Every winter, millions of birds travel to the UK to escape the harsher weather that sets in at their breeding grounds; families of whooper swans fly down from Iceland, ducks from across the continent fill our wetlands, and finches, thrushes and other small winter visitors often form flocks from Scandinavia and western Russia during the winter to look for and improve their chances of finding food.

Our resident blue, great, coal and long-tailed tits bulk out the flock alongside thrushes, and goldcrests flit around in the high branches alongside treecreepers and chaffinches.

Look out for the classic winter flock of siskins, redpolls and goldfinches, all hungrily diving and feeding, especially together among the evergreens and winter seed heads.

Our native birds are joined each winter by autumnal-hued bramblings, which visit woodlands and gardens in winter from Scandinavia; and redwing, with their distinctive eye stripe and red or orange streak below the wing, alongside beautifully patterned fieldfares. 

Waxwings, too, can be mistaken at a distance for starlings but on closer inspection, these slimmer, buff coloured glamour-birds with a sharp eyeliner and smart crest make short, raucous work of winter fruits. They can be spotted anywhere from a city centre to a nature reserve, though numbers visiting from Scandinavia and western Russia each year are unpredictable. In some winters, we might only see a handful across the country. In others, there can be flocks across the UK, with some holding hundreds of birds. An influx like this is called an irruption. These years are known as ‘waxwing winters’ and they don’t come around very often – 2023 was a spectacular waxwing winter, and we hope 2024 will be equally as promising.

So where can you enjoy these winter flocks? Most of our migratory visitors usually arrive at the East coast first – our Spurn Point and Flamborough Head nature reserves are great starting points, alongside stubbly fields and anywhere with an abundance of berries.

Flocks of thrushes and finches have already arrived in Yorkshire, however, spreading their way through hill and dale, so keep an eye out wherever you go – or visit Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Askham Bog nature reserve near York or North Cliffe Wood nature reserve near Market Weighton and delight in the seasonal colour whilst you’re there.