Wildlife Gardening - Green Gardening Guide » Garden pond wildlife

Bird bath disease killing off garden birds

Alan — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 02:05:42 +0000

A disease that has wrecked havoc on over half a million of the UK’s birds is being spread via bird baths and feeders it has been discovered.

Gardeners may actually be aiding the spread of the disease because infected bird baths and dirty feeders help the Trichomonas gallinae bacteria to spread. The bacteria cause’s birds’ throats to swell closed causing them to starve since they can no longer swallow.

Greenfinches in particular have been affected in Central England with almost a third of the population dying from bacterial infection this year. Chaffinches have also been affected losing a fifth of their population over the course of the year. A few isolated cases have also involved common garden birds such as sparrowhawks.

British Trust for Ornithology member, Mikle Toms, stated that the organization estimates that almost a half a million birds have been lost from the infection which has not occurred before.

Toms emphasized that proper cleanliness is the key to preventing the spread of the bacteria which includes washing out bird baths and feeders every other week if they are feeding birds. He added that if there are any signs of infection in the garden, such as the discovery of several dead birds in a short period of time gardeners should stop feeding birds.

It is believed that wood pigeons that have been forced into gardens in search of new food sources due to the changes in farming may be spreading the parasite.

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UN urges wildlife gardening

Alan — Thu, 13 May 2010 04:01:35 +0000

With summer getting closer gardens now need more maintenance and it is time to get the lawn mowers out of the garage. However, instead of getting the mower out, why not try leaving it in the shed so that your garden an offer a safe haven to wildlife that is now starting to emerge from hibernation.

Instead of thinking about maintenance however you may want to think about putting in some seeds to create a natural meadow for a visitor, which also is an environmental alternative to keeping a neat square of turf.

You also may want to take some time to plant sweet, colourful flowers that will attract bees and other creatures so that your garden becomes a true safe place for animals.

However, many people think of their garden as tamed wilderness and for beauty and thus items such as a cultivated nettle patch, a log pile, and bog gardens do not always make for the best designs.

Chris Beardshaw, the ambassador for the UN Year of Biodiversity, is attempting to highlight the large problem of disappearing animal species and loss of plant life globally, but concentrates on letting regular gardeners how they can create a wild garden that attracts animals and is still quite stylish.

He suggests layering a lawn into varying shapes and heights, which can encourage animals and allows you to be creative. He also suggests using logs instead of stone and wood that is stacked to look chic as they weather, even though they may not appear that way when you purchase them.

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Spring Gardening Show offers eco message

Alan — Sat, 08 May 2010 16:17:26 +0000

Brigit Strawbridge the eco-campaigner will be at the Three Counties Showground Spring Gardening Show this year along with many other familiar faces. Brigit is best known as the host of the BBC’s It’s Not Easy Being Green, will in attendance in the Eco Home and Garden area.B

The show is one of the largest horticultural shows of the year and is expected to draw tens of thousands of people to the Malvern area.

Accompanying Brigit on the Big Green Bus this year will be James Strawbridge also from the BBC show who will be offering a hands-on composting workshop.

Mark Boyle will also be on board the bus on May 7h as a contributor to the Guardian newspaper to talk about his latest book.

Another author in the crowd will be Rachel Corby signing copies of her latest publication, The Medicine Garden, which offers garden natural remedies for illnesses.

Also at the show will be plenty of workshops and talks that discuss solitary bees, natural skin care, healing with herbs, wormeries, composting, and wildlife gardening. A full list of everything taking place each day can be picked up at the Big Green Bus.

The Big Green Idea charity which Brigit heads is based on Bransford at the Fold and offers courses throughout the year in an effort to raise public awareness of green issues.

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Any size garden can entice wildlife

Alan — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 07:05:17 +0000

With care a garden can come alive with butterflies, bird songs, native bees, ladybirds, and plenty of other creatures that are simply looking for a place to live.

Every person that has a garden whether it is in a plot, suburban garden, or even a balcony can help put back a piece of the wildlife habitat that was destroyed to make room for exotic plants, driveways, and homes.

