Signs of winter

(Nimue)

Of all the seasonal shifts in the UK, I find the journey from autumn to winter the hardest to define. First frosts are very much part of autumn. We don’t reliably get snow or live where I live, some winters here are very mild. Some are harsh. It’s hard to know how to define them.

One of the big signs of winter for me has been the arrival of migrant swans. They come in to the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust at Slimbridge, and seeing them is an important part of how I honour the season. Normally they start arriving around the end of October. This years they’ve only just started arriving at the end of November.

Most of the trees around me look autumnal, while some still have green leaves. It is uncomfortably cold, that’s definitely a sign of winter. But, not cold enough for ice, we’re just above freezing still.

I haven’t seen any fieldfares yet – another migrant bird whose presence symbolises winter to me. 

What represents this season for you? What gives you a sense of the shift from autumn to winter? Or, if your seasons are entirely different to mine, do comment and share what you’re experiencing.