GET CLOSER TO NATURE

摘要

In May, a meandering river or stream is a picturesque idyll home to darting damselflies, skimming pond-skaters and whistling kingfishers. But a bankside ramble gives you at best a superficial view. "To understand this ecosystem, you need to learn howto read water," says Jack Perks, a 'fish twitcher" and one of our Local Patch Reporters. "Many people see the surface as a barrier. Get beyond that and a new underwater world will reveal itself: aquatic snails, diving beetles, caddisfly larvae and, aboveall, fish."Britain's freshwater fish are fascinating, yet many people can't identify even the most common species. Four easy ones to learn are the brown trout, with its handsome, red- and black-sported flanks; the bullhead, which looks a bit like a giant, big-headed tadpole and hides under stones; the three-spined stickleback, males of which havescarlet flanks; and last but not least the minnow. "Minnows may be just 8-iocm long, but these tiddlers look fantastic during their spring breeding season. Their red heads, green bodies and golden stripes are like exotic aquarium fish," says Jack.