What to do in February
Snowdrops in February in Fineshade Woods
Winter's coming to an end we hope, so....
...why not get out and about in Rockingham Forest this month? There are longer days and signs of spring to be enjoyed - here's some suggestions.
1: Enjoy the new life emerging
There will be Winter Aconites, Snowdrops, Pussy Willow, and Stinking Hellibore to be found. With other flowers emerging throughout the month, perhaps you could share your best signs-of-spring pictures with us?
2: Burn some energy
There are work parties all over the forest:
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Help to plant an orchard
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Coppicing in Easton Hornstocks
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Scrub bashing with Butterfly Conservation
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Friends groups in Corby Woodlands
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Practical tasks in Nassington and King's Cliffe
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Woodland tasks in Fineshade
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Friday volunteer group in Old Sulehay
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Discover Collyweston on a guided walk
Details on the volunteering and events pages​
3: Find some fungi
Have you ever heard of, or even seen the Tripe Fungus? It's a bracket fungus growing on dead trees and can be seen in February.
Check out our fungus pages to learn more
5: Keep an eye on flooded rivers
High rainfall through the winter has meant that the water meadows in the Welland and Nene Valleys have been really doing their job. With the ground fully saturated, the river levels often quickly rise again when we get more rain.
A good place to marvel at this is Turtle Bridge - one of the highly recommended places to visit
6: Follow the flocks of birds
Hordes of winter migrant birds are
still here and Fieldfares with their "chacking" calls are perhaps the most obvious. There are Redwing flocks too feeding on last years' amazing crop of berries on the Hawthorn. It's well worth looking where farmers have sown winter bird seed for flocks of finches and buntings.
7: Walk where the ground is firm
Much of Rockingham Forest has a surface of clay and this can make walking very difficult after prolonged rain. But we are fortunate to have lots of walks on hard tracks where you really don't need to wear wellies - just decent walking boots. Follow this link to find nine recommended routes where walking is a pleasure at this time of year.
8: Test out a circular route
All is not well on the walking route that links King's Cliffe, Blatherwycke and Wakerley. Have a look at the map and see whether you agree about the need for kissing gates to replace some of the stiles.
9: Listen for bird song
Robins have been singing all winter and in February Great Tits and Song and Mistle Thrushes can often be heard singing away on calm sunny days and announcing the coming of spring. There's a beginner's guide to bird song here.
10: Look for Adders
What! In February? Yes indeed, if the weather is mild it is very possible that male Adders will come out of hibernation to take advantage of a warm sunny afternoon. Have a look at Kev Clarke's article describing the ones he saw in February in 2023.
