Early bloomers

If you're not very good at identifying plants, this is a good month for a walk along a hedgerow or into a woodland. A couple of plants that are not only very easy to identify, but are likely to be the only ones in flower are around: the snowdrop and lesser celandine. Whilst everyone knows what the snowdrop looks like, lesser celandine is one of those plants you're bound to have seen, but maybe not know its name. Its bright yellow flowers were said by Wordsworth to be 'bright as the sun himself, - a romantic quote for Valentine's Day! In Hull, look out for this plant along some of the drains and field edges. Hull just wouldn't be Hull without its river and estuary, so why not pause a while beside them and marvel at the variety of wildlife that calls it home? This month marks World Wetlands Day (on February 2), so it's a good time to put on your wellies and marvel at the mud; if you're lucky, you may see a variety of wading birds that feed on the rich invertebrate life.
If we get any snow this month, it's also a good time to spot animal tracks and signs. Owl pellets can be a mine of information on the diet of local owls, so if you find any, tease them apart and you'll find tiny bones of shrews and mice, remains of beetles or anything else it's been eating. It's a great activity to get the kids involved in and you'll be surprised by how fascinating a bundle of owl sick can be!

Happy wildlife spotting'