Our gardens will be at their busiest by now and you may be getting familiar with all your regular visitors by now. Here are a few extras treats to keep an eye out for in December.
So why do starlings murmurate? It’s mainly based on safety in numbers but it’s not just about confusing predators. Starlings gather to roost together overnight which helps them keep warm.
They also exchange information to find the best feeding spots. How amazing is that?!
It’s not just starlings that gather to roost together. Pied wagtails also come together at night, which may be a surprise given that they are usually seen singly by day.
Roosts can consist of several hundred and town centres are popular spots as they are a little warmer than the countryside.
You’ll have noticed that it’s getting cold and so have the birds. Food often isn’t a problem if you’re topping up your feeders regularly but don’t forget water.
On very cold nights, water sources can freeze, meaning birds can’t access it. So it's worth remembering to break up any ice in your bird bath.
Ok, not quite as stunning as a murmuration of starling, but jackdaws are well known to gather in large flocks. At dusk, they swirl over our towns and villages as they head to a roost in a nearby copse or woodland.
Less is known about these roosts but it’s thought that there’s a large social element as well as having safety in numbers.
Jackdaws can be pretty vocal, making quite a racket as they prepare to settle down for the night!
Look out for goldcrest and firecrest (pictured). These share the accolade of being our smallest birds, weighing in at just 5 grams, which is the same as a 20p coin.
Goldcrests are the commonest and can be seen flitting around in bushes during winter searching for insects. They very rarely use feeders but have been known to feed on suet or fat balls during very cold weather.
The two birds look quite similar but can be separated by the pattern on their heads and the firecrests golden shoulders.
Garden birds are some of our most colourful species but not many are bright pink like a male bullfinch! Look out for bullfinches in gardens as natural food starts getting sparse in our hedgerow. Also, listen out for their mismatched call which is a plaintiff single call…
During extreme cold snaps, look out for redwing or a fieldfare in search of food. They really like rotting apples.
One to look out for is the black redstart. They tend to spend winter in urban areas where they actively search for insects.
Look out for a sooty grey body with a contrasting red tail, which they often vibrate and flick when perched.
We’d love to hear if you see one!
It’s hard to predict if we’ll see a large arrival of these Scandinavian berry munchers but this is the month they could arrive on mass.
Waxwings are very partial to ornamental sorbus trees in urban areas as these often hold onto their berries well into the winter.
Supermarket car parks can often be hotspots too, so keep an eye on your next shopping trip.
You may be surprised to read the phrase ‘nest-building’ in the midst of winter, but a few species will be getting busy this month.
Grey herons are one of our earliest nesting species and will lay their eggs next month, meaning their huge nests will need a lot of attention in the meantime.
Look out for herons hunting for sticks as well as fish.
Persistent rooks will be busy preparing their nests in preparation for the spring and the early birds get the… not the worm but the best spot. It’s risky business as a winter storm may ruin their efforts but getting the best spot is important if you're hoping for a successful breeding season.
Bird song isn’t something that springs to mind during winter and many of the birds that do sing are defending a feeding territory. There is one bird that isn’t afraid to get ahead of the rest to start attracting a mate: the mistle thrush. This bird is sometimes known as the storm cock because it often needs to sing during rough weather. Let’s face it, we may not get many sunny days in January.
Last month we mentioned the November moth but there is also a December moth!
Unlike the November moth these are much chunkier and have extra ‘fur’ to help keep their flight muscles warm on chilly nights.
However, the fur isn’t actually fur, it is specially modified scales that cover most of the moth.
What will you see during this year's Big Garden Birdwatch?
