Position yourself in a pop-up hide, or from within a window or shed, using a telephoto focal length in the region of 200-400mm, to pre-focus on the perch while you wait for your quarry. Try increasing your ISO rating to get a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the subject, but also use a tripod to remove any risk of camera movement.

Birds from the finch family are fantastic winter subjects due their bright plumage – the bullfinch and chaffinch both display bright red breasts. The most iconic of winter birds, the robin, can also be easily baited but it’s not just what bait you use but how you bait it that affects what type of bird you attract. A hanging baited perch, for instance, is likely to draw in robins and a range of finches and tits; a low perch will attract blackbirds, chaffinches and dunnocks. Peanuts are almost universally popular, but nyjer seeds will attract finches and goldfinches while fat balls and suet blocks should lure blue, great and coal tits as well as starlings. Do your research if there are certain types of birds that frequent your garden to see what will entice them to stay and return more frequently.