12 wild ways

It’s lovely to hunker down in December, but hunkering down after a country ramble is even better. Around woods, fields and lakes or even your garden here are 12 ways to connect to nature this winter

- Rebecca Gibson, Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust volunteer

1. Frost photography

On cold mornings, look for the stunning patterns left by Jack Frost. These make beautiful photos and you don’t need a high-end camera to capture great frost pictures, getting close with a smartphone will show beautiful detail. Look around the edges of leaves and on cobwebs – frost here can be particularly beautiful.

2. Nature’s ballet

Up close, starlings have a stunning iridescent sheen to their feathers but perhaps the most exciting thing about this bird is its habitual group-flying during winter. Just before dusk starlings gather to perform aerial displays known as murmurations. These are regularly seen at Tring Reservoirs – wrap up and visit for a mesmerizing dusk-time experience.

3. Animal detective

If this Christmas is a white one, turn detective and look for animal tracks in fresh snow. Fox prints are very similar to those of small dogs but are typically narrower and diamond-shaped. Keep an eye out for bird prints too such as the long, thin arrowhead marks of ground-dwelling species such as pheasants.

4. Stargaze