Learn about British wildlife from your PC

A range of focused ‘How to’ guides provide detailed information on how to plant trees and shrubs specifically to attract certain types of wildlife.

These are supported by seasonal guides packed with sensible advice and there’s even a virtual garden for you to explore and see how various elements within the garden interact. As an all-in-one set of resources, we couldn’t find better.

Flight of fancy
Much of the information you’ll find on the above sites includes bird watching. Indeed, the BBC site contains a section with detailed advice on setting up a bird box, bath or feeder. But bird watching is its own discipline that has its own rules.

Head to the RSPB’s website and you’ll see just how involving this discipline is, and get a valuable insight into the work of the organisation.

Once again, there’s a huge stock of information on making your garden bird-friendly - from sections on individual plants and the birds they attract to month-by-month guides to the birds you’re likely to find in and around the garden.

Identifying birds can be an oddly addictive pastime, with many people keeping lists of birds they’ve seen, along with photos and other notes (more on that later). Traditionally, a good bird book and a pair of binoculars are the main companions here, with the detailed pictures and information helping to confirm the bird you’ve just seen.

While this is largely still true, ditching the book and heading online for your information instead allows you to harness the interactive power of your PC in a way that no book can compete with.

The step-by-step spotting guide on the RSPB site allows you to narrow down the possibilities before giving a list of likely suspects, while BBC Radio 4’s guide to garden birdsong lets you listen to or download audio f iles of dozens of common garden birds, complete with spoken information on when and where the bird in question is likely to be found.

The bigger picture
There’s no shortage of wildlife close to home, but heading further afield opens the door to far more exotic wildlife that can be viewed in more natural surroundings. There are many large protected natural places in the UK that are rich in plant, animal and bird life.

Just as your garden is a microcosm of the greater ecology around it, so the rules and conditions in the wild reflect those that affect your own garden. Migratory patterns, seasonal changes and plant and tree life all play a part in what wildlife you’re likely to see in any given area, so the same points about taking the time to do some research apply here too.

Knowing what to look for makes finding it significantly easier, and the BBC website is just as valuable a resource for fans of the wilder side of nature as for those who want to keep things domestic. Here information can be found on events, walks and activities on a region-by-region basis.

Much of the best wildlife doesn’t require you to head to a specific place to find it – you simply have to know the region in which to look. And combining some animal- or bird-spotting with an enjoyable walk or a visit to a National Trust or English Heritage site, for example, can make for a day out that is both rewarding and healthy.

Nature walks and activities such as bird watching include a strong social element too. What starts out as a personal hobby could turn into a real passion by spending time with people who share the same interests – and the web is where you’ll meet them first.

Head to Naturenet and you’ll find a valuable set of links to a wide variety of societies and organisations catering for everything from bats to spiders. The BBC’s nature section also has relevant information on groups and activities in your area.

Taking an interest in wildlife and heading out to find it is anyone’s right, but it is worth remembering that with that right comes responsibility too. Before setting out on any expedition, make sure you are properly prepared, have taken adequate safety precautions that you actually are allowed to enter the place you’re heading to.

Once there, remember that wildlife comes in all shapes and sizes, so be aware that while you are wandering through the forests in search of that rare bird or animal you so want to see, you may be destroying other rare ecology underfoot.

Taking an interest in protecting our natural resources gives the next generation the same or better opportunities to enjoy them as we have, and Naturenet provides links to many organisations tasked with the often thankless job of preserving Britain’s natural spaces, as well as the plants and animals that fill them.

Picture perfect
We’ve already seen the value of using the internet as a huge source of information and ideas for animal lovers, but it’s also a set of useful tools for cataloguing your interests and tracking your progress.

It’s almost guaranteed that your wildlife watching hobby will involve taking pictures of the animals and birds you spot, and your PC is the obvious place to store them. Next issue we’ll explain how to get the best nature photos but if you have a few already, why not put them in an album?

This can take whatever form you wish – from a chronological list of your experiences with supporting photos, to a detailed encyclopedia of the animals and creatures you’ve discovered.

To insert an image in Microsoft Word, click where you want the image to appear, then go to the Insert menu, select Image, then From File. Navigate to the location of the image you wish to insert, then double-click the file. To adjust the image size, click once on the image, then click and drag the markers on the corners.

Setting up your own blog – a type of simple online diary – is another way to catalogue and share your experiences, and a good way to involve the whole family in your pastime. You’ll find free a blogging service that’s easy to use at Blogger.

A whole new world
Whether you already have an interest in nature and wildlife, or are simply intrigued by learning something new, there’s a fascinating world waiting just outside your door.

Your computer makes the perfect partner for learning more about this world: the internet puts a wealth of information at your disposal, whether you want to learn about insects in your garden or deer in the Lake District.

Indeed, it doesn’t matter whether you’re looking near or far, the keys to unlocking the world of wildlife are right at your fingertips.

Useful websites for wildlife lovers
www.naturenet.net
An independent countryside and conservation site with useful information on countryside law and good links to related organisations.

www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk
Comprehensive information on every aspect of wildlife in the UK.

www.rspb.org.uk
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds gives information on bird conservation, plus plenty of material for the casual bird spotter.

w ww.asma llwildlifegarden.co.uk
Showcase for insects and birds documented and photographed in a small garden.

www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals
An all-encompassing, information-packed resource. Includes excellent ‘How to’ guides focusing on attracting wildlife to your garden.

www.britishnature.co.uk
Information on various forms of nature in the UK. Limited spotters guides but plenty of wallpapers and good links to further resources.

www.naturedetectives.org.uk
A wildlife website for children. Plenty of activities to encourage young ones to take an interest in wildlife.

www.birding.uk.com
A community-based site for bird lovers, with links to community and individual sites.

www.wildlifetrusts.org
A place to find the UK’s 47 wildlife trusts. News on conservation and wildlife issues.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk
The National Trust’s Conservation, Heritage and Learning page showcases the trust’s work in protecting the countryside and environment.