February

February has arrived and romance is in the air. As the shops fill with cards and roses ready for Valentines Day wildlife are also getting in the mood for love. Amphibians are emerging from their over wintering site and making their way towards breeding ponds whilst birds are singing in full force as they start to establish and defend territories. Many birds are also gearing up for a long journey home after enjoying the balmy temperatures of a British winter. Numbers of many of our most common birds are boosted each winter by visitors for colder climes such as Scandinavia.

What to spot this month includes

• Snowdrops
  
• Waxwings
  
• Hazel catkins opening
  
• Frogs and frogspawn
  
• Leaves of the cuckoo pint emerging
  
• Blue tits visiting nest boxes
  
• Winter aconite coming into flower
  
• Flocks of winter waders
  

Sussex Starlings Tweet! Follow Sussex Starlings on twitter. To take part and help document this autumn wildlife spectacle simply tag your Sussex starling tweets #sussexstarlings Follow @SussexStarling

Tell us what you have spotted

There are many more species to be spotted this month so keep your eyes peeled and don’t forget to fill in our species recording form so we can submit your sightings to the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre

Sussex Wildlife Trust nature reserves to visit this month

Rye Harbour
One of the most important conservation sites on the Sussex Coast, Rye Harbour is a mosaic of habitats beside the sea with shingle, saltmarsh, sand dunes, rivers, pits, grazing marsh, reedbed and farmland. It has been recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area for birds and as a Ramsar site that refers to its international importance as a wetland. There is wonderful bird watching here at any time of year, but as winter is drawing to an end it is a great opportunity to see the huge numbers of wildfowl and waders that gather to take advantage of the plentiful feeding grounds. Lapwing, oystercatcher, snipe and golden plover are regularly seen in vast numbers. You might even be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of an elusive bittern or a marsh harrier hunting.

Remember this month

World Wetlands Day 2nd February
National Nest Box Week 14th – 21st February
Student Volunteering Week 20th – 26th February

Looking for something to do in the cold weather?

It’s not too late to put up a bird box, download our factsheet to find out how

Sussex Wildlife Trust Courses

See what events and courses Sussex Wildlife Trust are running this February

Blue tit - Alan Price