Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and Iolo Williams present the spectacular return of Winterwatch

“The theme of Winterwatch is resilience and renewal. In the winter wildlife needs to be resilient to get through the colder, leaner months. Only the tough survive. Then spring brings warmth, respite and renewal.”

Wise words indeed from Michaela Strachan, who is back on the BBC to co-present the latest Winterwatch series alongside her old mates Chris Packham and Iolo Williams.

Her advice on wildlife-spotting is simple and to the point too: “The best tip I can give is to spend time outdoors! I know that sounds obvious, but winter is a time where people tend to hibernate. But if you get the right gear on, wrap up warm and make the effort to go out into the natural world, you will be rewarded.

“Do a bit of research, find out where to go to see some fab wildlife, especially all the great winter spectacles. Starling murmurations are such a treat to see, a spectacular aerial ballet. Winter flocks of noisy pink footed geese are always a memorable sight.

“Personally I love just walking in a wood on a crisp winter day, searching for fungi and appreciating the beauty, the colours and the structure.”

However, those who don’t feel like traipsing through the wilderness needn’t worry – sometimes you don’t have to go to nature, because it comes to you.

“Sitting with a cuppa watching the birds that come to a garden bird feeder,” is how Strachan describes her favourite way of getting up close to the natural world. “It’s such a simple, accessible, wildlife pleasure. In winter the most important thing to do for wildlife is to provide food and water. Any supplementing you can do is going to be vital.

“Further afield, a visit to one of the grey seal colonies is well worth the effort. It’s a sensation for many of your senses! It’s noisy, smelly and visual. The newborn pups are incredibly cute and the interactions between all the individuals can be mesmerising.”

As for the programme itself, Strachan is looking forward to returning to RSPB Arne in Dorset, where last year’s Springwatch also took place.

“It’s always interesting to see the changes in different seasons. It’s difficult to know exactly what we will see and the weather is a big factor. Obviously, it’s a tough time of the year for wildlife – it’s either desperately trying to find enough food to survive or it has completely slowed down to conserve as much energy as possible.

“My favourite part of any Watches are the live cameras. Every season they bring something to surprise us, something we weren’t expecting, something unscripted and I always love that. We’re hoping to see the resident white-tailed eagles as they hunt for winter food, the resident foxes who will be active at this time of year and all the birds of prey that call Arne their home.”

So, no need to wrap up home – just grab the beverage of your choice and watch the wonders of the season unfold.