February

The gradual increase in day length gives an indication of the spring to come. Warmer days towards the end of the month will encourage a significant increase in bird song from many resident birds as they establish new territories. Some early nesters may already be on eggs at the end of the month. Spells of cold weather will encourage more movement and new visitors to the county.

Attention of many birders will remain with the larger water bodies, with the possibility of finding wintering or visiting divers, grebes or scarcer ducks in the county the being main attraction. This is particularly so if any cold weather on the near-continent, or storms around the coast, generate some movements. Records in February may include a group of Whooper Swans or maybe even Bewick’s Swans, which have become a lot less frequent over recent years. More likely is White-fronted Goose, which does occasionally occur in large influxes of maybe 20-40 birds, though a family party or lone individual is more likely.

Any wintering Bitterns should become less elusive if there is a spell of ice cover, while Water Rail, Snipe and Jack Snipe will also become more visible in these conditions.

A look through the records will show that February is one of the best months for scarcer gulls in the county. Unfortunately, recent years have not produced any sightings of either Glaucous or Iceland Gulls, which were once regular during the major landfill operations in the Marston Vale, and both are now considered very rare visitors.

Mediterranean Gulls have become more widespread in the UK in recent years, with many hundreds of pairs breeding along the south coast. It is not unusual for birds to turn up in the roosts, with up to four birds on occasion in February. With a mix of ages and plumages, it is possible to recognise individuals when the birds can be found regularly; similarly with the rapidly increasing Caspian Gull, though these need a bit more practice and scrutiny, given similarities between the various related species and sub-species.

In recent winters some very impressive flocks of seed-eating birds have been found; Linnets often the most numerous. At Stotfold, back in 2010, a flock accumulated that included 800+ Corn Buntings, accompanied by over 100 Yellowhammers, Skylarks, Stock Doves and Starlings. Within a similar flock in early 2011, one observer had a tantalising glimpse of a potential Rustic Bunting, indicating what may be hiding amongst the commoner species, while a flock of Reed Buntings near Great Barford in 2017 hosted the county‘s first Little Bunting. Unfortunately, there are many locations which seem devoid of birds and these large flocks now only suggest the mass of birds that may have been present in Bedfordshire in previous decades, when farming practice was different.

In our woodlands, particularly later in the month and in warm periods, the spring territorial song of Robin, Wren, Dunnock, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush and Blackbird begins to become obvious, and early nesters such as Tawny Owl will also be calling.

A good bit of woodland, containing birch and alder, is likely to hold Redpoll and Siskin, which may also be apparent in pines or larches, where Crossbill can also be found.

There has been a lot of debate about the origins of Redpolls in the county, with birds found in the flocks that are clearly identifiable as Common or Mealy Redpoll, but many more found that are noticeable as pale among the more regular “Lesser” Redpoll. The recent update on our bird list perhaps reflects that situation in the decision to “lump” these birds together as just Redpoll.

Quality county rarities found in this month in previous years include a selection of seabirds in 1983, when five Little Auks, a Razorbill and a Puffin were found though, unfortunately, only three survived to be released on the coast.
More recent rarities have included Bean Goose (2013), Green-winged Teal (2022), Glossy Ibis (2019, 2021 and 2024), Leach’s Petrel (2013), Great Grey Shrike (2015 and 2019), Twite (2017) and Lapland Bunting (2017).

A White-tailed Eagle was seen briefly in the south of the county in this month in 2012, the first since a bird at Woburn in Feb 1928. A number of more recent sightings have all involved birds from the Isle of Wight reintroduction program – still impressive, even if not considered “wild” at the moment.