After years of drought and decline, Spain's celebrated Tablas de Daimiel wetlands are teeming with life again

The hottest April on record has made it hard for some garden birds to find food to rear their chicks, wildlife experts have warned.

'Dear' is the least of it. There are plenty of ways of giving offence by mistake

Terry Kirby selects the best bottles to buy

Controversial German anatomist Gunther von Hagens returns with an exhibition of plastinated animals.

Alcohol plays an integral part in many great dishes and it has all sorts of uses which go far beyond the notion of just slopping a bit of leftover corked vino into your cooking. Whether it be cognac, cider brandy or beer, the careful addition of a little drop of booze can really enhance the flavours of a dish.

Serves 4

With its tender green stems and delicate sweet flavour, asparagus is the finest spring vegetable of all

Serves 4

It's tastier, prettier and more sophisticated than its commoner cousin

The foodiest of foodie Brits will be hoping for something a little more functional than a globe of gourmet chocolate by way of an Easter egg this year. Many are looking forward to a box of real eggs, which are as sensory a flavour experience as even the finest chocolate. Not to mention a treat for the eyes as well as the tastebuds, with their rich amber yolks, pearly whites and delicate shells that recall the pastel treats our parents painstakingly painted for egg hunts.

The problem with the RA's new restaurant is the level of its ambition. Is it to be a scoff-and-refuel addition to a few hours of art consumption? Or a destination in its own right, a recommendable eaterie which happens to have an art gallery attached?

Serves 6

Greg and Lucy Malouf have transformed perceptions of Iranian dishes in their native Australia – and their dinner party had Skye Gyngell's tastebuds singing too