Variegated holly looks like common holly but is two toned in colour. This one is yellow and dark green.

Most leaves of deciduous trees have fallen by winter. Trees can be identified at this time of year by looking at their buds. Beech buds are fine, narrow, pointed and rust coloured.

Most leaves of deciduous trees have fallen by winter. Trees can be identified at this time of year by looking at their buds. Horse chestnut is a large, pointed, sticky bud.

The blood red bark of the Dogwood, an understorey shrub, is easily seen at this time of year. It's black berries have already been eaten in the autumn. From medieval times to early this century, butchers used 'dogs' or skewers, made from the hard white wood to hold cuts of meat in shape.

Most leaves of deciduous trees have fallen by winter. Trees can be identified at this time of year by looking at their buds. Hazel buds are small and round. You will also see catkins, the male part of the flower forming at this time of year.

Yew trees are evergreen and are often found in old churchyards. Their leaves are dark green, flattened needles. They can live for as long as 2000 years. It is said they were planted in times when people used bows and arrows, so that their tough, strong branches could be cut to make bows. Yew leaves and their red or purple berries are poisonous. Thrushes and blackbirds swallow a lot, but usually spew them up again. If you look near a Yew tree you may see this.

Despite their popular appearances on Christmas cards, the robin is a common garden bird that stays with us all year round. They are very territorial and will fight off other robins on their patch. You can help birds by putting out suitable bird food and making sure they have water to drink and bathe in that hasn't frozen over. If you put up new nest boxes or cleaned out old ones in the autumn, this is the time of year to put some clean hay or wood shavings in them as birds may use them as a winter roost site. Look at the RSPB website to find out how to take part in their winter survey called the Big Garden Birdwatch.

In winter, mosses gleam with a strange brightness on the forest floor, stones, dead wood and tree trunks. Moss plants photosynthesise/make their own food like other plants. All of the cells in a moss plant can make their own food so they don't need a system to circulate food like other plants do. Moss plants reproduce using spores, which blow away in the wind. For more than a hundred million years, moss and mushrooms had the land to themselves, but then, about 400 million years ago these early mosses evolved into the earliest ferns.

There are many different types of lichen. They live on rocks, branches, houses; even metal. They appear to have crusty, leafy, or shrubby growths. A lichen is more than a single thing. It is a thriving relationship between two different types of living organisms: a fungus and an alga. Neither of these organisms is a plant, so the lichen isn't a plant either.

Throughout history, people have used different species to make fabric dyes, poisons for arrowheads, and "green"-smelling scents for perfumes. Birds use lichens to make nests. Reindeer and other animals, including some people, eat them. (Don't try this at home - some species taste awful!)

Scientists have found a new role for these growths: as environmental watchdogs. They are good monitors of air quality. When you see lichens growing it is usually a good sign that the air is clear and the environment healthy. Their disappearance, however, can be a warning sign.

Scots pine is a different kind of evergreen; its leaves grow in pairs of thin, long needles. They have a lovely scent, and when they fall, the forest ants use them for buildings nests. It has rough red bark. Pine cones are the fruit of the tree containing lots of seeds which are scattered by the wind.

Scots pine is a different kind of evergreen; its leaves grow in pairs of thin, long needles. They have a lovely scent, and when they fall, the forest ants use them for buildings nests. It has rough red bark. Pine cones are the fruit of the tree containing lots of seeds which are scattered by the wind.

Many ferns are still green against the background of brown fallen leaves in winter. Ferns were the first plants with leaves to have evolved from moss about 360 million years ago. Like moss, most ferns grow in places where there is plenty of water usually near the banks of streams. But eventually some ferns were able to figure out how to live in dry places too.

When flowering plants evolved, about 100 million years ago, they were more successful than ferns and began to take over most of the places where ferns had grown. Perhaps in response, ferns evolved quickly into new forms, becoming more like modern ferns. Today ferns grow mainly in places where flowering plants can't grow because it is too wet or too shady or the soil is too acidic, or there isn't enough soil (like in cracks in rocks). Some ferns have evolved to live on the flowering plants themselves, growing right on the trunks of living trees.

