What to see on a winter walk: an experts’ guide to spotting birds, fungi and fossils

With the landscape laid bare, now is the perfect time to explore the stark UK countryside

Daylight is in short supply, paths are treacherous and the weather is both fickle and ferocious: winter is a challenging season for walking. And yet it is also the time when the landscape is laid bare, when we can appreciate the geology, spot the mosses, lichens and fungi, even see the birds more easily: especially the packs of fieldfares, redwings and waxwings hunting the last few berries in the hedge. The night sky is sharper for the cold, and celestial objects are seen more clearly. We asked six experts in different fields what to look out for on a winter walk, wherever that may be.