Why January is a great time to get out and look for wildlife - Focus Jan 2026

Everyone is prone to overindulgence over the festive period so in the New Year many of us feel the need to get out and exercise more to work it all off. January can be a great time to look for wildlife. Unless the weather is really harsh, many species will be preparing for spring  either by setting up territories or feeding up ready for the breeding season. As we step carefully through any wet and muddy ground, it’s worth keeping an eye out for footprints of deer, foxes or other more elusive animals still active in the countryside. 

By now, all the leaves have come off the trees, so in hedgerows and woodlands everything receives more light and becomes more visible. Take a closer look at the varied mosses and lichens, clothing branches and logs, and keep an eye out for splashes of colour from fungal fruiting bodies. Woodland birds also become easier to see. Tiny species which at other times of year we might only hear or catch a fleeting glimpse, are now easier to spot. Treecreepers can be seen working their way up tree trunks and branches, searching for prey items in the bark before flying back down to start their upward search once again. In contrast, nuthatches seem as comfortable searching downwards as upwards, which is helpful for identification purposes. Clearer visibility brings the chance to differentiate the varied tit species and spot the less common marsh tit. It will feed in mixed foraging parties with blue, great, coal and long-tailed tits, and these may be joined by goldcrests and even one of the increasingly numerous overwintering chiffchaffs. Sometimes, these foraging parties can be so intent on feeding, on which at this time of year their lives can depend, that if you keep still, they will fly over and around you offering really close up views.

With the right weather and the gradually lengthening days, a number of birds will be singing preparatory to setting up territories, so aiding identification. Woodpeckers may be clearly visible on the dead branches they strike to create their drumming sound. Grey squirrels can start breeding in January, so you may encounter them chasing around in the woods or gardens. Owls are also early breeders. You may have heard tawny owls hooting after dark on still nights for some time now. This lets other owls know of their presence to declare exclusive “ownership” of their territory prior to breeding. As their territories are quite large, to project this message over long distances, their calls can be surprisingly loud (as I learned after one took to calling from the roof above the bedroom window for a few nights).

Andrew Graham