Page 14 - 2021 Almanac

It can be very hard to get up in the mornings in January. The sun doesn’t seem to appear until school has begun – if it appears at all! But the dark mornings can be an exciting time for spotting wildlife. Even if you are not lucky enough to see an animal or bird, you might hear one instead if you listen hard.
Owls become very noisy at this time of year. You might catch sight of the large, silent shape of a tawny owl or a barn owl flying past you on your way to school.
Foxes and badgers are busy at this time of year, too. They have to work hard to find food to keep them alive through the cold winter. Sometimes you can see them knocking over rubbish bins in their search for food!
If you go out into the garden, the park or the woods near where you live,
you will see signs of new life even on the darkest day. In colder northern
regions, plants take longer to appear, while down in the south you might see daffodils as early as 1st January.
Snowdrops are already in bloom in January. Their tiny white and green heads look so delicate, but they are strong enough to survive the coldest weather – even snow and ice!
Other plants are quietly peeping out of the damp, dark ground, too. Hazel catkins can be seen hanging from the trees, even before the leaves start to show their shoots. Sometimes little yellow primroses start to appear now.
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