Forget roadkill - look for roadlife species to spot

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Long car journeys with bored children on board must rank as one of the summer's low points. Cries of "I'm bored!", "He's pushing me!" and, of course, "Are we nearly there?" will resonate with drivers of every age.

Traditional distractions such as games of I-Spy and pub cricket are fine on roads passing through rural villages, but they don't work on long journeys where they are most needed.

A more practical distraction is to challenge youngsters to treat the journey as a safari. Yes, strange as it may seem, many of our busiest roads are important - if unintentional - wildlife reserves. And a car is the perfect hide.

In an age where carbon emissions and road travel are decried, it is easy to paint motorways as ecological disaster zones, but each carriageway is flanked by an even larger swathe of tussocky grass and wildflowers. This is increasingly peppered with young saplings and shrubs to muffle the noise, and deep drainage ditches provide damp hiding places.

Just as importantly, the fast-moving traffic a few yards away means there is little human disturbance and no competition from livestock. The result is a wonderfully mixed habitat for millions of creatures, from worms, beetles and butterflies to frogs and voles. These may be invisible from a speeding vehicle but they, in turn, attract more conspicuous creatures.