooth
Do sharks have friends? How do they

reproduce? Do they glow in the dark?
Sometimes the natural world can be so full
of questions it can be overwhelming! Isla
Hodgson tackles some of the big questions
in the Save Our Seas Foundation podcast,
debunking myths and giving you the whole
truth – or whole tooth. She’s joined by a
series of leading marine and conservation
experts to dig into the fascinating world of
sharks and rays.
BOOKS ROUND UP
The Gardener’s The History of the Wild The Lost Rainforests

Almanac World in 100 Plants By Amy Jeffs, of Britain
By Simon Barnes, Quercus, £20 By Guy Shrubsole,
By Alan Titchmarsh,
Hodder & Stoughton, £14.99 Simon & Schuster, £30 HarperCollins, £20
chapters is themed – earth, fen,

forest, beast, ocean, catastrophe
as celebrating a bird and that have impacted humanity the and paradise – and combines up to one-fifth of Britain, this
wildflower each month of most, providing us with air, food, fiction, medieval texts and wildlife-rich forest clings on in
the year. It’s accompanied by shelter, musical instruments, reflections, all illustrated with fragments, but has now been
illustrations by Alan himself. medicines and so much more. original wood engravings. mostly lost and forgotten.

ID GUIDE
Nature table
treasures
The natural world is full of
remarkable objects, which can
connect us to the lives of wild
animals, but make sure to check
which ones are legal to keep. For
more ID guides, visit our website:
discoverwildlife.com/identify-wildlife
DEER ANTLER
The reduced foliage in winter and
early spring can help with finding cast
antlers – both old and recent.
One episode features

cheetahs searching for
ISLA HODGSON: RACHEL BROOKS; ILLUSTRATIONS: HOLLY EXLEY; CHEETAHS: NETFLIX
food in the Serengeti
OWL PELLET
TV HIGHLIGHT
Usually found beneath roosting spots,
these can be taken apart to identify
remains of the owl’s prey.
Our Universe
Catch up on Netflix
n early November, Netflix announced produced by BBC Studios for the streaming
that it was expanding its natural history giant and combines wildlife footage with
offering with six new documentary series cosmic special effects from CGI company
to air over the next few years, including Lux Aeterna.
Our Planet II (narrated by Sir David The series aims to explore the
Attenborough) and Life on Our Planet connections between the wider universe
(narrated by Morgan Freeman) this year, and lives on our planet. Showrunner Mike
Our Oceans and Our Living World in 2024, Davis says, “It’s based in real science, but
WASP NEST
and Our Water World in 2025. it’s got a kind of fairy dust to it throughout.
Once the breeding season is over, These were kicked off with Our We’re telling this grand story that gave us a
wasp nests are empty and can easily Universe, which has been available to watch certain license to be slightly more stylised
be taken down for a closer look. on Netflix since the end of November. about not only the way we film, but how we
Narrated by Morgan Freeman, the series is compose shots.”

5 THINGS
WE LOVE
1
Natural History Museum x Joanie-
Etoile arthropods print blouse £45,
joanieclothing.com
2
When not at
school, Chloe
is in the sea
MEET THE VOLUNTEER Swallows cork

clock
“It means a lot to be £25, loveliga.

