“What was that?” exclaimed Harriet the Hare! This portrait of a female European hare captures that moment when she looks around, having been alerted to possible approaching danger by those incredible ears. Harriet’s eyes were a joy to work on! I just had to keep adding colour, not to falsely draw attention to them, but simply to replicate the intense beauty of the real thing. She truly is an endearing character.

Red foxes are members of the dog family and are incredibly adaptable. The spread of towns and cities that threatens so many species seems to have provided only new habitats for this intelligent opportunist, and these days you are just as likely to see a fox in a city as the countryside. They have even been successfully domesticated in some parts of Russia.

Your first clue one of these striking birds is near is likely to be the familiar 'drumming' sound they make with their powerful beaks. This hammering - made possible by the cushion of air-and-bone between their bill and skull - is used primarily to make contact with the opposite sex. They also use it to dislodge insects and excavate nest holes in old wood. Females lack the red spot the males have on the back of the head.

The Fieldfare is a member of the Thrush family and is easy to confuse with both the Mistle Thrush and Song Thrush. The Fieldfare is an extremely social bird, often seen in winter fields in flocks ranging in size from a few individuals to a few hundred individuals! They are not particularly shy but are generally seen in gardens only in cold winters. I am lucky in that my garden backs onto open fields and so these delightful birds are for me a frequent sight but one I never take for granted.

This stunning little bird is one of my favourites. Thankfully, not in immediate threat, they are often seen in flocks in sourthern Europe, which has to be one of nature's must-see spectacles. I feel privileged when I see the unmistakable flashing colours of these cheeky little visitors in our garden.

The first time I saw a Kingfisher, I thought it was a piece of turqoise tin foil that had become tangled in lakeside reeds - it really was that bright! They do struggle in cold winters, so the UK population can fluctuate hugely. If you have never seen one, I recommend making a special trip to a freshwater nature reserve. You will not be disappointed.