Winter weather can be glorious – beautiful, cold, crisp days when the sun shines and everything is covered in twinkling frost. That's the day to don your hat and mittens and enjoy the wonder of winter.

There are plenty of tasks for December and its a good month for hedge trimming because you won't disrupt nesting birds.

However, if your hedge contains shrubs with berries, try and leave as many as possible because they're a valuable food source for birds.

You may even be lucky and attract waxwings. These striking, reddish-brown birds with a crest and a black eye mask are particularly fond of Rowan berries.

Surprisingly its also the best time of year to plant trees, so if you want to increase in your garden, choose a lovely native species and get digging!

Food for garden birds is obviously very important over winter and if you have Christmas leftovers like mince pies, crumbled Christmas cake and chopped roast potatoes they are a delicious winter treat.

A regular supply of fresh water should also be available, not just for drinking but bathing too.

Clean, well-preened feathers are essential to protect birds from winter weather and don't forget to break the ice on really cold days!

Finally, you might be surprised to know that your nestboxes may well be occupied despite being a way off the breeding season. Birds will use them as overnight roosting sites to keep out the cold and wrens are particularly keen for a warm wooden hotel!

And you thought the winter would be a quiet one! Have a great Christmas and I look forward to being back with you in the New Year.

Kate

Visit the RSPB here.