Hedgehogs, bats and frogs are our only animals that hibernate through the winter. They are nocturnal mammals. If they visit your garden you can feed them dog or cat food and some water. Avoid using slug pellets in your garden as they will kill hedgehogs too. If you have a steep sided pond in your garden, create some sort of a ramp from boards or chicken wire as an escape route to prevent hedgehogs from drowning. Make sure any household drains are covered to stop them from falling in. Hedgehogs can be seriously injured by garden forks or spades- be careful when working with piles of leaf litter or twigs, or lighting bonfires - a hedgehog may be hidden in them.

Many people like to decorate their homes with this spiky leaved evergreen at Christmas time. Holly can be found in the understorey or shrub layer of woodlands and in hedgerows.

The bright red berries are ripe at this time of year for birds such as fieldfares, redwings and mistle thrushes to feed on. The seeds inside the berries are then spread when they pass through the birds gut and land in the bird's droppings later. Both fieldfares and redwings are winter visitors; they breed in the north and come south to avoid the cold weather.

Many people think that squirrels hibernate in winter, but this is not true. They are less active in winter to conserve their energy when food is in short supply but they will return to their hidden nut stores several times during this period. The red squirrel is native to Ireland. The grey squirrel was introduced to Ireland from North America in Victorian times because travellers thought they were cute and cuddly. Unfortunately, over time, numbers of red squirrels have fallen as numbers of grey squirrels have risen. The survival of the red squirrel is now under threat. The greys compete with the reds for places to live and food to eat. The greys also carry and spread a disease called a pox virus which kills the reds. Loss of suitable woodland habitat has also caused numbers of red squirrels to fall.

If there are red squirrels in your area you can feed them hazel nuts in their shells, unsalted peanuts without shells, whole maize kernels and cuttlefish to help prevent calcium deficiency. If both reds and greys are in your area you can get special red squirrel feeders which prevent the larger grey squirrels from getting at the food.

You can help red squirrels by reporting sightings to CEDaR, National Museums Northern Ireland, 153 Bangor Road, Cultra, Co. Down, BT18 0EU, Tel: 028 9039 5264, cedar.info@magni.org.uk.

If you find a dead red squirrel please contact the NIEA Wildlife Officer, Tel: 028 9054 6558.

Many people think that squirrels hibernate in winter, but this is not true. They are less active in winter to conserve their energy when food is in short supply but they will return to their hidden nut stores several times during this period. The red squirrel is native to Ireland. The grey squirrel was introduced to Ireland from North America in Victorian times because travellers thought they were cute and cuddly. Unfortunately, over time, numbers of red squirrels have fallen as numbers of grey squirrels have risen. The survival of the red squirrel is now under threat. The greys compete with the reds for places to live and food to eat. The greys also carry and spread a disease called a pox virus which kills the reds. Loss of suitable woodland habitat has also caused numbers of red squirrels to fall.

If there are red squirrels in your area you can feed them hazel nuts in their shells, unsalted peanuts without shells, whole maize kernels and cuttlefish to help prevent calcium deficiency. If both reds and greys are in your area you can get special red squirrel feeders which prevent the larger grey squirrels from getting at the food.

You can help red squirrels by reporting sightings to CEDaR, National Museums Northern Ireland, 153 Bangor Road, Cultra, Co. Down, BT18 0EU, Tel: 028 9039 5264, cedar.info@magni.org.uk.

If you find a dead red squirrel please contact the NIEA Wildlife Officer, Tel: 028 9054 6558.

Holm oak is an evergreen. It does shed its leaves, but not all at once, mostly in the spring. It looks very different to the common oak, which it is related to. It is a fine growing tree.

Ivy flowers in December, giving a rich supply of honey to winter moths and insects that survived the autumn. If you look closely at the ivy, you will see a few greenish-purple berries forming which will ripen in the spring to a dark purple colour.

Ivy flowers in December, giving a rich supply of honey to winter moths and insects that survived the autumn. If you look closely at the ivy, you will see a few greenish-purple berries forming which will ripen in the spring to a dark purple colour.

Sometimes we can give birds a helping hand by putting up nest boxes. It's getting harder for birds to find good places to nest these days because of us. We tidy up our gardens and the countryside too much; cutting down dead trees with holes for birds to nest in.