co.uk
helping seahorses”
Chloe Brown spends her free time diving off
the coast of Weymouth looking for seahorses.
Secondary school student Chloe Brown Why do you volunteer?
3
Whistler
backpack
volunteers for The Seahorse Trust in To help seahorses by discovering more 350 AW II
£402.95,
Dorset, alongside her father Chris Brown. about their life and what is important for
lowepro.com
them. It means a lot to know I’m doing my
What does your volunteering involve? bit for seahorses, and it’s crucial that people
We dive in seahorse survey areas to monitor support The Seahorse Trust.
their populations and behaviour in order to
understand more about them. To dive with What do you find exciting?
4
seahorses you need to have a licence, which The science really interests me. I love that
my dad has as he belongs to The Seahorse we are asking questions about the seahorses
Trust surveying team. and finding out the answers through
We always record their sex, size and surveying. Every dive makes us ask new
identifying features – my dad takes at least questions – how big are their territories, Retro floral
two photographs of either side of their do they overlap, how do they change in the enamel mug
profile. We also record their depth and breeding season? It is amazing to be able to £10.50, enamel
location, and watch their behaviour for learn about an animal that lives so near but happy.org.uk
about five minutes before leaving them. so many people don’t really know about.
It’s also a lot of fun and very special seeing
5
Do you have to be careful when diving them going about their business.
with seahorses?
We follow some simple rules, such as not What does the future hold for you?
using flash photography and being really I would like to continue with this surveying
careful not to damage the habitat at all, work, especially throughout the winter, even
Meadow
particularly the seagrass. When observing though it will be challenging. In the future,
board game
the seahorses’ behaviour, if they show signs I would really like to include the short- £47.99,
CHRIS BROWN
of disturbance, such as changing colour snouted seahorse in the surveying, board-game.

or beginning to unwrap their tail from the and I would love to explore the secret life co.uk
seagrass, we react accordingly. of undulate rays…

For more travel ideas visit www.discoverwildlife.com THE DIRECTORY
PHOTOGRAPHY AFRICA
WORLDWIDE
HOLIDAYS OF A LIFETIME
RAJA AMPAT CORAL TRIANGLE
BHUTAN SULAWESI
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Established 1993 Small Groups
Expert Guides Singles Welcome
www.greentours.co.uk 01298 83563
To advertise here contact
Marc Hay
on 0117 300 8757
or email M AMMAL W ATCHING T OURS
Marc.Hay@ourmedia.co.uk SNOW LEOPARDS OF MONGOLIA ŏ:ESTERN SAHARA
BHUTAN ŏESTONIA ŏ%ORNEO AT NIGHTŏ6OUTHERN CHILE
Expert Guides
Small groups
Singles Welcome
Est. 1993
01298 83563
www.greentours.co.uk
enquiries@greentours.co.uk
TRY
SOMETHING
PILGRIM HOTEL A CORNER OF EDEN
CUMBRIA
Enjoy a stunning Retreat to a
countryside break hidden corner of
HEREFORDSHIRE
at the Pilgrim Cumbria, nestled

Hotel. Nestled in within stunning
the spectacular countryside in the
Wye Valley with Yorkshire Dales
breathtaking National Park. Three
views towards the stylish and unique
Black Mountains, holiday cottages,
the Pilgrim is the sleeping 2, 6 and
perfect countryside 8. Abundance
retreat. Walk of wonderful
straight from the hotel and explore the beautiful surroundings, or wildlife to spot from short-eared owls to the resident red squirrels.
perhaps enjoy a canoe down the picturesque River Wye. Complimentary champagne hamper ensures an enchanting escape.
pilgrimhotel.co.uk | 01981 540742 acornerofeden.co.uk | 015396 23370
SNOWDON MOUNTAIN RAILWAY GO TO ST KILDA

ST KILDA
Take a once in a lifetime Book a Visit Scotland

adventure in 2023 five-star day trip to St Kilda
and ride the Snowdon and the Inner Hebrides
GWYNEDD
Mountain Railway to the from Stein, Waternish on

summit of Snowdon, a the Isle of Skye. St Kilda is
journey described as one accredited with dual World
of the most scenic railway Heritage status for wildlife
journeys in the world. and culture – one of only
With stunning scenery 29 global sites with this
and awe-inspiring views, status. St Kilda is home to
it’s a wonderful day out Great Britain’s tallest sea
in North Wales. Open cliffs, tallest sea stacks, one of the largest gannet colonies in Northern
seasonally, see website Europe and a huge puffin colony. Wildlife sightings on our trips have
for operating times. included dolphins, basking sharks, minke whales, orcas and more.
snowdonrailway.co.uk | info@snowdonrailway.co.uk gotostkilda.co.uk | 077899 14144

