Birds to See in Cumbria in September
137 species matching this filter.
Cumbria offers a rich and varied birdwatching experience in September, with around 137 species recorded across its diverse landscapes of fells, estuaries, lakes and coastal marshes. As autumn migration gets underway, wading birds such as Greenshank and Common Sandpiper pass through the region's wetlands, while resident species like Barn Owl, Great Tit and Magpie remain active across farmland and woodland. The Solway Firth and Morecambe Bay estuaries are particularly rewarding at this time of year, attracting flocks of Northern Lapwing and Common Shelduck alongside scarcer visitors.
New in September12
Resident
(104)
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
A rare but year-round visitor to Cumbria's estuaries, favouring the sandy shores and mudflats of Morecambe Bay and the Solway.
May–Mar
Barn Owl
Tyto albaLC
A rare but year-round resident of lowland farmland and field margins. Often glimpsed at dusk hunting along roadsides and over rough grassland.
Aug–Jun
Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsisLC
Present year-round, with Svalbard birds wintering on the Solway marshes alongside a small feral population.
Year-round
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Present year-round in small numbers on Cumbrian estuaries and coastal wetlands. A declining species nationally, making local sightings notable.
Year-round
Blackbird
Turdus merulaLC
Abundant in gardens, woodlands, and hedgerows throughout Cumbria. Numbers boosted in autumn by continental migrants.
Year-round
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapillaLC
An uncommon resident, breeding in Cumbrian woodlands in summer with some continental birds wintering at garden feeders.
Apr–Feb
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleusLC
A common and familiar garden resident year-round, thriving in Cumbrian woodlands, hedgerows, and suburban areas.
Year-round
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
A shy, year-round resident of hedgerows and woodland edges, often detected by its soft, melancholy call before it is seen.
Year-round
Buzzard
Buteo buteoLC
A common resident soaring over farmland, fell edges and valleys throughout the year. One of Cumbria's most frequently seen raptors.
Year-round
Canada Goose
Branta canadensisLC
A common resident on lakes, rivers and parkland throughout the county, breeding readily on Cumbrian waters.
Year-round
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
A common and adaptable resident found across Cumbrian farmland, fell edges, and towns throughout the year.
Year-round
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cettiLC
A rare but expanding resident, its explosive song occasionally heard from dense wetland scrub at scattered Cumbrian sites.
Aug–Jun
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebsLC
A familiar year-round resident of woodlands, hedgerows and gardens throughout the county, with its bright 'pink' call heard in every season.
Year-round
Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybitaLC
A common resident present year-round, increasingly overwintering in sheltered Cumbrian valleys and woodland edges.
Year-round
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
A common resident of Cumbria's conifer plantations and mixed woodlands, readily visiting garden feeders in winter.
Year-round
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
An uncommon year-round resident found on farmland, lakes, and coasts. Breeds on upland bogs and lake islands in the county.
Year-round
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
An uncommon resident along clean rivers and becks across the county. A flash of electric blue darting low over water is often the first sign.
Year-round
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
An uncommon year-round resident of fast-flowing rivers and upland lakes. Often seen fishing on the Eden and other Cumbrian rivers.
Year-round
Common Pheasant
Phasianus colchicusLC
A common resident of farmland, woodland edges and hedgerows, widely released for shooting across the county.
Year-round
Common Raven
Corvus coraxLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, favouring the Lake District fells and upland crags where its deep croaking call carries far.
Year-round
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
An uncommon year-round resident, breeding in birch and alder woodland around the Lake District and visiting garden feeders in winter.
Year-round
Common Scoter
Melanitta nigraLC
A rare resident seen in small numbers offshore, often in rafts on the Irish Sea off the Cumbrian coast.
Year-round
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
An uncommon resident favouring the Solway and Morecambe Bay estuaries, nesting in rabbit burrows nearby.
Year-round
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
An uncommon resident breeding on damp moorland and rushy pastures. Its drumming display flight is a feature of upland Cumbria in spring.
Year-round
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Common in towns and farmland year-round. Winter flocks swell with continental arrivals, sometimes forming large roosts.
Year-round
Coot
Fulica atraLC
An uncommon year-round resident of lowland lakes and reservoirs. Less numerous than in southern England.
Year-round
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
A common resident whose evocative call defines Cumbria's moorlands and farmland. Winter flocks gather on Morecambe Bay and the Solway.
Year-round
Dipper
Cinclus cinclusLC
A prized resident of fast-flowing Lake District becks and rivers, bobbing on rocks before plunging underwater to feed.
Year-round
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
An uncommon resident; breeds on upland moors in summer and gathers in flocks on estuarine mudflats through winter.
Year-round
Dunnock
Prunella modularisLC
A common but unobtrusive resident, shuffling through hedgerows and garden borders year-round with its thin, piping song.
Year-round
Eider
Somateria mollissimaNT
An uncommon coastal resident, most easily seen around the Solway Firth and Walney Island throughout the year.
Year-round
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaoctoLC
An uncommon resident of villages and farmsteads, its monotonous cooing a familiar sound in lowland Cumbria.
Year-round
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
An uncommon resident of broadleaved woodlands and mature gardens. Its harsh, screeching call often betrays its presence among the oaks.
Year-round
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
A common resident of mature broadleaved woodlands, often seen spiralling head-first down oak trunks in the Lake District valleys.
Year-round
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
A common resident breeding on shingle shores, farmland, and river margins. Noisy flocks gather on estuaries outside the breeding season.
Year-round
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
An uncommon resident breeding in Cumbria's conifer and mixed woodlands, often visiting garden nyjer feeders in winter flocks.
Year-round
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
An uncommon resident of open farmland and upland pastures, declining nationally but still singing over Cumbrian fields.
Year-round
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
An uncommon resident found locally around farmyards and hedgerows in the Eden Valley and lowland Cumbria.
Year-round
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
An uncommon year-round resident, with numbers swelling in winter on estuaries and flooded fields. Breeds sparingly on upland tarns.
Year-round
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
One of Cumbria's most abundant birds, its explosive song rings through hedgerows, gardens, and fell-side bracken year-round.
Year-round
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelisLC
A colourful and common year-round resident, increasingly seen on garden feeders and foraging on teasel and thistle heads across the county.
Year-round
European Green Woodpecker
Picus viridisLC
A rare resident found in parkland, open woodland and field edges. Its loud, laughing call carries far but it can be surprisingly hard to spot.
Year-round
European Herring Gull
Larus argentatusLC
A common resident seen year-round along the coast, in towns, and at landfill sites. Breeds on rooftops and coastal cliffs.
Year-round
European Robin
Erithacus rubeculaLC
A familiar year-round presence in Cumbrian gardens and woodlands, singing its sweet, wistful song even through winter.
Year-round
European Shag
Phalacrocorax aristotelisLC
A rare resident along rocky coastlines, breeding at St Bees Head. Smaller and darker than the Great Cormorant, preferring saltwater.
Jun–Apr
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
An uncommon resident on lowland lakes and reservoirs, often overlooked among larger flocks of dabbling ducks.
Year-round
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, favouring conifer woodlands and often hard to spot despite its high-pitched call.
Year-round
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Breeds on high Cumbrian fells and moorland in summer. In winter, flocks gather on lowland fields and coastal marshes.
Year-round
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinusLC
An uncommon but imposing resident found along the coast and at estuaries year-round. The largest British gull species.
Year-round
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
A common year-round resident on lakes, rivers, and the coast. Often seen perched with wings outstretched on rocks and jetties.
Year-round
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
An uncommon resident on larger lakes and reservoirs year-round. Performs elaborate courtship displays on waters like Windermere.
Year-round
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
An uncommon resident of broadleaved and mixed woodlands, also visiting garden feeders. Its loud drumming echoes through Cumbrian woods in spring.
Year-round
Great Tit
Parus majorLC
A common year-round resident, bold and vocal in gardens and deciduous woodlands across the county.
Year-round
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
A rare visitor to freshwater margins and ditches, mainly on passage in spring and autumn. Often solitary and easily overlooked.
