In the countryside rooks are reclaiming and refurbishing their nests.
They look uncomfortable places to raise young, comprising sticks and mud, lined with dried leaves and grass.

Despite their nest sites being in the upper, slenderer branches of tall tress, rooks nests are very resilient and are used year after year.

There is still a long way to go before we can say that spring has really arrived, so as I mentioned last month it's important to keep feeders and bird tables well stocked.

Snow or hard frosts during February are not uncommon and they can have a real impact on birds. Good food and fresh water could really be the difference between life and death in the cold weather.

I hesitate to urge everyone to get cracking with the gardening as I appreciate that for many of you the only thing to be seen in your garden is several inches of snow!

You are excused and soggy, waterlogged gardens are best ignored too. It's a good month for pruning though and this chore will improve the health of a wide variety of shrubs.

If you are out and about during the late afternoon you may still see swirls of starlings as they gather ready to head to their winter roosts.

This is one of winter's most amazing natural activities and well worth braving the cold to see but hurry, the visiting starlings won't be here for much longer!

February is a wonderful month for watching birds in your garden but many of them will soon be dispersing to their breeding territories – and then we will know for sure that spring has sprung!

Kate

For more information visit www.rspb.org.uk.