Looking for a beautiful place to visit? Discover a wonderful variety of unique
destinations and venture into the unknown. Explore these 13 scenic places,
encounter local wildlife and take a relaxing break.
AK WILDLIFE CRUISES SAILCONE’S GRIZZLY BEAR LODGE
CANADA
Our multi award-winning Sailcone’s Grizzly
wildlife cruises take place Bear Lodge
throughout the whole of offers intimate,
CORNWALL
Falmouth Bay, from March all-inclusive,

to November. They are a fly-in grizzly
fantastic way of searching bear and whale
for Cornwall’s outstanding watching tours in
marine wildlife, including Canada’s Great
dolphins, seabirds and Bear Rainforest.
seals. We are also very Small group sizes
excited to announce the (8-10 people) in
launch of our new boat in a comfortable
2023: our catamaran Spirit waterfront lodge. Gourmet food, lodging, tours and float plane
of our Seas. transportation included. An adventure you’ll never forget.
akwildlifecruises.co.uk | 07553 606838 grizzlybearwatching.com | grizzlybear@shaw.ca
DISCOVER NEW ZEALAND CAIRNGORM LODGES
ABERDEENSHIRE
Set within the
picturesque Cairngorms
NEW ZEALAND
National Park our pet-

friendly, self-catering
Cairngorm Lodges are
a perfect forest-based
getaway. Make it your
own Scottish hideaway,
escape to the peace and
tranquillity of a luxury
eco-lodge with its own
wood burning stove, and
let the Blelack Forest’s
wildlife come to you.
cairngormlodges.co.uk | 013392 89103
THE NEW INN

GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Don’t let the 18th

century façade
fool you; The New
Escape next winter and immerse yourself in the natural wonders of Inn is a vibrant
summer in New Zealand. pub with beautiful
Discover the awe-inspiring plants, animals and landscapes that are rooms nestled
unique to this small corner of the world. Dive into the bluest waters; in the heart of
explore the mountains and caves and see some of the rarest and most the Cotswolds.
fascinating species of bird. The kitchen team
Travel your way. Whether it’s a guided coach tour of the North and is constantly
South islands or the driving adventure of a lifetime, discover your rotating the menu
perfect hand-tailored package. Our New Zealand-based travel experts with Spanish
provide reliable pre-planning and comprehensive in-country support, small plates and
so you can enjoy a trip to remember in comfort and security. juicy burgers, and the popular bar always ensures the vibe is right.
discovernewzealand.com/ukoffer | 0808 101 0963 thenewinncoln.co.uk | 01285 750651

MATIRA SAFARI N/A’AN KU SÊ ECOTOURISM COLLECTION
NAMIBIA
KENYA
Welcome to the N/a’an ku sê Ecotourism Collection, where your visit

Join us on safari! Located in the heart of the Maasai Mara and away benefits the conservation efforts of the N/a’an ku sê Foundation
from mass tourism, Matira is an intimate bush camp of only 13 private – be it a desert wine estate, luxury canvas tents overlooking the
luxury tents. Experience amazing game drives that begin just outside Namib Desert, bushveld luxury in central Namibia or wild adventures
the camp. We use open Land Cruisers, guided by professional in a place of second chances. Our conservation dream. Your
Maasai from our local community. conservation adventure.
matirasafari.com | info@matirasafari.com naankusecollection.com
PARK LIFE RESORTS ALEXANDER LODGE

Park Life Resorts is an
DORSET
Alexander Lodge is a
intimate retreat, with stunning Edwardian
NORTH DEVON
stunning panoramic guest house in

sea views overlooking Southbourne, Dorset,
Watermouth Harbour, close to clifftop
North Devon. Its stylish walks, award-winning
self-catering wood-clad beaches, Hengistbury
lodges, heated outdoor Head nature reserve
pool and sea view mini and the New Forest.
golf course are nestled Offering four newly
within mature woodland refurbished en-suite
alongside the resort's rooms, a personal touch
new Sea Terrace Restaurant & Bar, which serves a variety of fresh and home-cooked breakfast. Spring offer (April – June), five nights
dishes curated by award-winning chef Chris Holland. for the price of four. Quote #Country.
parkliferesorts.com | 01271 545009 alexanderlodge.org.uk | andi@alexanderlodge.org.uk

