We’ve waved farewell to the summer months and with it the visiting migratory birds like swifts and swallows. Watching them dive and twist and turn, like little bomber jets, really is one of the highlights of nature’s calendar. The thought of the upcoming winter months can feel dark, gloomy and a bit lacking in wild wonders, but fear not – winter is one of the most magical seasons for birds, even in the city!

Lots of different birds migrate from the north and east of the globe to the UK during Winter – for the milder weather and where food is easier to find. They include fieldfares, redwings, waxwings, bramblings, Bewick’s and whooper swans and many kinds of ducks, geese and wading birds. Even the blackbirds in your garden in January could well be winter visitors from Eastern Europe.

As part of the My Wild City project with thanks to the National Heritage Lottery Fund, Bristol residents have been out and about in Lawrence Weston, learning how to look for and record winter birds in a hidden nature haven next to the motorway. We tuned out from the hum of the cars and tucked ourselves into the most northerly remaining part of the Somerset levels, and within no time at all we’re tied up with call and song, flight and flap at Lawrence Weston Moor.

We’re here to learn how to identify common winter birds by sight and sound but also to record the numbers of a particular group of birds – water birds. Over the coming months we’re taking part in a national survey where once every month, people across the country are out counting the water birds in their area as part of the Wetland Bird Survey. With wetland meadows, pond and reedbeds we fancy our chances, and our perseverance to meet early on a Sunday morning pays off - we see snipe! Four dash off from their boggy scrape, their wings curved back like a birdy boomerang, the long-billed silhouette zig-zagging over the tree line into the next field. It’s amazing to think that these medium-sized waders with black and gold barred feathers are right here in Bristol.

Why not get out and about this winter and see who you can spot? Not only do you benefit from all the feel good endorphins of being outside and connecting with nature, but logging your sightings can have a big impact on how our city’s spaces are looked after for wildlife.

Top tips for winter bird watching and where to report what you see

• Find the berries, find the birds. Get to know local food sources like blackthorn and hawthorn, where there’s a berry there may be a bird! Visiting winter birds such as fieldfares and redwings can often be seen along berry laden hedgerow.
• Download apps that can help you identity bird calls such as Bird Net and Xeno Canto.
• Make a list of sites to visit. Bristol is full of birding magic – try My Wild City site Stockwood Open Space for bullfinches, tawny owls and green woodpeckers.
• Follow local birders on social media, a good place to start is the Bristol Ornithological Society and the RSPB Local Group.
• Submit what you see to the Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre (BRERC), or take part in a national survey such as Bird Track or the Wetland Bird Survey which are available on the British Trust for Ornithology website.

We’d love to hear about what birds you spot in the region! Tag us @avonwt or get in touch with us at mywildcity@avonwildlifetrust.org.uk