Look up for mistletoe

AS CRISP WEATHER TURNS MUDDY TRACKS HARD AS IRON, enjoy the low rays of winter sun while searching for the source of a Christmas tradition. Scan high up in the trees for green globes of foliage among the bare boughs. This natural decoration is mistletoe (Viscum album), which loves lime, poplar, hawthorn and, most of all, apple trees. Listen for the raucous call of the mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus), defending the plant from hungry rivals, and the fluty song of visiting blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) as they, too, feast on the sticky white berries. The birds wipe their beaks on branches and, as the tacky seed lodges in the bark, an extraordinary life cycle begins. Toxic to humans, mistletoe lives mostly off its host, tapping into the tree’s food and water supply. Ancient myths celebrated its magical powers of fertility – which today has been translated into the custom of a festive kiss beneath it. Find out more at wildlifetrusts.org/lovewildlife.