Winter on the TPT: What to Look Out For

Earth stood hard as iron….

We can still walk the TPT in midwinter. It may get a bit muddy and watch out if it’s icy. There will be things to see. Look for even the smallest signs of life.

Berries are fewer but still tasty to the birds round and about. Some of our local winter birds are the Long Tailed Tits who are enthusiastic foragers. You will possible see others like Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinches and Goldfinches. Some birds come in from colder places to enjoy local berries. Those lucky enough to see Waxwings (I’ve seen them on the Monsal Trail) should let us all know. They will have come from Scandinavia.

Nearer the costal ends of the Trail (I live in the middle) it can be lovely to see flocks of Starlings in the sky at dusk over the winter. These murmurations are a display associated with protection behaviour. As they come into roost in large numbers for the night they may perform a memorable display before they settle down, often in spectacular patterns of thousands of birds.

On the ground, fungi may still be seen, possibly lasting well into the New Year. Some will change colour in the frost and the frost will make patterns on things too. The low setting sun can light up unexpected patches, so go out at different times of the day if you can.

I take part in various on line social media posts, like fingerpost Friday, postbox Saturday, wildflower hour on Sunday, mushroom Monday and thick trunk Tuesday. So far I have nothing local to report for Wombat Wednesday, but keep a look out and keep in touch with virtual friends. A few wildflowers may hang on where they don’t get too frosty.

Hot chocolate or coffee shops along the Trail are worth seeking out if you want to do your nature watching in cold weather. Singing as you go along can be good as long as you don’t frighten off the things you are looking for. Roe deer frequent the Trail on winter mornings but are quite shy.

The winter is also a good time for staying indoors. Sort through your observations, photos and stories. Maybe make some cards or calendars, or send some of your experiences into the TPT office to share with other friends of the Trail. Plan your outings for next year. If you’ve not yet covered the whole Trail, could 2026 be the year for you to go coast to coast?

Janet Lees
Twitter – X @Bambigoesforth
Instagram  @bambigoeswild

Date: 28th November, 2025