I have tried to keep this fairly simple to start with. There are no prizes but hopefully it will encourage you to look out for things on your walks.

Perhaps you won't find the things mentioned but you are sure to find something new and interesting.

Bullfinches are not common at Pickerings Pasture but are seen in January most years. The males are very distinctive with their salmon pink breast feathers, shiny black crown and grey back. They show a distinctive white rump as they fly away and there is a white patch in their wings. The females are much less conspicuous but they are often seen together. Their soft piping call is very distinctive.

 The best place to look for bullfinches is in the hedgerows as they seldom move far from cover.

Snipe are 27cm long including its 7cm long, straight bill. It is brown streaked with pale buff and has a striped crown. It has quite short legs and is very secretive. However if the weather gets icy they are often come out to feed in the muddy areas around reed beds. They eat worms, molluscs and seeds.

 The best place to see snipe is around the scrape pool or simply standing along the edges of the islands.

Stoats are part of the mustelid family which also includes weasels and otters. It has a rich reddish-brown coat with white underparts. They are 44 cm long including its 11cm tail which always has a black tip. The weasel is smaller.

The best place to see stoats is where the rabbits hang out - their favourite food.

Zonal fungus is usually found on rotting wood. These are the fruiting bodies and produce spores: the hyphae (roots) are working within the stump helping with the decomposition. There are also several other fungi around the Pastures at the moment.

The best places to see fungi are from the pathways, looking into the undergrowth.