Big Year 2026: February Update

Well, we are now two months into this big year, things have been great! I am really excited about sharing this month’s progress with you!

Outings between the rain!

Well, the weather was not helping at all! It seems that February has been the wettest one we have ever seen! Flood plains covered, roads closed. But this doesn’t stop nature! It adapts! So, over the course of this month, we have been scheduling visits around the rain!

Slimbridge WWT once again featured in the outings this month. Slimbridge will probably be the most common places I visit. Apart from that, I returned to a special place. Kemerton despite being small, it always has a few surprises for you. Here I saw Siskins, Little and Great Crested Grebes.

This month has been a really great month for me in seeing new species. Seeing them just doing them and living their lives around us humans is incredible!

The Highlights

The standout moments? Last month there was a lot, this month there was also a lot! I was able to grab better photos of the stunning Siskins, and there was a few of new birds added to the list!

However, I think the best day I have had, not just for seeing new species, but being able to great photos of birds on a feeder. This was at Cannop Ponds in the Forest Of Dean.

I literally put seed down on the feeders there and before I moved out the way, the number of birds going there was unreal! Such a great experience being around them and them seemingly not a care in the world was amazing! If you are local to this area, then I would recommend going there!

Some of the new species added to the list are:

·         Whooper Swan

·         Marsh Harrier

·         Peregrine Falcon

·         Cranes

·         Great Crested Grebes

·         Kingfisher

·         Coal Tit

·         Nuthatch

·         Treecreeper

·         Goosander

Big Year Progress

As I said before, my goal for this big year is simple: record every new species I spot. If you’d like me to include monthly stats or breakdowns, let me know in the comments and I’ll start adding them.

In February, I did manage to get out a little bit more between the rain. As the year progresses, I am going to be out and about even more! I am getting better at planning visits already into next month!

Still, I’m thrilled to say that for February, I recorded 23 new bird species! This brings my total number of different species to 85!

If you’re following along with your own list, how many did you spot this month?

Hopefully going into March the weather is about to pick up and we will have more sunny days!

February Gallery

Here are some of the photos I managed to capture this month