THE TRUTH ABOUT: 3 - Caught on Camera

Country diary: Finally, my search for a starfish is over

Hayling Island, Hampshire: After a year of trying to catch sight of the local population, one of them came to me, thanks to the recent stormy weather

The Guardian - UK · Apr 26, 2024

Country diary: The dandelions should be crowded; instead, a solitary bee

The Marches, Shropshire: These glorious so-called weeds are everywhere at the moment, undimmed by the lack of attention

The Guardian - UK · Apr 25, 2024

Country diary: Standing in the shadow of a giant

Dumfries, Scotland: It’s strange to think sequoias are more numerous here than in their homeland California. This one, down the road from me, is captivating company

The Guardian - UK · Apr 24, 2024

Country diary: A ghostly old canal enlivened by primroses and stitchwort

Langford Budville, Somerset: The endless rain here has felt portentous, but it is bringing colour and sound to the banksides and hills

The Guardian - UK · Apr 18, 2024

Country diary: An old haunt that’s now full of life

Bedford: I knew this park nearly 40 years ago when there was little here but optimism. That vision been repaid handsomely

The Guardian - UK · Apr 17, 2024

Country diary: As close to immortality as British nature can get

Fortingall, Perthshire: Standing in front of this truly great yew tree – some say the oldest in the country – one wonders how to capture its totality

The Guardian - UK · Apr 16, 2024

Country diary: All of life is in these farmyard geese

Caistor St Edmund, Norfolk: There’s such comedy in their waddling aggression, and such tragic hope in their clutch that just won’t hatch

The Guardian - UK · Apr 15, 2024

Country diary: Standing up for the lesser celandine, a truly sensitive flower

Llandrindod Wells, Powys: At the earliest hint of spring, you can see its gold-spangled profusion across every field and verge here. But not everyone sees its virtues

The Guardian - UK · Apr 13, 2024

Country diary: Two chaffinches exchange wheezy warnings

Lagan Valley Regional Park, Belfast: To a bird, subtle variations in song can say a lot, and these two seem to be sizing each other up

The Guardian - UK · Apr 12, 2024

Country diary: Goldeneyes glint in the early morning sun

Badenoch, Cairngorms: The trees on the riverbank are still bare here, but the sap is rising. And over by the Spey is a pair of one of Britain’s rarest ducks

The Guardian - UK · Apr 11, 2024