BBC Countryfile Magazine

Countryfile Magazine inspires you to explore forgotten corners of the great British countryside and provides knowledge of the people and wildlife that inhabit it. We want to tempt you into trying new things, seek out new places and make the most of Britain’s beautiful landscapes.

A coastal celebration

COUNTRYFILE on TV • What to watch on Countryfile this month*

Black-eyed beauty • Bird flu causes the eyes of surviving gannets to turn from blue to black

Harris’s wildly beautiful beach • Cornwall may pull in the crowds, but one Hebridean strand stuns visitors

Crustacean nation • An army of spider crabs musters for its annual moult

Sea stars • The playful performances of Britain’s bottlenose dolphins attract avid fans – but they deserve personal space

Spines and sulky faces • Watch where you put your feet at the beach – a weever fish could be lurking

NURTURE A PLANT FROM ONE LEAF

COLOSSAL SEA CREATURES • When it comes to the ocean, people often think they need to travel to far-flung shores to see incredible wildlife, but British seas are home to plenty of amazing – and enormous – marine life. From a whale the size of a bus to a breaching shark with a whip-like tail, here are some of the UK’s biggest ocean animals.

EDIBLE SEAWEEDS • An ancient food harvested by humans for millennia, seaweeds bring an intense and rich flavour of the sea to a wide range of dishes, as well as essential mind-and-body-boosting nutrients

Best snorkelling sites • British seas are full of fascinating marine animals, including basking sharks and seals – and all are visible with a face mask and snorkel. Here is our pick of top sites.

We are an island nation – so let’s protect our seas

RARE CANNON FOUND IN SHIPWRECK • Divers discover a remarkable 359-year-old bronze cannon among artefacts on the seabed off the Essex coast

THREE WAYS TO SAVE THE SEAS • Coral bleaching, melting sea ice, plastic and chemical pollution, overfishing – news about the devastating ill health of our oceans can be overwhelming, but there is hope. Marine biologist Helen Scales offers three achievable solutions

TROPICAL SEABIRD SEEN IN DORSET • Normally found in the Pacific islands, a red-footed booby has been sighted in the UK for the third time in eight years

TREASURE IN THE TIDES • Lara Maiklem is a veteran mudlarker on the Thames foreshore. We find out what keeps her coming back for more

Brian May speaks up for badgers • Queen guitarist fronts a new documentary on the bovine TB crisis

Adam Henson • Meet the characterful native sheep breeds adapted to life on our rugged coastlines

Nicola Chester • Why the seaside is the best place to gain perspective – and change your life

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JURASSIC COAST • With its towering cliffs, sweeping beaches and pretty seaside towns, the shoreline of Dorset and east Devon is spectacular. Jo Caird fossicks for fossils and dramatic rock formations

NOW GO THERE • Jo Caird’s tips for a happy trip to the Jurassic Coast

Cast in bone • Cuttlefish bones washed up on our shores have been used to make jewellery since ancient times. Jo Caird meets a craftswoman who’s keeping the art alive on the Kent coast

A wing and a prayer • From their desks at Boulmer, 1,000 RAF personnel watch the skies for airborne threats to the country. Yet beyond the concrete of the base, vulnerable birdlife flourishes – thanks to the hard work of a small team

Sea horses • On Cornwall’s coastal clifftops, Melanie O’Shea meets the hardy grazing ponies that are helping to restore the land, so nature can flourish once more

Wild clifftops • These six key species are benefitting from conservation grazing by ponies.

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