March 17, 2009

Where to go wild in the UK

Spring is the perfect time of year to go wildlife spotting in Britain, but if you know where to look there is plenty to see all year round

Wildlife in Britain: Adult water vole — January: London's Wetland Centre is made up of lagoons, reedbeds, marsh and small wooded areas covering more than 40 hectares. As well as attracting huge numbers of birds such as gadwalls, teals, pintails and ducks, a colony of water voles have made their home in the centre Photograph: Niall Benvie/Corbis

Wildlife in Britain: Exmoor ponies — February: Ponies live wild in several areas of Britain, but the rolling moorlands and stark coastal cliffs of Exmoor provide their most dramatic habitat. In February, you can appreciate how their long coats and 'ice tail' - a fan of hair at the bass of the tail that channels cold rain away - help them to survive the harsh winter. The ponies are approachable but can kick Photograph: Kit Houghton/Corbis

Wildlife in Britain: Brown hares — March: In spring, Lyme Park, near Stockport, is the perfect location to watch the stand-up boxing matches of the estate's wild brown hares. This extraordinary courtship ritual is not, as once thought, two males figthing but a female fending of a potential suitor Photograph: Andrew Parkinson/Corbis

WIldlife in Britain: Bluebells in spring — April: Only in Britain's mild, warm climate do bluebells flourish in such profusion, making this flower a symbol of British springtime. They most commonly thrive in woodlands such as Norsey Wood - a 400-year-old deer park in Essex. Other famous bluebell woods are Ryton Wood in Warwickshire and Dole Wood in Lincolnshire Photograph: Graham Turner

Wildlife in Britain: Male adders, England — May: The sandy heaths of Surrey are wonderfully wild landscapes in the heart of commuter country. In May, Thursley Common is a prime location for reptiles. On cool mornings at least five species can be seen basking in the spring sun, including adders, Britain's only venomous snakes Photograph: George McCarthy/Corbis

Wildlife in Britain: Atlantic puffin, Skomer Island, Wales — June: Take the boat over to Skomer Island off the west coast of Wales and you'll notice that the ground is riddled with holes. These are the homes of tens of thousands of rabbits, but some of them, such as the burrows on the grassy slopes above the sea cliffs, contain puffins. Not much bigger than a town pigeon, these birds are comical to watch, even from a distance Photograph: Andrew Parkinson/Corbis

Wildlife in Britain: Herd of fallow deer grazing — June: Like the New Forest, Rockingham Forest in Northamptonshire was an important royal forest, reserved by William the Conquerer during the 11th century for hunting deer and wild boar. Today you can still see fallow deer in the forest. It is also one of the few places to spot hawfinches, as well as all three species of British woodpecker Photograph: zefa/Stefan Meyers/Corbis

Wildlife in Britain: Purple emperor butterfly — July: Two of Britain's most magnificent butterflies, the large silver-washed fritillary and the rare purple emperor can be found at Bookham Commons in Surrey. Donated to the National Trust in the 1920s this area of common land is dominated by oak woodland, and on a sunny June day you are sure to see a good range of butterflies Photograph: Frank Lane Picture Agency/Hugh Clark/Corbis

Wildlife in Britain: Polecat, Wales — July: Snowdonia's rich wildlife is protected within the Snowdonia National Park. The area is especially significant for the polecat, as it spread from this refuge to recolonise most of Wales and the English Midlands Photograph: George McCarthy/Corbis

WIldlife in Britain: Minke whale surfacing — August: The Inner and Outer Hebrides provide many opportunities to see minke whales, and sometimes killer whales, during the summer. A trip from Tobermory on Mull should reveal whales, bottlenose dolphins and basking sharks Photograph: Paul A. Souders/Corbis

Wildlife in Britain: Badger in a forest, England — September: The Slad Valley in the Cotswolds is one of the least spoilt valleys in the area, making it one of the best places to watch badgers in the UK. Badger watching trips run throughout the year - in September you'll see them preparing for winter, dragging fresh bedding down into their tunnels Photograph: Andrew Parkinson/Corbis

Wildlife in Britain: Seal, Scotland — October: As you approach the remote Monarch Isles, in the Outer Hebrides, a mass of bobbing heads rise to greet you. These belong to the largest colony of grey seals in Europe. In October, while the pups bask and learn to swim with their mothers, the males fight for their territory and harems Photograph: Niall Benvie/Corbis

Wildlife in Britain: Salmon jumping in a waterfall — November: One of the best places to watch a spectacular salmon run is on the River Ettrick, in Selkirk, in the Scottish Borders, where the obstacle of Ettrick Weir forces the fish to put on the performance of their lives. The salmon make their way upstream in autumn when heavy rain has swollen the river, so November is one of the best times of watch them Photograph: Niall Benvie/Corbis

WIldlife in Britain: Dense flock of birds, Snettisham, UK — December: Out on the mud sand flats of The Wash at Snettisham reserve in Norfolk, you'll see tens of thousands of wading birds feeding at low tide. As the tide draws in thousands of birds are chased by the water and forced to fly straight into the air towards you Photograph: Roger Tidman/Corbis

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