What to spot on your Winter Walk

Squirrels and mistletoe

The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) can be seen in its native pinewoods as it does not hibernate. Unfortunately, they have an increasingly uncertain future thanks to the introduction of the American grey squirrel.

Red Squirrels have bushy tails and tufted ears that are moulted once a year. Reds build large dreys to give birth in and provide shelter in cold weather. They are primarily seedeaters although also enjoy fungi, berries and bark. They store surplus food in gaps in tree bark or underground for use during the winter.

Mistletoe (Viscum album) is a parasitic plant that grows on deciduous trees, particularly favouring apple. It was an ancient fertility symbol, hence the tradition of kissing under it at Christmas, and was a sign of good luck to the druids. Although poisonous, the sticky white berries are thought to have anti-cancer properties and mistletoe tea, made from the dried leaves, is thought to lower high blood pressure.

Mandarin Duck

This beautiful duck (Aix galericulata) is not native to the UK, but has successfully established itself all over the country from escapees of waterfowl collections. It lives close to streams and ponds with wooded edges and unusually nests in tree holes. When the ducklings hatch, the duck flies down to the ground and calls to her progeny until they leap from their nest, bouncing as they land undamaged. She leads them to water where her mate will be waiting to help raise the young.

Robins and Holly

Holly trees (Ilex aquifolium) are either male or female. The small white flowers turn first into green berries, becoming bright red as winter progresses. They are slightly poisonous to humans, but a valuable food source for birds, such as robins.

Male and female robins (Erithacus rubecula) are difficult to distinguish from each other although the juvenile starts life speckled. They nest near to the ground in whatever they come across – even abandoned teapots and letter boxes. They are pugnacious and bravely guard their territories. In winter, the hen develops a separate area or ‘estate’. Unlike most birds, robins sing in winter.

Yew

Type Taxus baccatais: a native evergreen conifer, the leaves and berries of which are extremely poisonous, although the leaves are now used to produce a drug that inhibits cancer-cell growth.
Size 4-20 metres Bark Scaly and colourful, ranging from purple through red to grey.
Foliage Dark green flat needles arranged either side of the twig.
Flowers and seeds Small flowers in early spring, developing into red berries.
Uses Traditionally used for longbows and spears as, although heavy, it is very elastic. The timber is so hard it’s said a fence post made of yew will outlast one made of iron.

No one knows why yews were planted in churchyards, but there are more than 500 churchyards in the UK that contain yews older than the church itself. The beautiful chestnut-brown colour and groups of pin knots and fine texture of the timber also make it sought after for furniture construction.

Treecreepers and nuthatches

The treecreeper (Certhia familiaris) is a charming little bird that lives among trees, working its way up the trunk and along branches in rather mouselike hops and runs, then dropping down to the foot of the next tree. The curved beak and creeping movement are the things to look out for. At only about 12cm in length this is a bird that suffers in hard winters because it lives exclusively on small bark insects. Both sexes build the nest, either in a tree crevice or sometimes in ivy, and both incubate and feed the young.

Nuthatches (Sitta europaea) are slightly larger and stouter than treecreepers. They are the only bird that habitually goes down trees headfirst (at one time it was even thought to sleep head down – but this may be an old wives’ tale) and can be seen going up and down the trunk with jerky dashes. The nest is made in a tree hole, with the entrance reduced to the correct size with beakfuls of mud.

Lapwings

Also known as the green plover, or peewit, the name lapwing derives from their springtime aerial displays, when their wings make a loud lapping noise. Their call of ‘pee-wit, pee-wit’ explains another of their common names.

Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) are gregarious and generally live in large flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes joining up with other waders or starlings. They frequent farmland and breed in damp rushy fields and coastal marshes, building a shallow nest on the ground. The chicks are precocial and able to feed themselves immediately on worms and insects, under the care of both parents.

Some lapwings are resident and some migrate west or south, but many more arrive on the east coast in autumn from the continent.

Wrens and Ivy

Ivy (Hedera helix) is a climbing plant that can reach the height of 30 metres. It has two leaf types: palmate-lobed young leaves on the climbing stems and unlobed cordate adult leaves on the
owering stems. The
owers bloom in autumn to early winter, producing copious amounts of nectar that attracts bees and butter
flies as most
flowers are long gone by this time of year. The fruit is green, gradually turning purple-black, and is a valuable food source for birds, like wrens, who nest and roost in the safety of the leaves.

