Take a walk on the wild side
Stay in touch with nature over the Christmas period with these great outdoor adventure ideas
HEADING outdoors into nature is a great way to find peace during the festive season.
12 Days Wild, the festive nature challenge from The Wildlife Trusts, encourages you to do one wild thing a day from December 25 to January 5.
You could go on winter walk or fungi hunt, watch a sunrise or sunset, go bird-watching or photograph the frost.
This time of year is good for investigating animal tracks.
You can encounter these anywhere – in parks, your garden or in the countryside.
It is easiest to spot them in muddy places, or when it has snowed. You could even try setting up a footprint trap.
Leave a sand-filled tray outside your house overnight and see who’s been to visit in the morning.
Here’s how to identify some of the most common tracks.
Badger
Badger prints are robust and broad (6.5cm wide) with long claw marks and five toe pads in front of a wide rear pad.
Fox
Foxes leave four slender toe prints and one large heel pad print, giving their tracks an oval shape.
Deer
Deer have cloven hooves. Their prints have two toe impressions, making the shape of an upside-down heart.
Otter
Otter prints are webbed and large (up to 9cm long), with five toes and a large rear pad impression.
Look for the distinctive ‘drag’ of a tail in mud or snow.
Water voles and rats
Rat and water vole prints both show five toes. The hind feet of water voles show a star shape while a rat’s hind toes sit parallel.
Hedgehog
Hedgehog prints are long and narrow, with three toes pointing forward and two outer toes that point to the side.
Ducks, waders and birds
Duck prints have three claws with visible webbing in between. Wader prints are similar but without the webbing. Sparrows’ small prints appear in pairs because they hop, while pigeons have larger prints that alternate because they walk.
■ Sign-up for 12 Days Wild opens on December 11. See wildlifetrusts.org/ 12dayswild