Nature Spring reflection: What tadpoles taught me When they turn to tiny tailed froglets and scramble into damp grass, we learn something about letting go. By Helen Macdonald
Alone in the new world This time last year I went for a very ordinary walk, unaware of the disruption, trauma and solitude that… By Helen Macdonald
What do magpies want? I am left feeling unnerved by the sudden presence of a bird wreathed in superstition and legend at my kitchen window. By Helen Macdonald
Summer reflection: Call of the flycatcher These are not eye-catching creatures. Field guides often describe them as “undistinguished”. But, in this unfamiliar and far from… By Helen Macdonald
Spring reflection: Learning from the birds An exotic, acquisitive bird-watching trip on the other side of the world already feels like an artefact of another age.… By Helen Macdonald
Winter reflection: Berries from heaven The humble berry can bring festive magic – and rare winter visitors. By Helen Macdonald
Summer Reflection: A revelation in the teeming sky What I’m witnessing is the nuptial flight of a species called Lasius niger, the common black ant By Helen Macdonald
Spring Reflection: A birdhouse makes a home Author and naturalist Helen Macdonald reflects on creating homes for nesting birds, and the joy she gets in return By Helen Macdonald
Time travel on a winter’s woodland walk A winter wood reveals the bones of the landscape it grows upon, the geographical contours of slopes, gullies and… By Helen Macdonald