The crossword
ACROSS
1 Predatory bird that might be red-backed or
great grey (6)
4 Fast-growing plant in the grass family (6)
9 Small flying insect (4)
10 A ___ Almanac, 1949 non-fiction work by
Aldo Leopold (4,6)
11 Tree in the rose family with edible fruit (6)
12 Riverbank bird of Central Asia with a long
curved beak (8)
13 Flowering plant sometimes called the
belladonna lily (9)
15 Tall tree in the family Platanaceae (5)
16 Widespread lawn wildflower (5)
18 Dark-plumaged Australian waterbird (5,4)
22 Migratory chat of upland and heathland (8)
23 Fly larva (6)
25 Moorland bird of prey (3,7)
26 ___ rat, another name for the black rat (4)
27 Grass-like plants that can be found
growing in wetlands and meadows (6)
28 Type of flower cluster seen on radish and
mustard plants (6)
DOWN
1 Hummingbird in the genus Aglaeactis (7)
2 Honey badger (5)
3 Falcon formerly known as a windhover (7)
5 ___ tern, known for its epic migrations (6)
6 Colourful woodland flowers in the genus
Hyacinthoides (9) monkshood or wolfsbane (7) 15 wood hen, 18 katydid, 20 fledge, 22 algae,
7 Bunting of Europe and western Asia (7) 21 Fred ___, author of The New Wild and 24 eagle owls, 25 Alaska fur, 26 trace,
8 Seldom-seen flightless waterbird of South- The Climate Files (6) 27 eiders, 28 Hebrides. Down: 1 egrets,
East Asia (9,4) 24 Philip ___, 19th-century marine biologist 2 ecologist, 3 green woodpecker, 4 nutkins,
14 Greenfly species found in gardens (4,5) and author (5) 6 giant honeyeater, 7 robin, 8 crazy ant,
17 Winged seeds of a tree in the genus 9 yellow, 16 High Weald, 17 Skua Lake, 19 die off,
Fraxinus (3,4) November answers 20 fig tree, 21 asters, 23 gland.
19 County of RSPB Haweswater (7) Across: 1 emergent, 5 agaric, 10 Rhone, 11 The
20 Poisonous plant also known as Gambia, 12 thornbill, 13 tansy, 14 widows,
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE GETTY
Two male Somali ostriches fight over females in Samburu, Kenya. These flightless birds can reach a staggering 275cm and weigh up to
about 150kg. Can you spot the five differences between the images? You can find the answers on page 121.

PRIZE-WINNING PHOTO
Harvest-time hare WIN WATERPROOF BOOTS
Worth £165!
I was seeking sunset images of hares when I These versatile Moresby short boots
encountered this stunning hare in a local field perform their best when put to the
of barley stubble. The sun had set behind me test outdoors. Sporting a multi-surface
and the field was bathed in soft muted light, traction design and fully waterproof,
which allowed the details of the beautiful they are handcrafted to keep your
fur to come out and work in harmony with feet supported and dry when
the colours of the stubble. When it heard the traversing through rain and mud.
shutter, it fixed me with this intense stare. Visit ariat.com
Ian Harris, Norfolk

Food on
the fly
In this shot, a white-
tailed kite father trains
his fledged juvenile
(bottom) to catch a
mouse in midair. The
juvenile did his best
coordination of feet,
wings and eyes.
Jack Zhi,
California, USA
Mother’s
protection
A Bengal tigress
emerged from the
thicket in Bandhavgarh
Tiger Reserve, India,
and called to her cubs,
who joined her in
quenching their thirst.
This particular cub
squeezed below her
belly and snarled at the
monkeys that had also
come to drink water.
Tanya Tiwari Thakkar,
Jabalpur, India
Precious cargo
I always visit the same special place when I return home
to Ramdurg. I love it because of its biodiversity. I was
exploring an ant colony at night when I saw some weaver
ants carrying larvae to a nest.
Krishna Devangamath, Karnataka, India

