040 / / JANUARY 2017
t might be midwinter, but bleak? Forget
it! While some of the animal kingdom has
settled down to hibernate through the short
days, our fields and woods are still packed
with life and our shores thronging with migrant species.
From the end of January, this year’sWinterwatch Live
will bring you the highlights of the season from Dorset’s
RSPB Arne. A mixture of open heath and old oak woodland,
this 563-hectare reserve – just a stone’s throw from Poole
Harbour – is the winter home of up to 30,000 wildfowl and
wading birds. Expect the much-loved black-and-white
avocet to make an early appearance, as well as migrants such
as wigeon, shoveler, teal and pintail ducks.
You might be lucky enough to spot deer and badgers in our
woods and nature reserves, but you’ll need to be organised, as
they keep unsocial (to humans) hours. And a blustery beach
walk in certain parts of the country will bring sightings of the
UK’s resident grey seals, which come ashore to give birth.
At this time of year, there’s no shortage of action away from
the water, either. A harsh winter may drive migrant fieldfares
into gardens, with flock numbers swollen by another seasonal
visitor, the redwing. The eastern side of the UK is also a winter
retreat for Scandinavian waxwings, whose taste for rowan
and hawthorn berries often leads them to descend flashmob-
style on landscaped supermarket car parks.
With such rich pickings on offer, winter is also a great time
to watch birds of prey in action: the drama of a sparrowhawk
strike might unfold on your doorstep, while a bracing coastal
walk could offer up merlins, and marsh and hen harriers.
But less dramatic winter wonders can be equally magical.
The sight of a butterfly on a sunny January day is increasingly
common – a consequence of rising temperatures. In recent
years, red admirals, painted ladies and peacock butterflies,
among others, have all been spotted.
I
With so many animals
hibernating, what are you
likely to see on a walk or at
a nature reserve in winter?Where the life is