Birds

Britain has around 600 recorded bird species — a remarkable number for a small island nation — but the ones that stay with you aren't always the rarest. Often it's the birds you see every day that reward the closest attention. The robin that follows you round the garden. The moorhen threading through the reeds before you've had your coffee. The grey-lag goose standing at the edge of a reservoir, looking at you with that dark, alert eye.

This section collects field notes from British birds — the common made visible, the overlooked made worth looking at. Every photograph was taken in Britain, in the field, without bait or hide. The aim is simply to look closely at what's already here and make the case that it's worth looking at.

Britain's birdlife is under pressure in ways that should concern anyone who pays attention. Which is one more reason to pay attention.