UK wildlife in February: what to see, and where

Happening in February

• Waxwing winters
  In some winters waxwings arrive from Scandinavia in numbers and strip the berries in towns and gardens. Waxwing
• First frogspawn
  The first frogspawn of the year turns up in garden ponds. Common frog
• Starling roosts
  Starlings gather in their thousands to roost, swirling at dusk before they drop in. Starling
• Pink-footed geese
  Skeins of pink-footed geese flight over Norfolk at dawn and dusk. Pink-footed goose
• Toads on the move
  On mild, wet evenings toads walk to their breeding ponds, and volunteers help them across the roads. Common toad
• Nest box week
  14 to 21 February: the week to put nest boxes up, before the birds start pairing. Blue tit, great tit and house sparrow
• Adders basking
  On the first sunny mornings, adders come out to bask after the winter. Adder and common lizard

Moments worth waiting for

What the animals are up to this month, the most seasonal first.

• Spawning frogs Common frog · dusk, night and day
  A pond bubbles with frogs, males clasping females; grey jelly clumps mount at the edge.
• Sky-dance display Golden eagle · day
  A pair of golden eagles rise and dive together above the corrie, undulating on stiff wings in their courtship display.
• A bee in January Buff-tailed bumblebee · day
  A large bee bumbles across a mild winter garden, visiting the first flowers on a shrub.
• Drumming Great spotted woodpecker · dawn and day
  A rattle of drumming rolls out of the canopy as a woodpecker leans against a dead branch.
• Boxing hares Brown hare · dawn, day and dusk
  Two hares rear up and box, fur flying, in the March sunshine.
• The toad crossing Common toad · night and dusk
  Dozens of toads plod across the wet road in the torchlight, all heading for the same pond.
• Crane dance Common crane · dawn and day
  Two cranes bow, leap and toss grass into the air in a joyful dance.
• Winter flock Snow bunting · day
  A flock of snow buntings blows across the snow like flakes, dropping suddenly to feed on seeds on a windswept ridge.
• Weed dance Great crested grebe · dawn and day
  Two grebes rise chest to chest, offering weed.
• Winter white coat Mountain hare · dawn, day and dusk
  A mountain hare in full white winter fur sits among the heather stems, only the black ear tips giving it away.
• Roost fly-in Common crane · dusk
  Cranes glide in from the fields to roost, calling, as the sky turns orange.
• Upside-down at the feeder Blue tit · day
  A blue tit clings upside down to a fat ball, swinging as it pecks.
• Drey building Grey squirrel · day
  A squirrel drags a beakful of leaves up a tree to line its drey.
• Song with a flourish Chaffinch · dawn
  A male chaffinch sings his falling rattle, and finishes with a flick of the head.
• Family flock on the move Long-tailed tit · day
  A dozen long-tailed tits pour along the hedge one behind another, calling all the time.
• Daytime hunting Barn owl · day
  A white owl drifts over the marsh in daylight.
• Kew-wick and hoot Tawny owl · dusk and night
  From two dark trees a female calls 'kew-wick' and a male answers with a long quavering hoot.
• White winter plumage Ptarmigan · day and dawn
  A ptarmigan in pure white winter plumage huddles by a boulder, only a black eye and tail feathers showing.

Where to look

At their best in February, quickest to see first, with the best time of day.

Rare visitors

Not here most of the time, but February is when these can turn up: Waxwing and white-tailed eagle.

Moths on the wing

Very few moths fly in February. The trap can wait for spring. All the moths, and how to trap them kindly.

Nature notes for February

• Where to see starling murmurations in the UK this winter