Our only venomous snake, the shy adder can be spotted basking in the sunshine in woodland glades and on heathlands.

These large seals can often be seen bobbing in the sea or lying on beaches waiting for their food to go down.

This tiny wading bird is most often seen in autumn, feeding on the muddy margins of wetlands.

The delightful fragrance of wild thyme can punctuate a summer walk over a chalk grassland. It forms low-growing mats with dense clusters of purple-pink flowers.

Look out for the black guillemot all year-round at scattered coastal sites in Scotland, England, Wales and the Isle of Man. It tends not to travel far between seasons, breeding and wintering in…