3 ways to go wild in February
Man alive, it’s February already! 1 month into 2021, and I seriously question what I have actually achieved. I better step up my game or this will be a wasted year!
Luckily, despite the fact that we are still in winter - and down here in Bristol the weather just can’t make it’s mind up whether it likes 0C or 10C better - things are stirring in nature, ready to kickstart the year with a BANG! If you need some inspiration or motivation to get out and about, here are my top tips for how to insert a little dose of ‘wild’ into your February:
Flowers
My absolute favourite flowers at this time of year are snowdrops. Because they are one of the first flowers to bloom, they are strong indicators for how climate change impacts wildlife and the winter season. They aren’t native to the UK but it’s not known when they were introduced. They don’t rely on pollinators to reproduce (they rely on bulb division), and because of its early flowering in an often depressing time they are viewed as a symbol of hope.
Gardeners will grow them in their garden but they can be found in woodlands in abundance as well. There is a whole valley named after the snowdrop in Exmoor, managed grounds of stately homes will have swathes or explore your local woodland - if I remember correctly I think both Leigh Woods and Prior’s wood might have some nice patches in Bristol.
Why not try capturing them on camera? You don’t need a macro lens these days to get some nice up close shots. On your phone, make sure the ‘macro’ setting has been selected, or most point and shoot cameras have some very decent macro settings built in as well. If you have a dSLR, easy ways to explore macro photography is by buying a cheap attachment (or just holding it) for a few quid on ebay so you can reverse your lens - this works best with prime lenses. Alternatively you can easily get some cheap extension tubes for £15-20 that allow you to play with macro as well.
Fun fact: according to the woodland trust, during WWII American soldiers were nicknamed snowdrops because of their green uniforms with white helmets.
Frog spawn
Most frogs will be spawning at this time of year, as it will take 14 weeks for that spawn to mature into frogs once the tadpole has hatched. Keep an eye out on your garden pond or stagnant bodies of water in your local park. You can use some of the same macro photography tips I wrote above if you fancy capturing some of these on camera.
There are 2 types of frog native to the UK - called the common frog (very imaginative) and the pool frog. They are usually green or brown, and grow to around 9cm. The pool frog has a yellow stripe down the middle of its back as well. Frog spawn is laid in clumps, and is an easy way to distinguish it from toad spawn. Toad spawn is laid in long chains like a string of pearls. Toads are a bit smaller than frogs, and will be paler with brown speckles.
For more information on taking caring of frogs and toads in your garden have a look at this countryfile page.
Other wildlife things to keep in mind this month is that birds are thinking about laying eggs soon. Some birds already may be nesting like blackbirds, but this means that if you wanted to put up a nest box time is running out. Here’s this RSPB’s guide to nestboxes - which ones for which types of birds.
And because they’re thinking of laying eggs soon it means that we are coming into bird display season! The peregrines that live in the gorge here in Bristol will be doing lots of really cool aerial displays of food passes and dive bombing for pigeons so if you can, head out to the gorge and have a look.
Get outside
We really need it now more than ever. Go onto google maps, or grab an OS map, and circle all green spaces in your local area and aim to tick off all areas with a hot chocolate in hand. Anything - a new park, nature reserve or stretch of beach. You might even break some old habits and make some new ones upon discovering a hidden local gem. Need some motivation to put your shoes on? Why not theme your walk:
👟 Taking photos of things you see with a theme. Red things, things that start with A, textures., or all the different types of flowers!
👟 Geochaching. I’ve never actually done it but I have been meaning to for ages. Or maybe now is a good time to try that pokemon go thing that went viral 2 years ago.
👟 Go out with paints. I went to the arboretum a few years back and painted some trees there. Obviously it would have to be dry and warm enough for this!
👟 Make patterns with the gps tracks of your walks/bike rides. My old housemate and I made a bird once and we ended up walking for nearly 2 hours.
If you have anything that you’re particularly excited to do this February, or if you’ve followed any of my tips, I’d love to hear the in the comments section below. Also, if you like these little reminders, why not subscribe to the newsletter and get future blogs right to your inbox.
Happy wild-ing!
Ester
Meet Ester
Wildlife camerawoman by day, jewellery designer by night, with a heap of crafting in the middle. Bristol-based but longing for a wilder setting.
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