This basic design, a wooden box with a hole in it, can be adapted for different bird species by changing the size of the entrance hole.

Autumn's the best time of year to put up a nest box. This gives the birds plenty of time to investigate before nesting the next spring.

Always make sure you have permission and get an adult to put up your nest box. Choose a sheltered spot facing between North and East away from cold winds and hot sunshine. Tilt it forward slightly to avoid driving rain. It will need to be at least 3m high from the ground to make most garden birds feel safe. Check there is nothing blocking the entrance to stop birds from flying in. If you are attaching it to a tree be careful not to damage the bark and use wire around the trunk instead of nails, cushioned with something like a bit of old hose pipe or rubber.

Clean your box out once a year in the autumn when the birds have stopped using it. Remove any nesting material and clean with boiling water to kill any nasty bugs. Let it dry properly before putting the lid back on. If you put a little bit of clean hay or woodshavings in the box some birds may use it as a winter roost site.

You could experiment by putting up boxes in different places, at different heights with different sized entrance holes.

You have to be patient and wait. Birds mightn't use your box for a while. Try another spot if you don't have much luck after a nesting season or two. Don't be tempted to peek into nest boxes when they are being used as this will disturb the birds. Just watch from a distance.

Crocuses are a cultivated garden plant in Ireland. Wild crocuses are native to a large area from coastal and subalpine areas of central and southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, across Central Asia to western China.

In Ireland, Daffodils are always planted or from our gardens, and have never truly naturalised. The wild daffodil is a native of damp woods and grasslands in England and Wales and has spread to Scotland.

The chaffinch is the UK's second most common breeding bird after the wren, and is the most colourful of the UK's finches. Its patterned plumage helps it to blend in when feeding on the ground and it becomes most obvious when it flies, revealing a flash of white on the wings and white outer tail feathers. The male has a reddish breast while the female has a brown breast. It does not feed openly on bird feeders - it prefers to hop about under the bird table or under the hedge. It likes to eat insects and seeds. You'll usually hear chaffinches before you see them, with their loud song and varied calls. They have a loud, 'pink-pink' alarm call.

Chaffinches can be seen all year round in woodlands, hedgerows, fields, parks and gardens anywhere.

They nest in hedgerows, bushes or tree-forks, building a neat cup of grass, moss and lichens, lined with hair.

Frogs are amphibians; animals which can survive both in and out of water. In early spring, they come out of their winter hibernation to breed and lay their eggs or frogspawn in ponds. Frogs have a life cycle which involves a number of changes. This is called metamorphosis. The eggs are the first part of their life cycle. The eggs hatch into tadpoles. They use gills to breathe. They are herbivores living on algae growing on pond weed. Finally the tadpoles change to small frogs which are carnivores. The whole process takes twelve weeks. From then on frogs spend most of their time out of the water.

If you wish to study the frog life cycle you can collect some spawn as soon as it appears. Take only a handful of spawn and some pond weed leaving most of the spawn in the pond. Keep the spawn in a dish or bowl. Change the water every 2-3 days. Keep the container out of direct sunlight. As the tadpoles' back legs start to grow they begin to eat meat. Tiny bits of cat or dog food is ideal. As their tails shrink and the froglets lose their gills and begin to breathe air, they will start to crawl out of the water. You must provide them with small stones on which they can climb. When they reach this stage you MUST release them back into the wild as only in their natural habitat will they be able to find the constant supply of insects they need. Be sure to put them back in the pond or lake where you found the original spawn to ensure the adult frogs have the correct environment to live in.

Gorse, also called whin or furze, is a very common prickly shrub which produces lots of yellow pea-like flowers in spring (and stays in bloom almost all the year round).

Spring flowers come out in a sequence. Lesser celandine usually appears after the snowdrop, and is followed by wood anemone and bluebell. Each flower brings a new colour to the woodland floor. It is very common in damp, shady places. Its leaves are heart shaped and grow on long stalks.

The chaffinch is the UK's second most common breeding bird after the wren, and is the most colourful of the UK's finches. Its patterned plumage helps it to blend in when feeding on the ground and it becomes most obvious when it flies, revealing a flash of white on the wings and white outer tail feathers. The male has a reddish breast while the female has a brown breast. It does not feed openly on bird feeders - it prefers to hop about under the bird table or under the hedge. It likes to eat insects and seeds. You'll usually hear chaffinches before you see them, with their loud song and varied calls. They have a loud, 'pink-pink' alarm call.

