February often brings the first signs of spring in the bird world, with mild, sunny days producing plenty of birdsong and the start of breeding activity, including nest building for many resident species.
What a contrast with more than a century ago when February 1917 was one of the coldest on record. On Valentine’s Day, as the snow and ice had finally begun to thaw, those birdwatchers not fighting in Flanders met to share their observations.
