BBC Wildlife - UK (2019-12)

Cover: Robin: Damian Waters; penguin: Stefan Christmann; hedgehog: Ingo Arndt/NPL; This page: Klaus Echle/naturepl.com

December 2019 BBC Wildlife 3

A

s withmostparents,

Christmastimefindsme

lookingbacktomyown

childhood.Andit surprises

mehowmanyofmy

memoriesrelatesomehowtomyloveof

nature.DecoratingtheChristmascake,

forexample,andthemagicmomentof

pullingouttheboxofdecorations,tiny

hunksofwhiteicingstuckfastfromlast

Christmas.It wasn’tjustsnowmenand

chimneysthatadornedthefreshroyal

icing,butthatmostfestiveofbirds– the

robin.Butwhyis ourred-breastedfriend

soassociatedwithChristmas?That’s

oneofthequestionsweaskedStephen

Mosstoanswerforusinourcover

featureonpage54.

Andaswelay

thisissuetobed,

I’mstruckbyother

childhoodmemories.

ChaeStrathie’sfeature

onpage 70 bringstomind

mywell-worncopyofTheWorld

of Pooh, whichmysonandI now

readtogether,andremindsmeof

howmanyofusfirstfallinlovewith

animalsthroughstorybooks.

OnbehalfofallofusatBBCWildlife

Magazine, letmewishyoualla happy

Christmas,anda peaceful2020!

In a winter wonderland

Getyour Contactus

digitalcopy

uya digitaleditionof

BCWildlifeMagazinefor

OS,Android,KindleFire,

C orMac.VisitiTunes,

heGooglePlaystore,

mazonorzinio.com

o findoutmore.

Some animals skip Christmas

altogether, such as this fat (or

edible) dormouse, which passes

the winter festivities snug as

the proverbial bug in its nest.

Get the lowdown on the science

behind hibernation on p62.

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Paul McGuinness

Editor

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