Our rare butterfly, the heath fritillary, has broken all records by appearing on 12 May, my earliest ever sighting by ten days. This is about five weeks earlier than was usual in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and represents an amazing response to the...

Heard the fantastic, fluty song of a golden oriole in the wood this morning. I wasn't able to see this beautiful bird, but can only hope it will stay around for a while.

Hazel catkins have been out for some weeks already, but one of the key indicators of spring to look out for each year is the re-emergence of wood ants. They spend the winter underground, but on the first day that warm sunshine strikes their domed nests...