In the red
An Asian common toad basks in golden-hued
water, and dead leaves in the pond add a
touch of drama. Duttaphrynus melanostictus
is a nocturnal toad species found in a variety
of habitats across South and South-East Asia.
Anand Viswanath, Pondicherry, India
Three’s a crowd
Having caught an insect to entice a female,
this overenthusiastic male European bee-
eater (top) mounted a pair that were already
mating. It was a confusing and amusing sight.
Dave Potter, Warwick
Day at the zoo

I took this photo while I was visiting Bristol
Zoo. It was a nice surprise because I don’t
come across goldcrests very often. They
are extremely fast and unpredictable, but
fortunately it was a glorious sunny day that Send your pics to discoverwildlife.com/
allowed me to shoot at quite a high speed. submit-your-photos for a chance to win!
Giorgio Pede, Bristol

Deer in atmospheric early morning mist
Alejandro
photographs on
land and underwater
SNAP-CHAT
Snow needn’t be seen as a hinderance
How to
WITH BBC WILDLIFE PICTURE EDITOR TOM GILKS
photograph
Alejandro Prieto on snappy wildlife in
crocodiles and armed drug dealers winter light
Wildlife photographer Mike
Hamblin offers top tips on ways
Why wildlife photography? I still have some pictures of them in full-on to make the most of the special
I have been drawn to wild animals for as long destruct mode. clarity and warmth of the
as I can remember – photography was the
What’s been your most costly shoot in light at this time of year. Visit
best way for me to spend time with wildlife.
terms of time invested? discoverwildlife.com/winter-
What would you be if you weren’t There are so many. I have invested huge light for the full article.
a wildlife photographer? amounts of money and time –- months, even OBACKLIGHT
I was trained as a vet, so I’d be a vet. years – setting up camera-traps in remote
“For dramatic backlit shots,
locations with no success whatsoever.
Any epic fails? shoot towards the sun when it’s
On my first trip to the Pantanal in Brazil in You are known for your Mexican border closest to the horizon. This will
2011, I was in a boat looking for jaguars. We wall story. Were you ever in danger? produce beautiful rim lighting
were heading down a small river and there Yes. I had a pretty scary encounter with around your subject and a
was a large male resting, looking directly armed drug dealers on the border between warm glow.”
at us. The guide missed it, so I told him to Sonora and Arizona. They forced my guide
turn around. As I was getting my tripod and and I to leave the area. I also faced border OLOW-ANGLE LIGHT
camera ready, the boat collided with a rock patrol harassment on an almost daily basis. “In winter, the sun arcs low in
and my gear was thrown into the water. the sky, bathing everything in
ROBIN: GETTY; DEER: MIKA SCHICK/GETTY
Instinctively, I jumped in after it, and by the Have you sustained any injuries while warm light, especially early and
time I’d clambered back into the boat, the in the field? late in the day.”
cat had wandered off. But my camera was no A crocodile in Cuba once bit my hand,
longer working anyway… leaving a scar. But it was 100 per cent my OFLAT LIGHT AND SNOW
fault. I also crash-landed my paraglider after “Digital cameras handle flat
Has an animal ever damaged your gear? photographing flamingos in mid-air, which lighting very well, so I shoot in
A huge pack of white-lipped peccaries once was a very close shave… all weathers. (A plastic bag and
decided to investigate one of my camera- elastic bands will keep your
traps. They threw it onto the ground and Alejandro Prieto is from Mexico. See his work camera dry.)”
then tore it apart, along with the sensors. at alejandroprietophotography.com.