By placing more native plants into a garden and offering a water source you can give wildlife a place to find water, food, cover, and a place for wildlife to raise their offspring.

One type of native plant that will help bring insects into your garden is the Columbine Aguilegia which will help offer nesting areas, shelter, and food.

In a test to see if exotic plants can offer the same perks, native bee researcher and entomologist Gordon Frankie found that native bees prefer native plants over exotic plants by a ratio of four to one because native plants offer pollen, seeds, nesting materials, nectar, and shelter.

The new Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour that will launch on May 2^nd will teach local gardeners how to incorporate native plants into their garden so that they can invite wildlife to stop by.

One of the gardens included in the tour is Glen Schneider’s who recreated what Berkeley flats may look like before the Europeans came and developed the land by adding native plants which have caused many native birds to return to Glen’s garden.

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Overfeeding bird tables causing rat explosion

Alan — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 04:50:14 +0000

According a survey that provides an annual look at the rodent problem in the UK, garden birds getting overfed and rubbish being collected every fortnight instead of weekly is causing mice and rats to thrive throughout the county.

The NPTA (National Pest Technicians Association) even stated that even though local authorities took less action against pests last year, the UK still has a growing rodent problem in particularly in the South West.

At the root of the problem according to local council pest control officers is the fact that rodents have too much access to food in many areas from domestic gardens where birds are overfed, from public sewers that are not managed properly, poorly managed domestic waste, and because compost bin security is inadequate allowing mice and rats to easily break in.

Bristol experience a large increase in pests during the 2007-2008 school year, but last year saw a decline in the amount of pests although the council spokesman stated that they are not sure what the reason behind the decline is.

The council spokesman did add that it may have been due to the colder winter or that people were more careful about leaving extra bird food lying in their gardens.

The NPTA agrees that birds need to be fed during winter to help them survive, but people need to be wary of using bird tables or bird feeders because it does more to help out rodents then it usually does to help out birds.

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Big freeze afects garden bird numbers

Alan — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 04:48:27 +0000

As a result of the freeze during last winter the RSPB has reported that the amount of small birds such as goldcrests and coal tits has fallen.

According to the charity’s yearly Big Garden Birdwatch, the numbers of goldcrests fell by 75% and coal tit numbers fell by 20%.
However, the icy weather may have caused less people to see the birds which could throw off the numbers slightly as well.
The count took place over January 30th and 31st and recorded about 8.5m birds composed of 73 different species in about 280,000 UK gardens.

According to January’s court, long tailed tits fell by 27% even though they still made it into the top ten most spotted garden birds.
However there was a rise in common countryside birds such as yellowhammers, fieldfares, bullfinches, and redwings. Usually these birds are found in hedgerows, fields, and farmland trees.

Also seen in larger numbers were mistle thrushes and song thrushes.

Sarah Kelly, the Big Garden Birdwatch co-coordinator, stated that they are mostly concerned about the survival of small birds throughout winter asking that people ensure that they have access to feed and fresh water in gardens.
The RSPB also report that more blackcaps survived the cold then were expects probably because the breed has adjusted their feeding behavior to include feeder food.

The charity organization stated that while the top ten remains mostly the same this year compared to 2009, the most common species in Britain are facing a long term decline.

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The mating frenzy in your back garden

Alan — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 06:45:02 +0000

Currently, the most intense back garden orgies in Scotland are happening, as the toad breeding season has reached its peak and the amphibians are travelling to spawning ponds in huge numbers despite the danger of the trip.

In fact, the male toads are so eager to mate that it is not unheard of to find a female on her way back to a spawning pound with two or more male toads clinging onto her back. Once the same female actually gets into the pond it will turn into a scrimmage of males all competing for her. The scrimmage will be deadly for some toads since many are weak and emaciated after spending the entire winter in hibernation.

The sight is quite impressive and can be viewed in many Scottish ponds and lochs. One of the best places to watch the amphibians procreate is the Forestry Enterprise walk found in the Unshriach Forest at Uath Lochan.

