A fairy-tale life
A spotted fritillary in a meadow lit by the rising sun – captured on a very windy day Canon EOS 5D Mk III, 100mm Macro USM, 1/200sec at f/3.2, ISO 800
The European ground squirrel (see below) is a curious creature. Unlike its tree-dwelling cousins, this rodent has a stout, low-slung body and lives in underground burrows. In daylight hours, it can be seen in the open gathering roots, seeds, shoots and flowers, but this is not without risk, as the creature is an important source of food for predators such as polecats and birds of prey. It’s something of a fusspot when it comes to habitat, as it favours short grass and light, well-drained soil for excavating burrows. As a general rule, ground squirrels avoid cultivated land, and with so much grassland and pasture heading that way, they are forced to live on sports fields,