been on programmes about the outdoors and
has made money writing hillwalking books,
The public may not stood there when being interviewed and said
know much about grey
he hoped it fails.
seals and other wildlife
We have seen how long it took to let
beavers be released – not exactly a creature
that would eat your children. Of course, now
there are calls for sea eagles to be culled by
sheep farmers with no evidence to back it up,
and for wild boar and feral pigs to be culled
as they have allegedly been eating sheep.
Maybe stopping the subsidising of sheep
farms would be a better idea.
It goes on and on, the petty ignorance
and skewed ideas about the natural world.
Oliver Craig, Edinburgh
Salmon in Scotland
Regarding Mike Dilger’s seasonal article on
salmon (Wildlife Spectacles, October 2022),
the Falls of Beugh in Banchory, Scotland, is
a good location to see salmon leaping.
Mark Bell, via Twitter
Welcoming sparrows
Thank you for your insightful article by
Harry Munt (‘Room For A Little One?’,
October 2022). When I was young, house
sparrows were the most common bird in
our garden. Then 14 years ago, we moved
It is rare to find people who from a house with a small, town garden in a
road, where a flock of 40-50 house sparrows
lived, to a house with a larger garden and no
really understand nature sparrows at all.

We were only half a mile away, as the
crow flies. I was shocked at their absence
s an amateur wildlife with the disenfranchised, downtrodden so I put up nest boxes and food in the hope
photographer, ocean activist, and North East working class, denied proper I could tempt sparrows into our garden.
SEAL: JOHN COX/ALAMY; RHINO: WILL WHITFORD

a volunteer for Tynemouth Seal education. But, really? They make tuna out Tree bumblebees promptly moved into
Hospital, I was much interested in of fish? And that means that all animals are the bird box. It was years before I heard the
what Mark Carwardine had to say food? What did the lad, bless him, expect me tell-tale tweets of the first pair inspecting
about humans’ interaction with to say? the birdfeeder.
dangerous animals (November 2022). Mark Husmann, via email The number of sparrows has steadily
We, as a society, have completely lost our grown in my garden but I will certainly
connection to the natural environment. follow Harry’s advice in the hope I can
People may ‘behave’ for fear of getting
Rewilding and predators encourage them to finally nest here, and
fined, but it is rare to find people who really Mark Carwardine’s article about our attitude attract more.
understand nature. in the UK to large predators and other Beth Richardson, West Sussex
It is often uncertain why injured or sick potentially large creatures was well written HARRY MUNT REPLIES:
seal pups end up in our care. The causes may and showed how hypocritical we are about I’m thrilled you enjoyed my piece and admire
be natural, but I fear that there are many big wildlife. the love and dedication you have towards
instances where human (mis)behaviour is Back in 2008, there was a
the main cause. BBC programme about Paul
Let me share the example of about three Lister attempting to release
lads from North Shields, who went out one wolves onto his estate, Alladale,
night to St Mary’s Island off Whitley Bay. in Scotland. He was met by
After I kindly asked them to stay off the the usual frenzy from sheep
rocks and not disturb the seals, one of them farmers and shooting estates.
asked, “Ye knaa how they make tuna out of But what really made me angry
fish? What d’ye make of seals, like?” was also the deep resentment
I honestly do not recall in detail how I and opposition from many in
handled the situation. The question was so… the climbing and hillwalking
mad. As a socialist, I immediately empathised fraternity. One of them, who has

your sparrows. It doesn’t take much for a house
sparrow to decide something is too far. Many
birds will venture less than 10m from their nest
to breed.
However, it sounds like you’ve lured in the
first pioneers, so stay persistent and as they
say: “Build it, and they’ll come” (eventually!).
Bush Walk
Rainforest, natural,
a leaf-strewn track,
quietly meandering.
Mossy rocks and pebbles,

a gurgling, bubbling stream,
gently cascading.
Flickering filtered light,

lush greenery,
softly moving.
A disturbed bird,
a flash of movement,
silence.
An open clearing,
fernery, tall trees,
a presence.
A slow, a sensing, At least 2,707

suffused light, rhinos were
sacred. poached in
Africa between
A belonging, a becoming, 2018 and 2021
stillness,
tranquillity.
NEXT MONTH
Always.
John Stuart, New South Wales, Australia