Wrens (Troglodytes troglodytes) are busy little birds found all over the UK. Probably the ­ rst sign one is nearby will be the sharp alarm call, which is remarkably loud for such a small bird, followed by a brown
ash as it darts about low to the ground. When they are perching, look out for their distinctive cocked tail that they
ick repeatedly. Wrens feed on insects and spiders and the population can be devastated by a severe winter, as they must eat constantly to maintain their tiny frames.

What type of Tit is it? 

• The blue tit (Parus caeruleus) is most common and recognisable by its blue cap and yellow breast. This sociable bird gangs up with other types of tit as well as goldcrests and warblers in winter. It is the most likely nest-box occupant. 
• The great tit (Parus major) is the largest, with a black head, white cheeks and yellow body with a smart black bib.
• The long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus) is unmistakable with its black and pink body, white crown and exaggeratedly long tail. You’re most likely to encounter it in woodland, sometimes in large numbers and with other breeds of tit.
• The coal tit (Parus ater) is black and grey with white cheeks, and has a white stripe on the back of its black head that distinguishes it from the marsh tit. 
• The marsh tit (Parus palustris) is similar in appearance to the coal tit, but sleeker, with a glossy crown and it lacks the white stripe on the nape.

CANADA GOOSE

The handsome Canada goose (Branta canadensis) can live for up to 30 years, was introduced from North America and has adapted successfully. In some places, it is so numerous it is considered a nuisance. The ­ rst birds were imported in 1665 as exotic additions to the wildfowl collection of King Charles II in St James’s Park, but it wasn’t until last century that they really began to breed in the wild.

Adult birds mate for life and typically raise ­ ve goslings. The goose incubates the eggs with the gander standing guard and both birds raise the young.



Moles
Moles produce the molehills much bemoaned by gardeners. Although they live underground, moles do surface occasionally, especially in winter when earthworms, their favourite food, is plentiful. The young surface to find new territory.

Did you know? 

• Moles have tiny or invisible eyes and ears, but they have a powerful sense of smell.
• They have short, powerful front legs with large paws for digging. 
• The mole finds its way about its tunnels by signals produced by ‘vibrissae’, the sensitive hairs on its face, feet and tail, and ‘Elmer’s organs’, which are tiny papillae on the end of its nose.
• Their fur can lie at any angle, allowing it to go backwards as well as forwards through the tunnels.
• Moles build a single chamber with interconnecting tunnels and can dig 30 metres of new tunnel in 24 hours.
• Moles are found from sea level to high altitude in all kinds of soil, but it is rare to see one above ground.
• Moles are mainly solitary.
• They are carnivorous – a mole eats its own body weight per day.
• Their favourite food is earthworms, but they will also eat insect larvae and other invertebrates. When food is plentiful the mole will bite and paralyse its prey, storing it in its chamber until needed.
• If moles feed entirely on worms they do not need to drink, as worms are 85 per cent water.
• Moles make various noises, including squeaks and purrs.
• A normal litter size is three; they only have one litter per year and weaning takes place at 31 days.
• Their gestation period is 28 days.
• Moles live for three to five years. 
• It is also called the mouldwarp.

SLOE GIN
Sloes are the fruit of the blackthorn – a common hedgerow plant.

Although too sour to eat they add a delightful fruity flavour to gin. Traditionally they should not be harvested until after the first frost of the winter. The almonds are optional, but add depth.

Makes a 1-litre bottle of sloe gin

• 500g sloes, pricked all over
• 300g granulated sugar
• 8 almonds (or 3 drops of almond essence)

In a 2-litre preserving jar (you can use bottles, but that makes retrieving the sloes at a later date very difficult) add a layer of pricked sloes, then sugar and an almond, and continue in layers until all the fruit and sugar is used up. Pour over the gin and cover the jar securely. Put in a cool dark place.

Shake the jar whenever you are passing (or at least two or three times a week) for three months and then leave for a further six months. Strain the liquid and pour into bottles through a funnel. Don’t forget to add a label with the vintage date.

No need to waste the gin-soaked fruit: squeeze the stones out, melt some dark chocolate, add the fruit – you’ve made an unusual liqueur chocolate.

An Illustrated Country Year: Nature Uncovered Month By Month, by Celia Lewis, is published by Bloomsbury, priced £20.