A sensory guide to spotting winter wildlife

From the sounds of birds to the feel of different leaves, put your senses to the test.

Sight: Spotting winter wildlife

Winter is an ideal time to spot wildlife in the UK, especially in areas like hedgerows, canal banks and woodlands, when the foliage is sparse.

Associated with picturesque snowy scenes, the robin is a wonderful wildlife creature that has learned to thrive alongside us. In winter, these birds have been known to follow gardeners, hoping an area of ground will be disturbed so that it can find exposed insects or worms to eat. They also like the odd bit of discarded apple, elderberries or seeds.

Another eyecatching sight in winter is the British fox. This mammal stands out spectacularly during the snowy months, thanks to its striking winter coat. Foxes are one of the very few large, predatory mammals that have been able to succeed alongside us. They have the intelligence and grit to find a way to adapt and survive in both urban and rural areas.

You’ll also spot deer and stags more easily in winter when their antlers and fur are visible.

Sound: The calls of winter birds

The sounds of winter birds can create a magical atmosphere, especially along canals or in the woods. You might hear a busy flock of tits, including long-tailed tits, blue tits and great tits, chirping away in the hedgerows. The long-tailed tit is particularly exotic, with its high-pitched 'tsee-see' call. It is a beautiful and delicate little bird with pink, white and black markings and the obvious long tail, used to balance on the ends of branches.

There might be a whole host of other birds in the winter flock, such as coat tits, treecreepers, nuthatches and, if you're really lucky, perhaps a goldcrest or even a willow tit or marsh tit. Other birds you can hear singing from trees include the robin, blackbird and song thrush.

Stepping out at night from your home, you might hear the sounds of redwings keeping in contact with each other in the dark as they migrate across the country, or a tawny owl setting out a breeding territory. If we have any snow, you will undoubtedly see the bolshy fieldfares dive-bombing the redwings and blackbirds to get the best hawthorn berries. Keep an eye and an ear our for a big migratory thrush, with a grey head and rump, and a 'chack-chack' call.

Taste: Flavours of winter

Did you know the first apple trees were influenced by bears? Focusing on the larger, more tasty fallen fruit and germinating it as they went along, this led to trees producing much larger apples over time, catching the eye of early human settlers who went on to cultivate these trees, resulting in today's modern varieties.

Hawthorn berries become obvious in winter as the leaves drop off. They are edible, but lack the taste and size of an apple, and are best left for the birds and small mammals that really need them to get through the winter.

Blackberries, crab apples, sloe berries, rosehips and even pine needles can be foraged in late autumn and winter. Just remember, never to eat anything if you are not 100% sure of its identity and edibility, as there are many fruits and berries out there that can cause you harm if you don't get it right.

Touch: Different kinds of leaves

Winter is a great time to experience the tactile elements of nature, whether it's kicking up crunchy leaves that have fallen from branches, or gently touching the smooth surfaces of a prickly-edged holly leaf.

You'll notice that some leaves break down quickly, while others, like oak, hornbeam and beech, remain on the trees in beautiful shades of yellow bronze, smooth to the touch.

Smell: Scents of winter nature

Winter is a time for different smells in the air, from the earthy aroma of decaying leaves to the pungent scent of foxes' territories. If you find yourself near a fir tree, you'll notice the citrus-like smell of crushed needles.

Our sense of smell is heightened in warmer weather. But there are still areas of interest in the winter, particularly where a good crop of apples has fallen on the ground and started to stew, releasing that fresh apple smell for a while until they start bletting.