Perhaps the first sign that spring is just around the corner is the snowdrop poking its way through the frosted soil of a woodland, churchyard or garden. From January, look for its famous nodding…

This small sea snail is easily identifiable by the 3 brown spots on the top of its shell.

This bog-loving butterfly is mostly found in the north of the UK, where it takes to the wing in summer.

A small, but feisty scavenger, this carnivorous sea snail does not let anything go to waste!

This beautiful butterfly is one of our rarest, now mostly restricted to the western parts of the UK.

This small, white heron is an increasingly common sight in parts of the UK as it spreads north from continental Europe.

This small, round sea urchin is (unsurprisingly!) green in colour and can be found on rocky shores around the UK.