Going wild
Even in the depths of winter, there’s still much flora and fauna to discover. What will you spot on your next walk?
THE days may be shorter, but there’s nothing like a walk in the crisp winter sunshine to boost your spirits.
Tom Hibbert, editor of Wildlife Watch, the Wildlife Trusts’ magazine for children, has picked out his top things to look for in winter. How many will you spot?
COLOUR CHANGER
Stoats are mighty mammals, tackling prey five times their size, squeezing into burrows and even climbing trees as they hunt for food.
In winter, some stoats develop white patches of fur or even turn completely white. This white coat is known as ‘ermine’ and helps them camouflage in snowy conditions.
WINTER STARS
In mild winters the bright yellow flowers of lesser celandine provide a carpet of early sunshine, even in January!
And a much needed nectar boost for early flying insects.
FROSTY BERRIES
Sparkling winter frosts light up evergreen mistletoe foliage.
Gaze high into the boughs of old apple trees, lime, poplar and hawthorn to spot round globes of leaves and berries.
COLOURFUL CUPS
The bright red bowls of the scarlet elf cup sprout from fallen twigs and decaying branches.
The little cups range from 2-7cm wide, with a bright, shiny red inner surface and a duller, felt-like exterior.
TOUGH FUNGI
The golden-brown caps of velvet shank cling to stumps and standing deadwood, with a special fondness for beech, oak, ash and elm trees.
GLORIOUS GAGGLE
Huge gaggles of geese are one of winter’s greatest wild wonders.
Brent geese are small and elegant. The word ‘brent’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for burnt, referencing the dark tones of their plumage. They can be seen in their thousands on suitable saltmarshes, estuaries, coastal lagoons and fields.
CLEVER CLIMBER
There’s something magical about watching a treecreeper feed. These birds seem to float like a falling leaf as they fly from one tree to the next.
They are a permanent fixture in our woodlands, though their quiet nature and impressive camouflage make them very easy to overlook. They use their strong legs, stiff tail and long claws to climb vertically up trunks as they probe crevices for insects with their long, curved beak.