Winter wildlife

Two swans swimming across a frozen lake at sunrise

Peter Cairns/Northshots

Where to see wildlife in winter

Natural winter wonders

Some say winter is lifeless. It’s anything but. Many birds that fought each other off all spring and summer now gather together in enormous numbers, and starlings fill the skies with the incredible patterns of their murmurations. Arctic visitors make the coasts their winter home, while seal colonies haul themselves onto our beaches to noisily stake out their territory. It’s the toughest time of year, but even at this, the darkest, coldest and least promising time of year, life goes on.

Robin in snow

Stewart McDonald

Robins

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Murmuration of Starlings

Mark Hamblin/2020VISION

Starling murmurations

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Holly

Mark Hamblin/2020VISION

Winter plantlife

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Fieldfare

Richard Steel/2020VISION

Winter migrants

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Red Squirrel by Elliott Neep

Red Squirrel by Elliott Neep

Red squirrels

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A pied wagtail perched on a tree branch in the snow

Pied wagtail by Bob Coyle

Wagtails

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Silhouette of a tufted duck on the lake at Abram Flash at sunset

Waterfowl and waders

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Barn owl by Peter Smith

Barn owl by Peter Smith

Barn owls

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A great crested grebe swimming with two small chicks on its back

Grebes

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