Starting on 2nd December 1607 a “vehement frost saw the sea freeze over; many animals and birds perished and in the following spring, a lack of songbirds was noticed."
In the ‘Great Winter’ of 1607 to 1608, trees were split by frost, the North Sea froze, stranding ships, and, if the reports at the time are to be believed, a polar bear floated down on an ice floe.
The ships were stranded by ice "several miles out into the North Sea” were a major concern as much commerce was done in these days via coastal shipping.
December saw a “deep” frost until mid-month, then a thaw until just before Christmas, then from 21st December intense freeze for much of the time until at least mid-January, the Firth of Forth is noted as being ‘frozen’ during January 1608.
There isn’t a great deal written about the Scottish winter of 1607/08, but it looks like it hit the English as bad too, several stories are online detailing the River Thames in London freezing over.
