Across the UK, we are already starting to see and hear nature gear up for spring. Nature is a creature of habit; when you want to see puffins, you know they usually reach our coastlines from April to August. When you want to hear woodpecker chicks, you know to listen for the "wi-wi-wi-wi" from April to early June.
 

Last year we had the first-ever reports of swallows overwintering here; they have usually all left by October. In February 2022, 95 sightings were registered in the southern half of the UK and Ireland.; "To suggest that our winters would be warm enough for swallows to survive would have been unthinkable a few decades ago," said BTO director of science James Pearce-Higgins. 

There are many dates throughout the year when these natural wonders and actions should occur, such as great crested grebe mating in February, blackbirds nesting and hares boxing in March, all of which have already been seen happening in Staffordshire during the first half of January! But what are the issues of, say, birds nesting in January? There are reports of blackbirds nesting and some sightings of them feeding their young already. Blue tits, great tits and rooks have been recorded building nests, with some already close to hatching their eggs. Freezing weather conditions means these birds may have to work harder to incubate their eggs and find food; if they are unlucky, they must cope with freezing temperatures from sudden winter cold snaps, which will most likely kill any hatched chicks in their early stages.

As we saw last year, with the lack of rainfall and one of the hottest years on record, we had a staggeringly low number of insects for birds, such as swifts and flycatchers, to eat and feed their young. But this mild winter is also not good for butterflies that emerge from hibernation. Red admirals, small tortoiseshells, ladybirds, red-tailed bumblebees, and other insects can be particularly challenged. If they emerge before plants bloom, they will have no access to life-saving food sources like nectar. They can be quickly wiped out by cold spells and storms like the ones we saw last spring.

Some amphibians may struggle with this weather too. Though frogspawn can generally survive a short period of freezing conditions, an extended cold snap late in the season could spell disaster for this generation. And the UK's favourite animal, the European hedgehog, is also in peril if it wakes up from hibernation before the end of freezing temperatures. Minus temperatures overnight, make it impossible to find their staple food source of worms, which have tunnelled further underground to avoid being frozen.

Many of the challenges facing our wildlife are out of our control, but we can still do a lot to help, even from our own backyards, balconies and gardens! For example, if you're lucky enough to have a tree in your garden, mounting a nest box facing in a north-easterly position can do wonders for common garden bird species; bug hotels are outstanding for 100's species of insects and, in turn, help feed our bird populations; planting butterfly and bee-friendly plants that bloom early can help our early risers. And finally, feeding and making sure there are water sources available for hedgehogs can give them a lifeline. There are many more things you can do to help wildlife in your garden. For more ideas and inspiration, head to our dedicated webpage: www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/wildlife/