Mar–Oct
Greenfinch
Chloris chlorisLC
A common resident of gardens, farmland and hedgerows, though numbers have declined significantly in recent decades due to disease.
Year-round
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
A common resident found year-round along rivers, lakes and estuaries. Heronries are well established across the Lake District and lowland valleys.
Year-round
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
A resident of fast-flowing streams and rivers, often seen bobbing its long tail on rocks alongside dippers.
Year-round
Greylag Goose
Anser anserLC
An uncommon year-round resident found on lakes, estuaries and farmland, with both feral and wild birds present.
Year-round
House Sparrow
Passer domesticusLC
A common resident of Cumbrian towns and villages, nesting colonially under eaves. Numbers have declined nationally.
Year-round
Jackdaw
Corvus monedulaLC
A common and sociable resident, nesting in old buildings, church towers and crags. Noisy flocks are a familiar sight in Cumbrian towns and villages.
Year-round
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
An uncommon year-round resident, hovering over roadside verges and rough grassland. Found across lowland farmland and along fell margins.
Year-round
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
A common resident found at coastal sites, reservoirs, and urban areas throughout the year. Breeds in colonies on rooftops and islands.
Year-round
Linnet
Linaria cannabinaLC
An uncommon resident of gorse-covered commons and farmland edges, forming small flocks in winter on stubble fields and weedy margins.
Year-round
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
An uncommon but increasing resident, most often seen along estuaries and coastal wetlands such as Morecambe Bay.
Year-round
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
An uncommon year-round resident on sheltered ponds, lakes, and slow rivers. Often heard before seen, with a distinctive trilling call.
Year-round
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
A common resident, roving in noisy family flocks through hedgerows and woodland edges throughout the year.
Year-round
Magpie
Pica picaLC
A common resident of farmland, gardens and urban areas throughout the county. Bold and conspicuous, often seen in small groups on lawns and hedges.
Year-round
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
A common resident found on virtually any waterbody, from upland tarns to town park ponds. Present year-round across the county.
Year-round
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
A rare resident found on wooded lakes and rivers. Small feral populations persist, favouring sheltered waterways with overhanging trees.
Dec–Oct
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
A rare resident at the north-western edge of its British range, found in scattered broadleaved woodlands in southern Cumbria.
Year-round
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensisLC
Abundant year-round across Cumbrian fells and upland moors, where its thin call is the quintessential sound of open hill country.
Year-round
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
A rare resident of upland moors and bogs, moving to lower ground and coasts in winter. Britain's smallest falcon, fast and agile in pursuit of pipits.
Aug–May
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorusLC
A bold, upright thrush found in parkland and open woodland. Often sings from tall trees even in midwinter storms.
Year-round
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
An uncommon resident of ponds, ditches and lake margins, often skulking among waterside vegetation.
Year-round
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
A familiar sight on Cumbria's lakes and rivers year-round, nesting along waterways and in town centres.
Year-round
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
An uncommon but declining resident of farmland and wetland, with winter flocks gathering on coastal fields.
Year-round
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
An uncommon resident on shallow lakes and marshes, with numbers boosted by winter visitors. Scarcer during midsummer.
Aug–May
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinusLC
A rare but year-round resident, nesting on crags and quarry faces. Increasingly seen hunting over Cumbrian towns as well as wild fell country.
Year-round
Pink-footed Goose
Anser brachyrhynchusLC
Winters on estuaries and farmland in large flocks, notably around Morecambe Bay, arriving from Iceland in autumn.
Sep–May
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostraLC
A scarce resident of Cumbria's conifer plantations, with numbers fluctuating markedly between years depending on spruce cone crops.
May–Mar
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Found in small numbers on Morecambe Bay and Solway mudflats, mainly outside summer. Large winter flocks are increasingly scarce nationally.
Jul–May
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
An uncommon resident along the coast and estuaries, also breeding on some upland rivers and lakes.
Year-round
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufaNT
A rare resident of lowland farmland, near the north-western edge of its range. Prefers arable fields and hedgerow margins.
Year-round
Red-throated Loon
Gavia stellataLC
A rare resident, breeding on remote upland tarns and wintering along the coast. Absent in summer months from lowland areas.