Rhino road trip
We join a special mission translocating
two white rhinos 750km across Zimbabwe
to an innovative new sanctuary where
local communities will act as their
custodians. It’s a nerve-wracking journey
as an expert crew transports the pair safely
Answers to Spot The Difference on page 115
under starlit skies, carefully monitoring
GET IN TOUCH
their welfare and ensuring the
Email
ON SALE
12th
wildlifeletters@immediate.co.uk survival of this precious
Post
BBC Wildlife, Eagle House, cargo – and the future of the
Bristol, BS1 4ST
By contacting us you consent to let us print your letter
in BBC Wildlife. Letters may be edited.
species in Africa. JAN

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David A Shiffman is a marine
conservation biologist. His
Bull sharks prefer
book, Why Sharks Matter: a
shallow, warm
Deep Dive with the World’s
coastal waters
Most Misunderstood
Predator (Johns Hopkins
University Press), is out now.
I had completed a few dozen dives by

that point, but this felt different. Scuba
diving is fundamentally about entering
an alien world that humans aren’t built
for. If the technology fails – or if you use
it incorrectly – a lot of things can go very
wrong, very fast. And all these risks are
amplified when you can’t see, and other
people can’t see you.
We left the dock around sunset and
headed for a nearby coral reef. Despite my
nerves, the start of the dive went incredibly
well – I relished using my flashlight to
illuminate the world around me just a little
bit at a time.
Then, about halfway through, I made
a mistake. Just for a moment, I messed
up and shined my flashlight ahead of me,
where it illuminated a large fish. I think it
was a snapper or hogfish, but I didn’t get
a good look at it before the bull shark that
was apparently directly behind and above
me accelerated and took it out. It passed
close enough that I felt the whoosh of the
In a flash current – then it was gone, leaving only a

cloud of scales and blood swirling in my
flashlight beam.
A surprisingly illuminating night Though I know (and use) all the
statistics about how sharks aren’t a major
threat to human safety, in that moment –
dive with a speedy bull shark before I had a chance to feel awed by the
experience – I was simply terrified. Wonder
FLORIDA KEYS, USA at what I’d been fortunate enough to
witness came a little later.
FLIP NICKLIN/MINDEN/NATUREPL.COM
The shark wasn’t interested in me at all,
One of the things they teach As a nerdy 15-year-old completing my of course, just the prey animal I unwittingly
you during night scuba-diving NAUI Master Diver course at Seacamp lit up for it. Sharks are amazing, powerful,
training is to direct your marine biology summer camp in the ecologically important, threatened and
flashlight down, not directly Florida Keys, I conscientiously logged this misunderstood animals – and they need our
in front of you. The aim is to avoid information along with all the other advice respect as well as our help.
accidentally shining a spotlight on a prey and tips I was being given. Even so, when I
animal, making it suddenly visible to any set off for my first ever night dive with my Have a wild tale to tell? Email a brief synopsis
predators nearby. fellow marine biology nerds, I was nervous. to catherine.smalley@ourmedia.co.uk
SPECIAL 60TH ANNIVERSARY OFFER
Plus get a FLIP
40
TO PAGE
welcome
bundle
worth
OFF A 2-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION £50! VANGO RUCKSACK STANLEY
TRAVEL MUG

Exceptional
Wildlife
Holidays
With 30 years’ experience designing
the finest wildlife holidays worldwide,
our small group and tailor-made
holidays are led by expert naturalist
guides to ensure exceptional wildlife
encounters.
Iberian Lynx Quest

In the wild and wonderful corners of Andalucia,
Doñana National Park and Andújar Natural Park
we search for one of the rarest cats in the world,
the critically endangered Iberian lynx, as well as a
host of other exciting mammals and birds.
15 Jan, 8 & 15 Oct 2023 8 days from £1,895
Great Whales of Mexico’s Pacific Coast Botswana’s Rare Mammals Isle of Mull Wildlife Extravaganza
Join us on a voyage to Baja California’s This small group trip focuses on the region’s more In the company of naturalist Nick Baker we
spectacular Pacific coast. We visit at the best time difficult to see species, including aardvark, brown explore one of the finest locations for wildlife
to see blue, fin and humpback whales and witness hyena and aardwolf, as well as iconic mammals watching in the UK. From the delightful base of
the spectacle of grey whales in one of their warm including black-maned lion, cheetah, and huge Knock House we hope to see otter, white-tailed
water calving lagoons. herds of migrating zebra. and golden eagle, hen harrier and short-eared owl.
10 Feb & 7 Apr 2023 10 days from £5,995 22 Apr & 6 May 2023 12 days from £6,495 21 May & 18 Jun 2023 8 days from £2,995
All prices include flights from/to UK, accommodation, wildlife activities, transfers and services of an expert leader.
To view our full collection of wildlife holidays visit our website.
01962 302 088

