Can you spot the birdie?
	2:48pm Tue 6 May 08
	ONE of the most important lessons which birdwatchers need to know is never to rush, but always keep your eyes and your ears open.

	There’s something fishy about ‘killers’
	2:45pm Tue 6 May 08
	BIRDS of Prey have always fascinated me, and I am always angry when people say that they are killers and need to be exterminated.

These are exciting times for spotters

11:04am Monday 28th April 2008

THERE is no doubt that late April through May to early June is one of the most exciting times in the year.

So many things to see on the ground

11:03am Monday 28th April 2008

THE trouble is with watching nature at this time of year is that you don't know where to look. Keeping the eyes on the ground will reveal many wonderful plants including the butterbur which thrives alongside our rivers and canals.

	Feathers... the secret of birds' success
	11:00am Mon 28 Apr 08
	I HAVE often wondered how birds keep warm, why they have such attractive shapes and colours and why they fly so easily and with such grace.

	One of the best places to visit
	12:29pm Mon 21 Apr 08
	AS THE spring migration gets into full swing, there are few more interesting places to visit than Martin Mere Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust near Southport. The reserve is well signed from the M6 and the A59.

	Eider give my right arm to see duck!
	12:28pm Mon 21 Apr 08
	EVERY so-called "serious" birdwatcher has a favourite bird.

	Sign spring is sloe-ly coming
	12:27pm Mon 21 Apr 08
	The Hibernian Tranquiliser. Is this a drink? No. Is it an Irish boxer? No. Actually it is a humorous name for the blackthorn of sloe tree.

Birds of prey are majestic

2:16pm Monday 14th April 2008

This is the time of year to plan visits further afield as the hours of daylight increase and make travelling easier.

	Heron treat at mill
	2:16pm Mon 14 Apr 08
	THE Heron Corn Mill is situated close to Milnthorpe at the village of Beetham signed off the A6.

	Such deer creatures
	2:14pm Mon 14 Apr 08
	I LOVE it when I can get close to wildlife and this is certainly the case with the Fallon Deer at Dunham Massey in Cheshire.

	Big show-off
	11:37am Mon 7 Apr 08
	THIS is the time of the year when watching and listening to birds can be a real treat.

	Colour is key in insect world
	11:35am Mon 7 Apr 08
	PEOPLE often wonder why mammals are not so brightly coloured as birds and insects.

	From the ice age...
	12:12pm Mon 31 Mar 08
	MOST botanists agree that the first flowering plant to grow in Britain at the end of the last ice age was the marsh marigold.

	Time for Baywatch
	12:11pm Mon 31 Mar 08
	MIGRATION gets in full swing during March and April and with the increase in the number of hours of daylight, now is the time to spend a full day out and about.

	Flowers illuminate the gloom
	12:10pm Mon 31 Mar 08
	MY walk was on a typical English spring day - dull and it was raining!

	Willows are cracking trees to study
	11:06am Mon 17 Mar 08
	WHEN I wrote recently about our native trees, I was taken to task for not mentioning the willow.

	‘Bottle bump’ looks like rusty heron
	11:06am Mon 17 Mar 08
	THE bittern is one of our most fascinating birds, which looks very much like a heron which has become rusty.

	Amphibians need more publicity!
	11:04am Mon 17 Mar 08
	RESEARCH in January 2008 suggests that the most vulnerable group of animals under threat are the amphibians.

Protect our peregrines

12:09pm Monday 10th March 2008

I LOVE the period from late March to mid-May because there is usually some sunshine and a breeze which makes the flight of the peregrine even more spectacular than usual.

Mother Nature is playing her tricks

12:09pm Monday 10th March 2008

I'M confused. I don't know whether this is due to global warming or Mother Nature playing games.

	Wonderful Witton not to be ignored
	12:08pm Mon 10 Mar 08
	OVER the past few weeks I have been out and about exploring the nature walks all over Lancashire.

	Goldeneye is one of my favourite birds
	4:41pm Fri 7 Mar 08
	THERE is no doubt that late April through May to early June is one of the most exciting times in the year.

	Bold as a coot!
	4:41pm Fri 7 Mar 08
	ONE of the most common birds found in the water fringed by reeds is the coot.

	Back to nature
	4:40pm Fri 7 Mar 08
	EAST Lancashire is one of the best examples of how to heal the scars of industry and give the environment back to nature.