What to look for in ... February

February may appear to be just another winter month and while much of what was true in January is true in this month too, there is one marked difference: birds have begun to migrate again. Whereas a heavy rain shower in January may not have brought much in, a shower in February can dump passage waders anywhere with suitable habitat. Though not as evident as in the upcoming Spring months, birds are nevertheless on the move again prompting increased chatter on ‘vismig’ groups that have fallen silent over winter.

Leading the way are the Oystercatchers that reliably turn up in the county in the second week of February. The fishing lakes at Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits near St Albans are usually one of the first places to get these returning birds. Only a few stay to breed but birds may well turn up at any waterbody. With them is an increased chance of Dunlin (often deposited after a rain shower), Redshank or Curlew.

Wildfowl continue to be worth checking for the ‘odd one out’ such as a Scaup or Common Scoter and there is an increased chance of Shelduck appearing as they begin to move around. Coots and other waterbirds become increasingly territorial with courtships reaching a new intensity, usually involving lots of splashing! Indeed, February is a good month to listen out for Coot at night as they begin their territorial flight circuits, sometimes well away from waterbodies.

Signs of Spring increase away from water too and are particularly evident on those rare days when the sun breaks through and the temperatures rise. Robins can be heard singing all night and Song Thrushes will have found full voice but a bird to listen out for is the Blackcap. At first, its quiet warbling maybe dismissed as the sub-song of a Blackbird but every now and then its rich warbling notes break through, usually from the depths of a bush. On a warm day they may well find full voice too and break cover to sing from a loftier perch.

Somewhere around the start of the month Skylarks break flock and return to their breeding territories. Their rising song once again becomes the soundtrack to a walk in the countryside. In contrast, flocks of wintering thrushes grow as the birds – Fieldfares and Redwings – move from feeding on berries to feeding in the fields. Their presence, along with large flocks of Starlings and Woodpigeons, is the perfect recipe to attract a Peregrine or Merlin.

February is not known for its rarities but, as in any month, diligent searching may turn up something out of the ordinary. Could there be another Little Bunting hidden with the Reed Buntings or a Woodlark keeping a low profile with the Skylarks? Perhaps rarer still might be a very early Swallow or Sand Martin – both of which have turned up on the last day of the month in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

Recent rarities in February:
Great Grey Shrike – Therfield (2021)
Little Bunting – Stanborough Reedmarsh (2023)
Woodlark – Baldock (2023)
Pink-footed Goose – East Hyde (2014)