sales@wildlifeworldwide.com
www.wildlifeworldwide.com

BBC Wildlife, Vol. 41.01 (January 2023)

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

BBC Wildlife, Vol. 41.01 (January 2023)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

discoverwildlife.

We’re marking our

Avon Gorge peregrine; Goredale

discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 3

ADDRESS Our Media, Eagle House, Bristol BS1 4ST, UK

PHOTOGRAPHY AND ETHICS

4 BBC WILDLIFE January 2023

The entrancing Siberian jays of northern Eurasia

Every month, only in BBC Wildlife

6 BBC WILDLIFE January 2023

34 Foraging wild boar

82 Saving seagrass in Ibiza

discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 7

The antelope retreat to remote

8 BBC WILDLIFE January 2023

he arrival of winter and hostile

MEET THE PHOTOGRAPHER

she says. “When

discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 11

ost freshwater fish spawn in

12 BBC WILDLIFE January 2023

TROUT: JACK PERKS; ALLAN: SAM BROWETT; SHREW: RUTH CARDEN

discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 13

14 BBC WILDLIFE January 2023

The second egg the

Approach with care

PENGUINS: TUI DE ROY/NATUREPL.COM; EGGS: LLOYD DAVIS/PHYS.ORG/CREATIVE COMMONS;

discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 15

ritain’s deciduous trees may be

16 BBC WILDLIFE January 2023

writer and presenter. You

discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 17

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

he red kite is always a sociable raptor, but especially so in winter.

people a year due to smoking and MEET THE SCIENTIST

discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 19

NEW SPECIES DISCOVERY

Best friends forever of Central Africa. From a survey of the

20 BBC WILDLIFE January 2023

FINDING YOUR DEVICE

Lost & Found VAGRANT SPECIES DIARY

Lang’s short-tailed blue, Berkshire

22 BBC WILDLIFE January 2023

LOOK HOW THEY SHINE FOR YOU

lowing under trees like out-of-season buttercups, the cheery

earning speech by listening,

NOUNS WHAT’S IN A NAME?

24 BBC WILDLIFE January 2023

26 BBC WILDLIFE January 2023

Lucy Cooke on Hawaii’s seabirds

evidence that some illegal exports are

discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 27

28 BBC WILDLIFE January 2023

The latest project from non-proﬁt

Ben Fogle Monty Halls Simon Calder

Sail from Southampton on this 5-night Netherlands holiday

To find out more and book your place,

discoverwildlife.com BBC WILDLIFE 31

Aye-ayes could give

and down into the throat. Her research,

WAXWING: VIСTOR DUBINKIN/GETTY; ANNE-CLAIRE: DAVID HARING; AYE-AYE: NICK GARBUTT/NATUREPL.COM

Finger food they do it. One possible answer is: because

FROM THE BBC WILDLIFE ARCHIVE January 1988

32 BBC WILDLIFE January 2023

Ţ8.FDOOVZLOOFRVWWKHVDPHDVRWKHUVWDQGDUGIL[HGOLQHQXPEHUV VWDUWLQJRU DQGDUHLQFOXGHGDVSDUWRIDQ\LQFOXVLYHRUIUHHPLQXWHVDOORZDQFHV LIRIIHUHGE\\RXUSKRQHWDULII 2XWVLGHRIIUHHFDOOSDFNDJHVFDOOFKDUJHVIURP