One of the many reasons to love winter is that it brings so many wonderful new birds to this country. We might complain about our colder weather and the need to wrap up, but for many migratory birds, this country is a warm haven from their breeding grounds which are often within the Arctic Circle. In the past, these migrations confused people, leading to bizarre myths about geese hatching from barnacles and tiny birds travelling over the sea on the backs of larger species. Here are five to look out for this winter.
Redwings: surprisingly easy to see, and even easier to overlook as they are often camouflaged by the leaf litter that they like to hang about in. It would be a shame to miss these small thrushes, though, as they have a beautiful red smudge under each wing and gather in large flocks with other related thrush species, including the equally lovely Fieldfare.
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