Although midwinter can seem lifeless, many sites still have their fair share of wintering and resident birds, with even a slim chance of a scarcity, writes David Callahan

A new year, a fresh start, a chance to do whatever you want with your precious birding time! January is great, embrace the opportunity. How about kicking off the year by enjoying these five great birds?

My sky is never empty. At dawn there may be just a lone crow beating a steady path north, or at dusk, the curiously undulating, huge wings of a heron heading to roost in a willow above the ditch. Duck

Happy New (wildlife-watching) Year to all readers, says James Lowen

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