The area is quite beautiful in its own right but due to the many boardwalks that extend over the bogs you can see the masses of toads from a very close point of view.

The most astonishing part of the toad mating season is the fact that toads travel extremely long distances to mate sometimes over a mile or so which may not sound large to us, but to a small slow animal it is a huge feat that requires determination and a great inward compass.

The journey does not end at the breeding ponds however, as most toads will continue on with their journey over the countryside to wherever they feel most comfortable, including your back garden pond.

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Imported aquatic plants havoc for wild life

Alan — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:28:30 +0000

Aquatic plants that are imported from other countries and sold in the UK for use in ponds and gardens can spread into the wild outside of gardens and cause problems for natural ecosystems in the UK threatening some of the most important wildlife sites in the country. Included in the number of threatened sites include many nature reserves of the RSPB.

In response, Defra and the Scottish Government launched a large scale aquatic plant awareness campaign that warns gardeners of the risks of placing non-native plants in their gardens. They also have listed tips on how to minimize the spread of pests into nature.

Non-native plants from ponds that spread into nature reserves is a big issue facing the RSPB and they have embraced pleasure at the new initiative which is titled Be Plant Wise.

The RSPB’s lead specialist on non-native species, Dr. Paul Walton, stated that when people transport plants and animals around the globe and then let them grow into nature areas serious damages to the environment can occur which often leads to extinction of several species.

Walton continued to say that in particular within the borders of the UK aquatic plants are a large damage because they transfer from garden ponds into many nature reserves and once they are established and rooted they can be very difficult if not impossible to remove.

He also stated that warmer climates experience a larger problem with the aquatic plants since they spread much faster and prosper much more easily.

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Goldfish the perfect fish for your garden pond

Alan — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:11:57 +0000

There are more than 20,000 different fish species that exist in nature with only a few of those able to survive in freshwater, and only a few more of this tiny group able to survive in ponds.

However, despite the fact that there are only a few freshwater species that can be kept in our gardens there are still a large variety of different habits, colours, hybrids, and shapes to choose from, and every year with the continual cross breeding, there are new types of varieties that become available.

One of the primary fish breeds that can be kept alive in captivity and is often cross bred is the goldfish, which is easily the most commonly known fish in the world. If kept properly the goldfish can live for around 15 years, with millions bred each year, making it quite inexpensive to purchase a few for your garden.

Due to the fact that goldfish actually descended from Siberia and China, the breed is tough and able to take practically freezing temperatures, allowing them to make it through some cold winters in your garden. When kept properly, they can grow to reach about 30cm from head to tail, if the pool is large enough to allow for such growth.

However, the fancy types of goldfish cannot reach the same lengths, with only gold and solid goldfish able to reach the largest lengths. Of course, with centuries of breeding goldfish there are now more than 100 different varieties, making it hard to choose which one to take home.

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Country ponds will need to be replaced with back garden ones

Alan — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:51:28 +0000

According to a national survey published by the Pond Conservation charity ponds in Britain are in a horrible condition. In fact, the conservation group found that most countryside ponds have a large amount of pollution from urban sprawl or fertilizer run off.

While this news is depressing, what may be more depressing is the fact that Britain’s ponds are drastically dwindling in number with over half a million disappearing within the past century. In response, the Pond Conservation hopes to restore these ponds and wildlife over the next fifty years.

They say that garden ponds may be the saviour of the wildlife that is threatened in the countryside. For those who want to build a pond themselves, construction does not have to be out of your hands if you have a modest plan for your pond. A 3m long and 1m wide hole can be enough for a pond completed with cheap waterproof lining over heavy duty polythene and turf.

Once the framework is completed water should evenly fill up the hole so that the liner is no longer visible. At this point the only thing left to do is tuck the liner edges into the turf and clean up the area.

To draw wildlife into your pond, you may want to think about getting some water weed from area ditches and purchase a few plants such as irises, kingcups, and primula.

After this the only thing you need to wait for is wild life to come to your pond, which often includes simple beauties such as dragonflies, frogspawn, newts, and pond skaters.

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