SPRINGWATCH

It's as firm a fixture in the BBC's spring calendar as the FA Cup Final. But have you ever wondered what goes into making an episode of Springwatch?

DISCO INFERNO GREEN-BANDED BROODSAC

The parasitic flatworm that turns a snail’s eyestalks into colourful, pulsating glowsticks

FREE FALLIN' HUNTING PEREGRINES

Spot the ultimate urban predator stooping to catch prey this summer

Woodcocks are a whiter shade of pale

These waders sport the whitest feathers known to science - but they like to keep them under wraps

"Fret is always there, nagging like the itch of a horseily bite"

With devastating biodiversity losses and a climate in chaos, it's not surprising that we are increasingly anxious about the state of our planet

RISING FROM THE RUINS

Remnants of our built heritage can nurture thriving biodiversity - even in the most unlikely, desolate-looking locations. Here are 10 UK sites where human history meets the wild.

BACK IN BLACK

Rearing and releasing black-tailed godwits has given the rare wader a much-needed boost

TURTLE BEACH

The sandy shore of a sleepy fishing village in Trinidad hosts the highest concentration of nesting leatherbacks to be found anywhere on the planet

BUTTERFLY BRITAIN

Five years spent roaming the country in search of all 58 native species yielded a trove of insightful images

GOOD VIBRATIONS

The delicate garden insect that sends out a seductive song and duets with its mating partner

SPINNING AROUND

Watch puffins form swirling roundabouts in the sky as they prepare to come ashore

There's the grub

Biologists have finally identified the 'worm' in mezcal bottles

Lost & Found

Smalltooth sand tiger shark, Hampshire

Geese take a gander

Pink-footed geese have scouted out new breeding grounds in response to a changing Arctic climate

The shiny, sun-loving show-off

Spot this day-flying moth in open areas in May and June

Songs from the reedbed

Visit a wetland to hear the chatter of a summer visitor

Culture club

Bumblebees can learn from each other, creating culture within colonies

Great apes seek thrills by spinning

Ape behaviour gives clues to why humans chase mind-altering stimulation

Book a date with badgers

Now is the time to join an organised watch for the chance to see curious cubs

Love is in the air

A surprise encounter with a pair of courting turacos delivered a winning shot

HS2 in firing line for wildlife impact

Conservationists rail project has got its say the company behind the calculations badly wrong

MARK CARWARDINE OPINION

\"As grey wolf numbers increase, there is a rising tide of hostility\"

Wetlands go lead-free

Law to save millions of wildfowl comes into effect as the use of lead gunshot is banned across EU countries

Lost & Found VAGRANT SPECIES DIARY

American herring gull, Cornwall

GILLIAN BURKE

\"Our beloved the interests bees are caught up in of the sugar industry\"

Something in the water

The downward trend in shark attacks may be good news for swimmers but is it bad news for sharks?

Appearances can be deceiving

The gypsy cuckoo bumblebee is a trickster and nest invader

Battle of the birds

A jay puts up a fight when it finds itself in the sight lines of a sparrowhawk

Sealed and delivered

Luck was the key ingredient for seeing a grey seal give birth

Fight or flight, freeze and fright

WHEN FACED WITH A THREAT, most animals can defend themselves or run away fight or flight