Birds to spot through the seasons

A swallow in flight against a blue sky — Migrating barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) in flight over Trevose Head, Cornwall | © National Trust Images/Nick Upton

The activity and types of birds are one of the ways we mark the changing seasons, from the noise and bustle of spring to migratory birds coming or going in autumn, and winter’s feeding frenzy. Discover what birds you may spot and where to see them, whether that's in your local area or at the places we look after. Please remember to not feed waterbirds while you're out enjoying some birdwatching.

Top tips for bird spotting

If you’re confused between two species, try reading about them and then seeking each species out in its natural habitat. The more you read up on its description and the more you experience its behaviour, the better you’ll get at spotting it.

Understanding the structure of birds’ bodies and the terms used – particularly for different groups of feathers – is useful knowledge to have to hand in the field, especially when using identification guides.

Feeding birds safely

Always avoid feeding waterbirds such as ducks and swans. To safely feed garden birds, follow these top tips:

• Buy accredited bird food from reputable sources
• Only provide food for a few days or feed in moderation to avoid food going off
• Keep bird feeders separated so birds aren’t in too close contact
• Regularly clean and disinfect feeders
• Wash your hands thoroughly after handling bird feeders/faeces

Signs of spring in birdlife

Spring is a season of rapid change and activity for birds, and a great time of year to get out and see what you can spot.

In early spring, winter visitors like fieldfares (colourful thrushes with an upright, purposeful hopping movement) and redwings (small thrushes with a distinctive cream strip above the eye and red-orange patches below their wings) head back to their breeding grounds. Meanwhile, resident birds will be busy nesting.

The places in our care are home to a wide variety of native and visiting birds. Here’s what to look out for in spring and where to see some of these incredible moments in nature’s calendar:

Wren chicks peer out of a mossy nest under a metal roof — Nesting wren chicks at Harewoods in Surrey | © National Trust Images/Andrew Wright

Nesting

Some of our resident birds are busy making nests. Spot groups of rooks in their rookeries as early as February, building nests in the treetops from twigs and sticks. From the top of the keep at Tattershall Castle, Lincolnshire, you can look down into a rookery. Robins and blackbirds soon follow, nesting in March. Robins make cup-shaped nests close to or on the ground in enclosed spots, such as among tree roots. If you see a nest in spring, keep well back to avoid disturbing the birds.

A willow warbler perches in a green-leaved tree — Willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) in an alder tree on Lundy Island, Devon | © National Trust Images/Nick Upton

Early arrivals

Migratory birds start to arrive, ready for the summer. One of the earliest is the rare woodlark, seen from February at places including Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire. It has streaky brown feathers, and you may notice its remarkably short tail and rounded wings when in flight. March and April see the arrival of the willow warbler and the chiffchaff with their distinctive songs and the chiffchaff’s characteristic tail-wagging movement.

Meadow pipit perched on cliff edge grassland among Spring squill and Sea thrift flowers, Pentire, Cornwall — Meadow Pipit, Pentire | © National Trust Images/Nick Upton

Spring song

The moors of the Peak District and the Long Mynd in Shropshire are among the best places to hear the song of skylarks and meadow pipits. If you’re very lucky, you may hear the beautiful, bubbling call of the curlew. The upland heath and wet flushes of the Long Mynd also provide a valuable habitat for birds such as the snipe. The Royal Society for the Protection of Bird's (RSPB) Birds A–Z has audio clips of the songs for all these birds and more, to help you identify them from their calls.

Look up a bird and its song on the Birds A-Z (RSPB)

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Migrating birds arrive for summer

Bird migration has fascinated people for millennia. And now science is unravelling the mystery, revealing that the birds’ journeys are even more amazing than we had thought.

The uplifting sight of migratory birds like swallows, swifts and house martins signify summer for many of us as they start to arrive in late spring.

How to distinguish swallows, swifts and house martins

Swallows glide gracefully, low to the ground or in treetops. They have a red throat, white underside and a distinctive forked tail with streamers. Swifts live on the wing and, as their name suggests, they fly fast and high. They’re a dark sooty brown, with a short forked tail and crescent-shaped wings in flight. House martins are smallest of the three and have the shortest wings, zooming around in flocks at mid-height. They have a short forked tail, blue-black upper parts and a pure white underside.

Summer visitors at the places we look after

At Croome in Worcestershire, large numbers of house martins and swallows return to their nests at the RAF buildings and the Court each year, while the stableyard is the home of choice for swallows at Ilam Park in Derbyshire. At Longshaw in the Peak District, there are more than 100 nesting boxes to welcome rare pied flycatchers (smaller than house sparrows, with a distinctive white patch on the folded wing) as they arrive from Africa.

Swallows are often seen in the summer | © National Trust Images/Dougie Holden

All change in autumn

With many of our summer breeders departed, it’s time to welcome our winter visitors.

After breeding in Arctic Canada, light-bellied brent geese fly to spend winter in Ireland, north-west England and Wales. These geese are small – about the same size as a mallard duck – with dark heads, and adults have a small white patch on the neck. Around 90 per cent of their population will winter at Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland.

Clues from distant shores

For some species, the numbers arriving tell a story of conditions elsewhere. For the waxwing, an unusual, plump, pinkish and crested bird, it's feast or famine. Usually a couple of hundred birds arrive in the UK every winter. But if the berry crop in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe is meagre then tens of thousands come.

Here are some of the birds you might see arriving for the winter, from shoreline to farmland:

Knot

Brick-red in summer and grey in winter, knots get their name from another famous shoreliner, King Canute (their scientific name is Calidris canutus). A short-legged, stocky wading bird, look out for flashes of their pale underwing as they turn in flight. Knots wintering on estuaries in the UK come from Canadian islands but may be joined by birds from Siberia en route to South Africa. Spot them at Blakeney Point in Norfolk.

Redwing

Similar in size and appearance to a song thrush but with a striking white eyebrow, red underwings and flanks. These visitors from Iceland, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Siberia usually start arriving in early October. Their high-pitched sighs can be heard as they migrate at night. See them in woodlands and farmland.

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Birdwatching in winter

Feeding garden birds in winter is one of the easiest ways to get close to wildlife.

The number and variety of birds you’ll see through the season is likely to be driven by the weather. In mild conditions, you may only have small numbers of your regular feathered visitors. But a cold snap could get exciting as more birds arrive in search of food and unfrozen water sources.

The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch happens every January and is a great way to take part in some citizen science from the comfort of your home.

Find out about the Big Garden Birdwatch

Here are some of our favourite garden birds with plumage to brighten your winter:

Goldfinch

Goldfinches are a modern success story with a huge increase in population since the mid-1980s, thought to be due in part to feeding in gardens. Look out for their long, fine beaks, which help them extract seeds from teasels and thistles. With ruby-coloured faces, bright yellow flashes on the wings and musical twittering, it’s easy to see why flocks are known as ‘charms’.

Blue tit

Acrobatic and colourful, blue tits are one of the most popular garden visitors. With their blue, yellow, white and green feathers, they’re one of the easiest garden birds to spot. Their population has seen an upward trend since the 1970s. In winter, blue tits team up to look for food – if you see four in your garden, they could be feeding for up to 20 birds.

Starling

Look out for starlings – slightly smaller than a blackbird, with a pointed head, triangular wings and short tail. In winter, their glossy, petrol-stain-coloured plumage is covered with a constellation of straw-coloured tips. Many of our starlings have travelled for the winter from the Baltic States and even Russia.

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