February Wildlife Update 2025
Spring is definitely springing! Anyone else appreciating the slightly lighter evenings and the more regular sunshine? Here are a few things spotted in the Park this month.
Some avian highlights:
- Stonechat
- Great Northern Diver – a rarity that passed through at the beginning of the month, usually a coastal bird when it visits the UK in the winter. They breed in Greenland, Iceland & North America, where they’re called Common Loons (useless wildlife fact for the month!)
- Barnacle Goose
- Goosander
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Lapwing
- Pochard
Other wildlife spotted:
- Peacock butterfly – first one of the season (that we’ve seen anyway) at Lovers Lane, Sutton on 22nd Feb.
- Snowdrops – looking great in a few places, especially over Milton Ferry Bridge, on the way into Bluebell Wood.
- Winter aconite – look out for bright yellow flowers
- Primrose – keep an eye out on the path up Ham Lane to the Visitor centre, there’s often a good show up there and should be starting to flower soon
- Hazel – catkins are all opening and if you look carefully at the buds, you may see the tiny pink/red flowers. If anyone is constantly sneezing, it’s probably the pollen from the Hazel
- Bumblebees – you’ll notice they’re massive at this time of year, that’s because the queens are coming out and looking for a suitable nest for the season
- Scarlet Elfcup fungus – spotted in Lynch Wood and have occasionally been seen around Ham Mere. Widespread but scarce, usually found on fallen twigs/branches.
What signs of Spring have you seen in the Park?
Happy wildlife spotting!
