Surviving the snow: The recent snowy weather turned our towns and countryside into a beautiful white wonderland.

Of course, snow brings its fair share of problems too, causing chaos on the roads.

It’s an even bigger challenge for our wildlife having to survive outdoors without the benefit of central heating.

Upping sticks: Some animals simply avoid the winter chill altogether by migrating (and who could blame them).

Birds such as swallows and reed warblers that come to Britain to breed in the summer head south before the start of winter when food is scarce.

It is not just birds that migrate long distances, surprisingly some insects also make long journeys with the seasons.

Painted lady butterflies travel to Britain to breed in the summer from as far away as North Africa, their offspring heading back southwards in autumn.

Staying in: Other animals avoid winter’s difficulties in a different way, by becoming dormant in the cold conditions.

Our native reptiles and amphibians spend the winter hidden away in frost-free places, such as under stones and logs or underground.

Hedgehogs, bats and dormice are Britain’s only mammals that truly hibernate.

Going into this low-energy ‘standby’ state enables these animals to sleep through the winter, surviving on fat reserves.

Finding food: For those birds and mammals that do not migrate or hibernate through the cold, the solution to survival is finding enough food to provide the energy to maintain their body temperature.

This can be a real challenge as scarce food may be covered by snow, or impossible to reach in the frozen ground.

Larger herbivores like hares and deer may be strong enough to scrape through snow to reach the plants below.

Many plant-eaters turn to stripping bark from trees. Some animals create stores of food earlier in the year in preparation for the hard times to come, such as wood mice that cache nuts in burrows.

Boost for the birds: In snowy conditions, regular feeding can be a real life-saver for birds, so please spare a thought for our feathered friends.

Peanuts, sunflower and niger seeds, fat balls and even fruit like apples and pears are excellent choices.

You may be lucky and get more unusual visitors such as redwing and fieldfares that come to Britain to avoid the even harsher Scandinavian winters. As well as food, it is great to provide ice-free water whenever possible.

The birds will welcome the chance to take a drink and also to bathe. Feathers are superb insulators so it is essential for birds to keep them in good condition during the winter to help them keep warm.

For great ideas for winter wild places and events to visit see What’s On at www.bbowt.org.uk