Chaffinches can be seen all year round in woodlands, hedgerows, fields, parks and gardens anywhere.

You could carry out an experiment to see what materials birds like to use to build nests by hanging out a nesting sock. Stuff an old sock with a mixture of materials like dried grass, moss, shredded paper and wool scraps. Separate the different materials by either twisting and knotting the sock or tying off portions of the sock with string. Cut holes in the sock and pull some of the stuffing through to allow the birds to see what's inside. Hang the sock somewhere at home where you can have fun watching birds trying to transport stuff to their nest and by watching which species use which materials.

This is the first flower to be seen in spring. It first grows in early January underneath the trees in the woods. The bulb at the bottom of the stem allows it to get an early start. It is able to grow and produce seeds before the leaves are on the trees. All spring flowers use the same trick. They have bulbs or thick roots that store energy.

Trees are also flowering plants. This is obvious with fruit trees like the cherry which has a lovely pink blossom. Other trees have flowers called catkins. These are not brightly coloured because they do not rely on insects for pollination. They use the wind to blow pollen from male to female flowers. There are few insects about in the spring so pollination by insects is useless. The catkin is the downy male part of the flower which hangs down from the branches of the tree. The female part of the flower is much smaller. The willow, hazel and alder have catkins. The catkins are easily seen as they appear before the leaves. Hazel catkins are often called 'lambstails' and Goat willow is often called 'pussy willow' due to the soft, velvety grey catkins.

Trees are also flowering plants. This is obvious with fruit trees like the cherry which has a lovely pink blossom. Other trees have flowers called catkins. These are not brightly coloured because they do not rely on insects for pollination. They use the wind to blow pollen from male to female flowers. There are few insects about in the spring so pollination by insects is useless. The catkin is the downy male part of the flower which hangs down from the branches of the tree. The female part of the flower is much smaller. The willow, hazel and alder have catkins. The catkins are easily seen as they appear before the leaves. Hazel catkins are often called 'lambstails' and Goat willow is often called 'pussy willow' due to the soft, velvety grey catkins.

Trees are also flowering plants. This is obvious with fruit trees like the cherry which has a lovely pink blossom. Other trees have flowers called catkins. These are not brightly coloured because they do not rely on insects for pollination. They use the wind to blow pollen from male to female flowers. There are few insects about in the spring so pollination by insects is useless. The catkin is the downy male part of the flower which hangs down from the branches of the tree. The female part of the flower is much smaller. The willow, hazel and alder have catkins. The catkins are easily seen as they appear before the leaves. Hazel catkins are often called 'lambstails' and Goat willow is often called 'pussy willow' due to the soft, velvety grey catkins.

Birds spend a lot of time singing in spring to attract a mate or defend a territory, before building their nests, laying their eggs and raising their young. Nesting sites are difficult to spot in trees and hedgerows. Female birds that usually sit on the eggs have dull feathers so that they are camouflaged from other animals that could be after their eggs. You may be lucky to see birds flying to and fro, carrying materials for nest building, broken eggshells on the ground from hatched chicks, or hear nestlings cheep as they call for food.

Do not be tempted to get too close to nesting birds: if you disturb the parents they may abandon their eggs. Only ever take old nests which are not being used any more, in the autumn for your nature table. If you are unsure, leave them as you find them. If you find a nest made out of mud, don't disturb it: the same birds may return to it next year.

You could carry out an experiment to see what materials birds like to use to build nests by hanging out a nesting sock. Stuff an old sock with a mixture of materials like dried grass, moss, shredded paper and wool scraps. Separate the different materials by either twisting and knotting the sock or tying off portions of the sock with string. Cut holes in the sock and pull some of the stuffing through to allow the birds to see what's inside. Hang the sock somewhere at home where you can have fun watching birds trying to transport stuff to their nest and by watching which species use which materials.

It has white, delicate flowers with lilac veins. The clover shaped leaves often carpet woodland floors. The leaves, which were used in salads, have a very sharp taste.