January

January

Did you know that in January:

Foxes find their mates. They become unusually active, wandering around

searching for a partner. As a way to find one another they will make a loud

scream.

Once they have found a mate they will make a den in places

such as a hollow log or an abandoned burrow of another animal.

Urban foxes could even make their dens in garden sheds. This is where the

female (vixen) will give birth.

What to look for in January.

How many of these things will you see?

frosted spiders webs   

                                animal tracks in the snow                                                                                                           

old bird's nest in treetops

                                      new shoots

molehills

Things to do:

Identify animal tracks

Identifying animals tracks is a great way to see which animals are around the

local area. Look for footprints in soft, muddy ground, on wet sand or in fresh

snow.

How many toes can you see?

How is the animal moving? Can you tell by looking at the tracks?

Always ask an adult when exploring near water.

Why not go on a mini-beast hunt or learn the names of wild flowers and fungi. In Kent

there are many different events that are free or ask for a small donation. Some of

the websites are listed below.

www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/whats-on

www.whitecliffscountryside.org.uk

The RSPB has several sites in Kent that are usually inexpensive to visit.

www.rspb.org.uk

This is a brilliant site to visit that is packed with ideas.

www.naturedetectives.org.uk

The information given about each month is

from the books The Nature Year written by

Ruth Symons and published by Orpheus.

These books also tell you what is happening at

different times of the year in different parts of

the world.