A great start to spring are the birds

The birds in your garden and in your local park can't afford to sit around, feeling glum and wishing the sun would come out. There's important work to be done - breeding!

Perhaps the most noticeable evidence of birds getting geared up for the new breeding season is the increase in birdsong that occurs from mid-January onwards. 

While some birds, such as robins, sing throughout the winter (indeed, both males and females sing to protect their territory), others recommence singing at this time of year, both to attract potential mates and to signal to other birds the boundaries of their ‘patch’.

To attract the best possible mate, birds have to look their best. This is why black-headed gulls get their ‘hoods’ back. In autumn and winter, they have white heads with a dark smudge behind the eye, but for the breeding season, they grow dark brown feathers on their head.