Although nature feels very still throughout December, we’ve still had sightings of lovely resident birds as well as some wintering visitors. Redwing and fieldfare are both classic signs of the festive period, hopping around eating as many berries as they can manage – a very Christmas postcard-worthy sight!

Here are some of the top sightings on our reserves throughout December.

Middleton Nature Reserve

Coal tit

Coal tits are smaller than great tits but have a similar bicycle pump-like song. They can be seen all year long, and this time of year they form flocks with other tits, roaming woodlands and gardens together in search of food and to avoid predators.

Coal tits are known for their energetic behaviour – they are active feeders and hunt out insects and spiders, but they are also well-adapted to gardens and towns and frequent visit bird tables and feeders, such as the one in this photo.

Tufted duck

This comical little duck lives up to its name due to the black tuft of feathers on its head! The tufted duck is our most common diving duck and is currently in high numbers across the country, being boosted from an average of 18,000 breeding pairs to around 100,000 each winter thanks to visitors from Iceland and northern Europe.

The sexes are easy to distinguish – the males, like the one pictured, are black with white flanks and a distinctive tuft at the back of the head, and the females are a chocolate brown colour. Both have yellow eyes and a beautiful oily iridescence that reflects purple and green in certain lighting.

Heysham Nature Reserve

Kestrel

Over the past several decades the kestrel undergone a decline - in the age of game shooting they would sometimes take birds, and occasionally young game birds, which led to many being shot or trapped. As a result, they were taken over by the buzzard as our most common raptor. The effects of agricultural intensification and the 70s and 80s also led to this decline.

Despite this, the kestrel’s hovering cruciform is a regular sight and has led to its nickname of the ‘motorway hawk’ – they are known for remaining aloft and stationary for minutes at a time, eating about a fifth of their body weight daily.

Glossy Ibis

This glossy wading bird is a rare visitor, with the first successful UK nest confirmed in 2022. It's predicted that breeding may become more common as climate change results in drier summers in southwest Europe and milder winters in the UK.

In spring, these birds are even more gorgeous when their upper bodies are a deep rich burgundy and the wings and scapulars are glossed green and purple - right now they are a rich chestnut colour for the winter months.

Little Woolden Moss

Fieldfare

Fieldfares are larger than both song thrushes and redwing and have a distinct grey head and rump. Their name originates from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘feldware’, meaning ‘traveller of the fields.’  

They certainly live up to their name as they flit around the country looking for more food sources. If you’re lucky you may witness a flock of over 200 of them soaring through the countryside, as they are very social creatures. 

Fieldfare are held in high regard by bird lovers thanks to their striking appearance, as well as being a classic sign of winter as they are a seasonal visitor. The drop in availability of Scandinavian crop triggers their migration, which can carry them as far south as the African coast. Flocks will suddenly arrive on berry bushes and remain until there is nothing left, as captured below by Dave Steel!

What will you spot at our reserves in January? Don’t forget to tag us or X or Instagram or send us a message on Facebook for a chance to be featured in next month’s roundup!