Sep–May
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
An uncommon resident found on saltmarshes, estuaries, and wet grasslands. Breeds on coastal and upland pastures across Cumbria.
Year-round
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
An uncommon year-round resident of reedbeds, boggy margins and damp farmland, often seen perched atop rushes around Cumbrian tarns.
Year-round
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
An uncommon resident of shingle beaches and estuarine shores. Breeds along the coast and passage birds boost autumn numbers.
Year-round
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Feral populations are uncommon residents in towns and on coastal cliffs, with true wild birds very scarce.
Year-round
Rock Pipit
Anthus petrosusLC
A scarce resident of Cumbria's rocky coastline, foraging among seaweed-strewn boulders at St Bees Head and along the Solway shore.
Year-round
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
A common resident of lowland farmland, gathering in large rookeries in tall trees. Flocks foraging in ploughed fields are a classic Cumbrian scene.
Year-round
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
An uncommon resident of Cumbria's rocky coastlines, turning stones for invertebrates. Present most months except June on the Solway and west coast.
Jul–May
Ruff
Philomachus pugnaxLC
A rare wader found on coastal estuaries and inland pools, mainly on autumn passage. Morecambe Bay fringes offer the best chances.
Jul–Mar
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
A rare but year-round visitor to sandy beaches along the Cumbrian coast, often seen in small flocks running along the tideline.
Year-round
Song Thrush
Turdus philomelosLC
A common resident of Cumbrian gardens, hedgerows, and woodlands, delivering its repeated musical phrases from spring onwards.
Year-round
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
An uncommon but year-round resident, hunting through woodlands, hedgerows and gardens. Often seen dashing low along lanes and through farmyards.
Year-round
Stock Dove
Columba oenasLC
An uncommon resident of farmland and parkland with mature trees. Nests in tree holes and old buildings across the lowlands.
Year-round
Stonechat
Saxicola torquatusLC
A hardy resident of gorse-clad commons and coastal scrub, perching prominently and flicking its tail with a sharp call.
Year-round
Tawny Owl
Strix alucoLC
An uncommon resident of mature broadleaved and mixed woodlands. Its distinctive hooting call is a familiar night-time sound in Cumbrian valleys.
Year-round
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
An unobtrusive resident creeping mouse-like up tree bark in Cumbrian woodlands. Easier to detect by its thin, high-pitched song.
Year-round
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
An uncommon year-round resident on lakes and tarns, diving for invertebrates across Cumbria's freshwaters.
Year-round
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticusLC
A secretive, uncommon resident of reedbeds and marshy margins, more often heard squealing than seen.
Year-round
Western Marsh-harrier
Circus aeruginosusLC
A rare resident associated with lowland reedbeds and marshes around the Solway and coastal fringes. Slowly increasing as wetland habitats are restored.
Year-round
Woodpigeon
Columba palumbusLC
An abundant resident found across farmland, woodland and gardens throughout Cumbria, with large flocks gathering on arable fields in autumn.
Year-round
Yellowhammer
Emberiza citrinellaLC
A rare and declining resident, now largely confined to lowland farmland with thick hedgerows in the Eden Valley and coastal fringe.
Year-round
Breeding
(20)
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
A common summer breeder from March to October, nesting in barns and farm buildings across Cumbrian valleys.
Mar–Oct
Common Reed-warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC
A rare breeding visitor from April to September, found in small numbers in reedbeds at the edge of its northern range.
Apr–Sep
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
An uncommon summer breeder along Lake District rivers and stony lakeshores, bobbing characteristically on waterside rocks from April to September.
Apr–Sep
Common Swift
Apus apusLC
A common summer breeder, screaming over towns and villages from late April to August. Numbers are declining nationally.
Apr–Sep
Hobby
Falco subbuteoLC
A rare summer breeding visitor from May to September, hunting dragonflies over wetlands and open country. At the northern edge of its English range.
May–Sep
House Martin
Delichon urbicumLC
A common breeding visitor from April, nesting under eaves in Cumbrian towns and villages before departing by October.
