Wildlife Gardening - Green Gardening Guide » Wildlife in your garden

New Years resolution to help wildlife

Alan — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 09:45:16 +0000

This January, members of the British public are being asked to add a couple of new resolutions to their usual list about dieting and giving up smoking. A Dorset-based animal charity is asking local people to consider making a few changes to their lifestyle and their surroundings in order to help protect wildlife. Simple steps, such as keeping a bird feeder in your garden or putting out a few scraps for hedgehogs, can make a big difference to animals, especially in the tough winter months.

Not everyone has the time or the ability to mount a major conservation project in their back garden, but it only takes few seconds to check the labels on gardening products to ensure they are as environmentally friendly as possible and that they don’t contain any potentially harmful chemicals.

Even city dwellers with no back garden can do their bit for the environment. Sign up for an allotment with your local council or set up a window box and plant a few flowers to attract bees and other insects.

If sorting out the garden was already one of your resolutions, you might want to consider building a small pond. Amphibious creatures are losing vast amounts of their natural habitat due to construction and development, and even a small water feature in a back yard can encourage frogs and toads to return to the area.

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Butterfly species continue to disappear

Alan — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:15:22 +0000

In the last 10 years, 75% of all butterfly species in the UK have seen a decline in numbers. The figures have come out of the Butterfly Conservation Centre and have shown that even relatively common species have seen a fall in numbers of nearly 25%.

The researchers suggested that the reason for this fall is because the number of habitats suitable for butterflies is falling. Despite the general number of butterflies falling the report highlights that the numbers of some rare butterflies have been increasing because of intensive conservation efforts.

The data has been collected based on two surveys that have been running for a long time. The surveys look at the number of butterflies from each species and also examine their ranges. Some of the rarest butterflies however have not been doing so well and the scientists expect this is because they require a very specific type of environment and this is declining.

Richard Fox is the lead researcher behind the study and he is said, “It’s unfortunate to see that the number of butterflies has been declining, it is particularly worrying to see the butterflies we thought were adaptable to different environments are also declining in numbers.”

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Animals hibernation cycles disturbed by weather

Alan — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 06:25:10 +0000

The unseasonably warm weather that has been occurring in the United Kingdom recently is going to have affected the hibernation cycles of many types of animals. Several people across the country have reported seeing toads, frogs, bumblebees and hedgehogs far too late into the year.

Some people are concerned that this might have an effect on the environment but a recent statement from the Royal Horticultural Society has recently said, “Hibernation being delayed is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, the warm weather has meant that the food sources these animals need have been available for longer so they have had a greater ability to build up their food stores for winter.”

Generally, there is more of a problem for hibernating animals if there is a cold snap early on in the year followed by warmer weather. This means that the creatures will come out of the hibernation early in order to find food, when they don’t find any they will return to hibernation but because of their excursion they would have used up valuable energy that they have stored for their hibernation period.

Currently the Royal horticultural Society is working with The Wildlife Trust in order to launch a gardening competition which will find the best gardeners in the UK who are dedicated to creating wildlife gardens.

Gardeners World magazine writer Kate Bradbury has recently published an article in the magazine about how to help vulnerable creatures in the winter time. The article reads, “Generally, hedgehogs are found to be hibernating in compost heaps, thickets of grass, log pass, and piles of leaves. If you accidentally disturb the hedgehog then carefully place it back where it was and leave a small dish of food next to it. If you see a hedgehog out exploring during the daytime then you can call the British Hedgehog Preservation Society for advice.”

Frogs are another type of creature that are particularly vulnerable in the winter months. Many of them choose to hibernate outside of the pond but you will also find some that decide to stay underwater for their hibernation period. If the weather is particularly bad and you have a pond that is frozen over for several days you should melt a whole in the top of it with a pan. This will allow various noxious gases that can kill the frogs to escape.

Queen bumblebees hibernates during the winter and if you disturb one then leave it exactly where it is and leave a small mixture of sugar and water for the bee in case they need energy to find another hibernating place.

The Gardeners World article also states that if you find a ladybird then you should not do anything at all, it will be able to find another hiding spot without your help. The article also addresses the concerns of some readers about what happens if there is no cold spell. Currently it is not known what would happen, but it is likely the creatures would suffer from not having their winter rest.

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Wildlife food sources in the garden

Alan — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:51:53 +0000

If you want to create a garden that is capable of sustaining wildlife and actually drawing it in, then you must have several food sources in the garden. By planting a tree species that is native to the area you will probably automatically draw in wildlife you want to eat its fruits. Birds can be drawn into the garden by planting flowers and these will also encourage bees and butterflies who want the pollen as food.

The animals that come to your garden will also need somewhere to drink and this can be something like a pond or just something man-made such as a bird bath. You can even just put a dish out with some water in it and you will quickly find animals drinking from it. When it rains you will probably notice that birds enjoy splashing around in puddles so making one for them can be a good way to attract and your garden even when it’s not raining.

Plants and shrubs also have the added advantage that they provide shelter for animals. If you want to go a step further leaving tree stumps or hollow logs around the garden means there will be places for animals to protect themselves from predators as well as a place for them to make a nest. Putting additional items down the as shelter is a good idea in winter when natural shelters are harder to come by for animals.

