December in Britain is an unpredictable month, depending on the weather systems arriving from the mild Atlantic or the cold continent.Many areas of the country will experience the first serious snow of the country, especially in Scotland and other upland areas. Small birds forage on berries in parks and gardens, or move to milder southern or coastal areas. Squirrels, deer and other mammals work hard to find sufficient food as the temperatures drop. Meanwhile wildfowl and wader numbers build up on estuaries and wetlands, and starling roosts - often in reedbeds - provide a dramatic spectacle at dusk. Pied wagtails, jackdaws and rooks also huddle together for warmth in tightly-packed roosts. Amongst the bare branches of woodlands, late fungi and liverworts stand out in the bleak midwinter.

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