December heralds the start of three months of cold weather birding.
Species are thin on the ground, frost and snow are thick.
The month's best bird has just as much chance of turning up at a garden feeding station as it does of making landfall at some more famous bird site. But cold as it is, venture beyond the sitting-room and you could pick up some interesting bits and pieces. And don't forget to check every passing Scoter. More likely you'll spot a Grey Phalorope, a flurry of Snow Buntings or a posse of Shore Larks. Now might also be the time to rediscover your nearest sewage works.