For those with a small garden having a bird box can be a good way to provide a home for a bird. If you want to keep your garden natural it’s important not to use chemicals such as pesticides as these might harm animals. Any gardening that you do should be organic so that the animals remain healthy and safe.

There are plenty of organic fertilisers that you can use so that you do not bring chemicals into the garden but can still reap a good amount of food. Composting is a good way to produce your own fertiliser and it has the added benefit that you are not putting your waste into landfill.

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Bumblebees super-workers of the garden

Alan — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 04:57:57 +0000

Bumblebees are the hairy fat bees that work in the garden furiously even if you do not want them there. However, while you may be apprehensive given their ability to sting, they actually have a well defined place in the garden pollinating, working, and fertilizing plants so that they can produce nuts, seeds, fruits, or flowers. The bad news is that bumblebees are in trouble of going extinct and if this happens you can expect your garden productivity to gradually decrease along with the bee population as well.

There are a few things that you can do to help prevent this from happening if you want to protect the bees and protect the future of your garden starting with offering them rich plants to eat from. Outside of just offering nectar you may also want to think about altering your garden a bit so that it is more suitable for them to live and breed in so that can start to increase their numbers and start to turn around their population. This is due to the fact that bumblebees live in holes that are buried in the ground and there are a few changes you can make that will encourage them to nest inside of your garden.

By doing so you will offer the bees a safe place to lay and hide their eggs. After laying the eggs the bees will stock up with food and supplies to make it through the winter so that come spring the bees will be grown up and the young queens will be able to head out to make new nests continuing to increase the bee population in your garden and the world. While you may think that the last things you want are nests in the garden, it is actually during the food gathering process that the bees pollinate flowers so this is actually an excellent time to draw bees close.

The simple task of building and placing nesting homes around the gardens or other spaces that you may have in your yard you can help make sure that bumblebees have a safe place to hibernate and live so that they can start to rebuild d their numbers. As mentioned, the benefit to humans who make this effort is the fact that the bees will then pollinate any nearby crops, gardens, fruit trees, or flowers helping your garden to produce much better. The idea is also not that farfetched as old farmers used to often make homes for bumblebees to live in out of clay pots for this very purpose.

These gardeners understood that the bees were very helpful in the garden and thus did everything within their power to encourage them to take up residence in their gardens. If you want to use a clay pot the best size is usually a ten inch pot that is turned upside down. Of course, to make sure that this is a suitable home you have to make sure that the pot has a hole in the center of the base so that the bees can easily get in and out of their new home. To help encourage the bees to head to the home fill half of the pot with old moss for bedding or if you have any mouse nests around with some of the bedding from these since the smell attracts bees.

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The wonder of worms

Alan — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:31:53 +0000

Worms are known as being some of the best recyclers in nature and they can be used in people’s homes to help them get rid of their organic waste. If you are interested in helping the environment then worms can be a fantastic way to start.

Estimates have said that around a third of all the material that homes dispose of is organic. It is this material that if it were disposed of in an environmentally friendly way would cause a great reduction in the amount of waste going to landfill; it would also reduce carbon emissions. It also gives those at home chemical free fertilisers and liquid plant food. This gives you great savings while being environmentally conscious.

Worms function just below the surface of the ground. Here they take organic matter from the surface and bring it underground where it is recycled. You can set up a wormery in your garden and, once you have done this, recycling your waste is a very simple process. All you have to do is lift the lid of the bin, add your waste and leave it to the worms.

Almost all kitchen waste can be put in a wondering and the worms will make quick work of it. You can put in small scraps of fish, meat, coffee grinds, and even small amounts of newspaper. Minimise the amount of smelly foods you put into the bin or it may be unpleasant to have near the house. Do not put animal waste in the bin.

You can put your wormery in almost any location; most people choose to put it just outside the kitchen door so that scraps can be easily put in it. Buy a good wormery and you won’t have to worry about the worms escaping.

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Campaign to save the red squirrel

Alan — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:42:53 +0000

The Wildlife Ark Trust has recently launched a campaign that will help save the red squirrel by attempting to prevent the spreading of the squirrelpox virus. The virus is carried by the grey squirrel which is immune to the disease but it is capable of passing it to the red squirrel.

Once infected the red squirrel will begin to get lesions on its body, especially over the face and eventually these will blind the animal. Once this has happened it will not be able to feed itself and it will die. Some squirrels die of secondary infections caught through the open lesions before they starve.

Robin Wilkin is Wildlife Ark Trust chairman and he has said, “We are a registered charity and as such we see it as a necessity that there is a vaccine developed to prevent the spread of this disease and save the red squirrels. We are working with the Moredun Research Institute to develop a vaccine that will help the animals fight the virus.

The cost of creating the vaccine is estimated to be over £400,000 and the Wildlife Ark Trust has already raised over £300,000 and is hoping they will be able to get the rest of the money soon so they can fund the final six months of the project. The trust are welcoming all donations and anything given in excess will go to their other conservation projects.

