THE arctic conditions experienced across the region of late continue to play havoc with our daily lives, but, if we think it's tough going, for much of our wildlife it's a matter of life and death. Most birds can survive a short, cold snap relatively easily but a protracted covering of snow and ice is a different matter. They have to make a decision: either move out, with all the hazards that entails, or sit tight and try to find food locally.

Many of our resident garden birds do the latter, and thankfully many of us put out food on a regular basis which helps them survive. I've certainly noticed an increase in species visiting our coastal garden recently, including parties of long-tailed tits which seem to be attracted to the fat balls. In extreme weather, birds can behave atypically in their desperation for food, and a garden at St Marys-in-the-Marsh had a pair of jays taking peanuts from a hanging feeder in the manner of a great tit!

Out around Midley the other day I was amazed at the numbers of winter thrushes plundering the roadside hawthorn berries. There must have been thousands in the area and I watched one particular bush with a hundred fieldfares being stripped in a matter of minutes. Redwings and fieldfares are used to the cold of northern Europe but they still need to be constantly on the move searching for open pasture and berry bushes. The large waxwing flocks found in Folkestone and Hythe over the past few weeks seem to have dispersed but smaller more mobile flocks have continued to be reported from across the Marsh. They too are seeking out berry bushes, but are more likely to be encountered in urban areas, such as retail parks and supermarket car parks where verges are planted with ornamental berry-bearing shrubs.

Normally at this time of year there are large flocks of lapwings and golden plovers on the wet fields around Walland Marsh but I could find none recently. Snipe and woodcock, however, with their cryptic brown plumage, have been easy to find as they search out damp patches to probe for worms and the like.

Bitterns have been concentrated on the few ice-free lakes available and there has been no better place to watch them than at the Dungeness RSPB reserve. During a couple of visits last week I saw five from the comfort of the visitors centre that overlooks Burrowes Pit, and the following day three at close range from one of the hides. Bitterns really are terrific birds to watch and mid winter at Dungeness is one of the best sites in the country to see this enigmatic member of the heron tribe.

The society are running three organised bird walks in January, one specifically for bitterns, so why not sign on to one for a New Year treat? For further information contact the RSPB at the visitors centre, by telephone on 01797 320588 or e-mail dungeness@rspb.org.uk

Paul Trodd, together with his wife Pat run Romney Marsh Birdwatching Breaks.

For further details visit www.plovers.co.uk