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| | Seasonal News by Endymion Beer of Naturama. Winter Friends |
| | This winter has been an absolute joy. Feeding the birds during the cold spells actually brought in a pair of stock doves and I?ve never had this species in our garden before. To top it all, after a stormy spell of weather, we had a reed bunting eating Goldencrest bird seed from our bird table. We have never seen reed buntings in the garden feeding before either! We live on the edge of a wood, beyond which is the Taw Estuary so there are marshy areas, saltings, scrub, hedges, in fact quite a wide variety of habitats that suits all kinds of birds and other wildlife. It is good to see Ernest Charles focussing on garden wildlife generally as well as birdlife since it all needs looking after from time to time. Squirrels continue to build up their dreys and chase one another through the bare canopies. Squirrels continue to build up their dreys and chase one another through the bare canopies. |  |
| | Sometimes when it?s windy they are so frisky they appear at times to fly through the air as they leap from tree to tree. One little squirrel got blown right off course recently, falling to the ground in a topsy-turvy sort of way. I rushed out to find it but it was quite alright, sitting low on a branch but looking a little stunned. It soon dashed on its way again so no problem there. Ernest Charles provides a squirrel food that contains peanuts, maize, tic beans and raisins and that?s what our squirrels are occasionally treated to. To watch their comic antics as they charge about willy-nilly is so amusing. Two of ours have specific markings (until they moult again and acquire new coats) so we?ve named them Merrytail and Gingerfeet. |  |
| | One can learn a lot from watching wildlife in and around the garden. It is surprising how quickly some creatures adapt to us.Bats, Hedgehogs, Frogs, Toads, Ladybirds and other insects will all be in hibernation now along with some other species. When they awake, Ernest Charles caters for them all if you fancy giving one or two of your garden friends a treat. I especially like the Hedgehog Houses. Hedgehogs can hibernate happily during the winter months so if a member of the family forgets or is unaware there are hedgehogs snug asleep in the garden, and chooses to tidy up, the garden fork will hit the hedgehog house and not poor old hedgehog. It does happen! There are similar houses for toads and frogs also. All wonderful creatures to have around as they eat so many pests that we need never be troubled by slugs, snails and such if your are lucky enough to have hedgehogs, frogs and toads living in your garden. So look after them for looking after you. I may treat our hedgehogs to Spike?s Banquet, a tasty dry hedgehog food, later on once they are out of hibernation. Sounds delicious, I almost wish I were a hedgehog! Plenty of fresh water is called for in the garden for birds and animals alike. They will appreciate it. Also please keep feeding stations clean to protect birds and animals from picking up harmful bacteria. It doesn?t cost much to look after our feathered and four legged friends from time to time and in doing so youngsters may take an interest in our wildlife. Children need to be told not to disturb hibernating wildlife. Perhaps they could keep a garden diary of all their observations and fill it with drawings or photographs. Many schools have nature gardens today. Ernest Charles sell butterfly habitat boxes, ladybird houses and bug boxes. These could be great projects for small classes to study later on in the year. The best way to learn is hands- on and hopefully children will learn to be responsible and caring too. Ernest Charles also cater for bees, bats, birds and other kinds of pets and wildlife so do explore their website in depth in case you miss out on the latest new idea or better still a bargain! Global warming will make a difference to birds and wildlife in the countryside as well as in the garden. We are seeing more foreign birds and butterflies that we would not dream would ever visit Britain. More species that would normally migrate are deciding to over-winter with us. Breeding may start earlier than usual or go on later than usual. Hibernation can be disrupted if the weather isn?t cold enough. These are just some examples of things that can go wrong, but in keeping a garden diary you may spot something really interesting, something new no one else has noted. We are in an interesting time globally. So keep your eyes open and watch the birds and other wildlife that are our indicator species. It?s all happening! Let the wildlife tell us what is happening out there in a world hit by climate change. There is so much still to learn. How exciting! Pictures ©Trevor Beer. |
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