Apr–Oct
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Breeds in small numbers at St Bees Head cliffs from spring through autumn. This declining seabird is a prized sight along Cumbria's coast.
Mar–Nov
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanusLC
A rare breeder seen off the Cumbrian coast from April to October, plunge-diving for fish in the Irish Sea.
Apr–Oct
Osprey
Pandion haliaetusLC
An uncommon but celebrated breeding visitor, returning from March to September. Bassenthwaite Lake hosts one of England's most famous nesting sites.
Mar–Sep
Razorbill
Alca tordaLC
A rare breeding seabird at St Bees Head, Cumbria's only seabird cliff colony. Present from spring through summer on narrow ledges.
Mar–Sep
Red Kite
Milvus milvusLC
A rare breeding visitor, part of a slowly recovering population in northern England. Seen soaring over valleys and farmland from March to September.
Mar–Sep
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
An uncommon summer visitor breeding in sandy riverbanks, often seen hawking insects over lakes and rivers from March.
Mar–Sep
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensisLC
A rare breeder present March to September along the coast. The largest of Cumbria's breeding terns, often seen at Hodbarrow and estuaries.
Mar–Sep
Sedge Warbler
Acrocephalus schoenobaenusLC
An uncommon summer breeder arriving in April, favouring reedbeds and waterside scrub around Cumbrian tarns and wetlands.
Apr–Sep
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striataLC
A declining summer visitor to open woodland edges and gardens, arriving in May. Sallies from exposed perches to catch insects.
May–Sep
Wheatear
Oenanthe oenantheLC
A summer visitor to upland fell-sides and stone walls, arriving from March. Bobs and flashes its white rump on open ground.
Mar–Oct
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
A rare breeder on Cumbrian uplands, with most sightings during spring and autumn passage along the coast and estuaries.
Apr–Sep
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetraLC
A rare and declining summer breeder on rough upland pastures and bracken slopes, arriving in May.
May–Sep
Whitethroat
Curruca communisLC
An uncommon summer breeder, singing from hedgerows and bramble patches in Cumbrian farmland from April to September.
Apr–Sep
Willow Warbler
Phylloscopus trochilusLC
A common summer breeder arriving from March, its descending song a characteristic sound of Cumbrian birch and fell-side scrub.
Mar–Sep
Non-breeding
(8)
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to Cumbrian estuaries, mainly around Morecambe Bay. Present from autumn through to spring.
Sep–Apr
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to Cumbrian wetlands and estuaries, increasingly recorded in recent years. Present from autumn through winter and into early spring.
Aug–Mar
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to estuaries and lakeshores, most often seen during autumn passage on the Solway or inland wetlands.
Jul–Mar
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to Cumbria's estuaries, mainly seen on the Solway and Morecambe Bay mudflats outside summer months.
Aug–Apr
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
A rare non-breeding visitor to estuaries and coastal marshes, mainly from autumn to spring. Morecambe Bay is a key site.
Sep–Apr
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
A rare non-breeding visitor to lowland lakes and reservoirs. Numbers have declined nationally, making sightings increasingly notable.
Jun–Mar
Redwing
Turdus iliacusNT
A winter visitor from Scandinavia, arriving from October. Feeds in hedgerows and fields, often alongside fieldfares.
Sep–Apr
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
A winter visitor to lowland lakes and estuaries, arriving from Iceland. Flocks gather on wetlands from autumn to early spring.
Sep–Apr
Passage
(5)
Black Tern
Chlidonias nigerLC
A rare autumn passage migrant, occasionally seen in September at coastal pools and inland lakes during southward migration.
Sep
Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferrugineaNT
A scarce autumn passage migrant, briefly visiting coastal mudflats and estuarine margins in September.
Sep
Garganey
Spatula querquedulaLC
A rare passage migrant glimpsed on freshwater pools in spring and again briefly in September.
Apr–Sep
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
A rare autumn passage migrant, occasionally appearing on coastal pools and muddy fringes in September.
Sep
Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flavaLC
A rare passage visitor through Cumbria, occasionally seen on lowland farmland during spring and autumn migration.
May–Sep