Nature's calendar: February

With their long bills and hulking grey bodies, Grey Herons are unmistakeable and commonly seen along rivers, lakes and even garden ponds. Usually seen alone, this all changes from February, when the birds head to communal nesting sites, known as heronries. Here they will lay their eggs, with chicks hatching in March and April. In 2022, the largest heronry recorded by the British Trust for Ornithology contained 110 nests. Head out to your local waterway and see what you can find. 

Nuthatches are dainty woodland birds with blue-grey backs, orange bellies and a bandit-like swoosh of black across their eyes. Like Jays and squirrels, these birds cache food, hiding acorns and other nuts away in autumn to eat in subsequent months. At this time of year, you might see one hammering away on a tree. To eat their haul, the birds wedge the nut in the bark of the tree, repeatedly striking it with their sharp beaks to get at the tasty flesh inside.  

Keep feeding the birds and you never know what might turn up at the feeder. Two special guests you might see are Siskins and Redpolls. Siskins are yellow-feathered finches typically found in pine forests. During winter, however, they are joined by migrant birds from colder parts of Europe, and as natural food resources become scarcer, they’ll happily visit garden feeders. Another finch to look out for is the Lesser Redpoll. Mainly restricted to eastern parts of England and Scotland, these winter migrants are sometimes seen on bird feeders. 

Show your love for birds by putting up a nest box. Running from 14 February every year, National Nest Box Week is a timely reminder that one of the easiest ways to help birds is by putting up a nest box. Although Swifts aren’t due back until late April, these are birds badly in need of a helping hand. Between 1995 and 2021, numbers plummeted by 62% in the UK, with a lack of suitable nest sites a contributing factor. Different birds favour different types of nest boxes. You’ll find all you need to know in our ultimate guide to nest boxes.  

Nest box know-how.

With many of our trees still leafless, our parks, woods and hedgerows can feel pretty bare. But take a closer look. Right now, some of our trees are in fact flowering. Catkins are long, slim flowers that hang from our trees, bearing pollen and enabling the trees to reproduce. Flowering prior to there being leaves on the trees makes for an easier dispersal of pollen. Look for Hazel catkins, with their fuzzy, yellow lambs’ tails. These are the male flowers. Take a closer look and see if you can spot the female flower on the same branch, a tiny bud with bright red wisps.  

Watch out for bumblebees tempted out of hibernation on a sunny day and take a moment to enjoy the warmth of the sun on your face, while listening out for the bee’s signature buzz. With the temperatures rising and the days getting longer, large queen bees take advantage of nectar from early flowers such as crocuses. They also start looking for somewhere to start a hive to raise the next generation. Not all bees live communally though, and you can give solitary bees a helping hand by giving them a place to live.  

Build a bee hotel. 

Mark this month with a visit to an RSPB nature reserve. There’s more than 170 for you to visit across the UK, with RSPB members enjoying free entry and parking. From wild escapes to family-friendly trails, there’s something for everyone. Choose your own adventure or be inspired by our selection of some of the top reserves to visit right now. 

Find a nature reserve.

You're sure to find something of interest in February on all our nature reserves. However, these are just a few of our favourites at this time of year: