birds to spot in winter in north norfolk
Norfolk is often described at the birdwatching capital of Britain. With rare visiting birds and a wealth of nature reserves, north Norfolk is ideal for birdwatching all year round. But Winter is a particularly special time as many species of bird flock to Norfolk for its milder climate (they do come from very cold places) and abundance of food. They provide an amazing spectacle for bird lovers locally and visitors from all over the world. See our round up of what you might expect to see.

Geese. In Winter, north Norfolk is famous for the largest and most varied concentrations of geese in the country. One of the Winter spectacles is the skeins of Pink-Footed Geese in our huge skies. More than a third of the world’s population of this species spend the winter in Norfolk with peak numbers present in January and February.
The geese arrive from their breeding grounds in Iceland and Greenland and they are very noisy at dawn and dusk when they are in flight between inland feeding areas on farmland and their coastal roosts. You can see them at Cley and Salthouse Marshes, Hickling Broad and Martham Broad nature reserves. Also look out for migratory Brent Geese on the saltmarshes as well as the resident greylag, Canada and Egyptian geese.


Winter Visitors. The Fieldfare and the Redwing, members of the Thrush family, arrive from Scandinavia and northern Europe in the Autumn, and spend the Winter here before returning home in early Spring to breed. The Redwing is smaller and is a dark russet brown, with a cream stripe above its eye anda distinctive red flank under its wing, hence the name.
The Fieldfare is much larger, more like our Mistle Thrush, but with a blue-grey head and rump, chestnut back and wings and a heavily speckled chest. It stands very upright, and moves with large hops. They are common to Norfolk and may go unnoticed, feeding in the hedgerows and fields. Their preferred food is grubs and worms, but will venture into gardens looking for fruit and berries if it is particularly cold and frozen. They are often seen in large flocks, sometimes both species mixed together.
