Conservation is front and centre in the April issue of The Field, in which we report from a Purdey Award-winning family shoot in Hertfordshire. Matthew Dennison explains why so many songbirds are no longer common or garden birds but reveals all is not lost and what we can do to help, while Graham Downing profiles one of the nation’s favourites: the nightingale.

Charles Rangeley-Wilson shines a light on the fierce debate raging over a cherished Dorset chalkstream and we’re also on the trail with the canine conservationists whose superb detection skills play a vital role in sniffing out everything from rare species to pollution.

Adrian Dangar spends a day with the Stowe Beagles as they celebrate the life of the late Frank Houghton Brown, a renowned huntsman and Master.

Remembrance, reflection and solace are what motivates many modern pilgrims to embark on journeys, discovers Rory Knight Bruce. Meanwhile, Sir Johnny Scott recounts the life of Izaak Walton, author of The Compleat Angler, a seminal fishing work that continues to inspire 400 years after its publication.

We mark 250 years since the birth of John Constable and JMW Turner: the artists who transformed our vision of the English landscape.

Former champion jockey Harry Cobden takes some time out of his busy racing schedule to talk to Lucy Higginson about his sporting ambitions and passions, which include not just racing but hunting and shooting.

There’s much to tempt in this issue: from the best-loved British buns, recipes for the best picnic fodder and our Field Junior page dedicated to the young entry.