Winter can seem endless when it looms over the last warm days of autumn. But in reality, almost as soon as the skeletons of trees have been revealed, the first signs of new life make their presence felt. While most of us think of January as the darkest, most lifeless month, really it’s December, which is perhaps why we distract ourselves with Christmas. By January, the earth is already renewing.

Here are six signs of life that will make you revise your perception of winter as a season where nothing much happens:

1. The first snowdrops

The delicate, nodding white flowers of winter snowdrops in drifts across woodlands, churchyards and hedgerows is one of the most uplifting sights of winter and a clear sign that there’s life in the earth.

2. Bulbs breaking the soil

Already, in early January, the green shoots of new life are puncturing the soil. Bulbs are little energy packs for plants that lie dormant after the summer, waiting to burst into action again as the year turns. They bring the promise of hosts of golden daffodils, delicate crocuses and, later, multicoloured tulips.

3. Lambing season

Gambolling lambs are associated with springtime but many farmers up and down the country are busy right now. Lambing can begin as early as December and by February, you should certainly see fluffy white lambs jumping around in the fields.

4. Starling murmurations

One of the great spectacles of the winter months, starling murmurations, are a sight to behold. Thousands of birds, swooping in formation, create patterns across the late afternoon sky. Find out where to spot them here on the RSPB website.

5. Urban wildlife

You don’t always need to venture into the countryside to see our wildlife. As winter bites, animals become braver in their search for warmth and food. Foxes are an increasingly common site in our towns and cities and other wildlife to look out for include lapwings congregating in town trees, peregrine falcons (they’ve made a home in the cathedral spires here in Lichfield), and even wild deer in the green spaces in some UK cities.

6. Catkins

Take a fresh look at the trees. You might spot the first catkins of the year. These petal-less flowers appear before the leaves and are a key part of the arboreal life cycle, allowing pollination to occur. The catkins you can see in winter are most likely to be on alder, birch and hazel trees.

Enjoy winter. The natural world may slow down but nature never sleeps and there is always something new and wondrous to spot when you are out and about.