5 Things You Need to Know Today: Feb. 1

Our weekday morning column, 5 Things You Need to Know, provides you with information that can help you plan your day and give you some fodder for water cooler conversations.

1. Welcome to February! This is National Birdfeeding Month. Few things are as beautiful as a bright-red cardinal against the snow. Check out this interesting site, http://www.birdfeeding.org/nbfm.html, to learn how to attract birds to your yard.

2.  Play Five Crowns at 3 p.m. at the .

3. This is leap year, so we have an extra day this month, although it is still the shortest.  And on Feb. 29, tradition has it, women can ask men to marry them. So start looking ladies!

4. Have you noticed some low flying helicopters in the area? National Grid reports that it is currently conducting its twice-a-year helicopter inspections of more than 2,900 miles of high voltage transmission lines in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont. Flights will also be conducted in the summer months.

5. Today’s forecast: Rain, high 54, low 31.