“The grey squirrel’s rapid rate of encroachment has increased by a factor of 20 when they are infected with the squirrelpox virus. It is estimated that the English red squirrel will be extinct within ten years,” added Mr Wilkin.

Chris Packham, the television wildlife presenter and a patron of the Trust said, “If you value our native wildlife, you should support the Red Squirrel Appeal. Normally concerned members of the public have to wait patiently for government to get its act together before any action is taken to protect our wildlife. On this occasion we are able immediately to influence the outcome of this major conservation effort to save our red squirrels”.

The development of a squirrelpox vaccine is supported by Defra, the European Squirrel Initiative, The Red Squirrel Survival Trust and many other conservation organisations.

If you would like to support the Red Squirrel Appeal you can donate by post by sending your cheque, made payable to the Wildlife Ark Trust, to the Red Squirrel Appeal, the Wildlife Ark Trust

www.wildlifearktrust.org

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Inner city wildlife rain garden

Alan — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 03:45:39 +0000

The latest trend in inner city wildlife gardening is a rain garden and all that is required is a tree, a pond and a shed. Rain gardens absorb water just like a mop, allowing it to gently saturate the soil and thereby reduce any risk of flood. Besides being wild life friendly, clever and eco friendly, a rain garden is ideal for the gardener who has little time because of the necessity to water.

For the first time this year, a rain garden has been displayed at the Chelsea Flower Show. Designed in partnership with the Landscape Agency by Nigel Dunnett, the New Wildlife Garden is now on display at the Gloucestershire Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre.

A book is dedicated to The Wild Garden, and this 1870 book by William Robinson was written in response to the love by the Victorians of annual bedding display gardens, which required a great deal of maintenance. Robinson had cleared the way for a more natural way of planting. The New Wildlife Garden provides a modern approach to Robinson’s original, first envisaged over 150 years ago.

A garden does not need to be a Chelsea class exhibit but a few ideas and elements from the design of the New Wild Garden together with the three themes namely wildlife, water and sustainability will certainly assist in the garden display.

London is losing green space at an alarming rate, roughly an area two and a half times the size of Hyde Park, each year. This loss results in warmer temperatures and habitat loss. With no soil available to soak up heavy rain water, the prospect of flooding is very real. Rain gardens and green roofs, planted with herbs, wildflowers and other low maintenance perennials absorb the rain thereby counteracting the loss of green space below them.

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Gardens with bird feeders

Alan — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:55:31 +0000

Birds will be attracted to gardens with bird feeders and window bird feeders are a popular option with many people. The bird species of orioles are particularly attracted to window feeders and will be sure to come back to your garden if you install one.

The choice of birdhouse you either buy or make is important as different birds are attracted to different kinds of houses. For most birds the preferred type of house will be simple and not have treated wood. Most of the UK’s birds prefer simple accommodation such as the unpainted birdhouse.

Birds want to live in a safe environment so do not be surprised if your bird feeder remains unused for a couple of weeks. Once the birds have found it they will wait until they feel it is safe to eat from the feeder. As soon as they have started to eat from it you can be sure that more birds will be coming back regularly. In order to encourage birds to the feeder you may want to have a bowl of water that they will enjoy drinking from and playing in. Also, birds are attracted to shiny objects, so placing something reflective on the feeder is a good idea.

Birds generally try to avoid people so you must bear this in mind when choosing where to put the feeder. Putting a few around your garden will give the birds a feeling of safety and they will be sure to come and feed regularly. Feeding birds can be a very satisfying and rewarding experience so treat the birds well and enjoy their presence in your garden.

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Malaria is killing off many of our native birds

Alan — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:59:14 +0000

An upsurge in Malaria is killing off many of our native birds, such as Chaffinches, Sparrows, Nightingales and Owls. The bird experts have warned that at least 30 species of birds in Britain are affected, and increasing numbers are succumbing to the disease.

They blame the spread of the tropical disease on the mosquitoes that are enjoying the warm and wet climate the UK is currently enjoying.

It is estimated that 30% of house sparrows in the UK are now affected with malaria, up from less than 10% in 1990. Two thirds of the nation’s 38,000 Tawny Owls have also been hit, whereas just 1/40 had the disease in 1996, and the infection amongst Great Tits has increased five-fold to 15%. All three of these species are non-migratory, and therefore can only have been infected by mosquito bites in the UK.

The disease, which infected birds carry with them when they migrate, can’t spread to humans. Graeme Madge, from the RSPB, said that malaria is circulating in the UK, but the levels are still low. It isn’t always fatal as many birds have a natural resistance to it, but if there are new strains or different types of mosquito, the danger to the already declining bird population is very real.

He added that the climate change that brings warmer weather conditions will favour the colonization of some insects that currently cannot survive here, but soon will be able too, and this also could cause the disease to spread further. The population of Sparrows has declined by 67% since 1970, and the numbers of Nightingales have dropped by 90%, various reasons are given such as predators, a threat to their habitat and other diseases.

A professor of Ornithology from Oxford University, Ben Sheldon, has said that malaria is a significant cause of the current high mortality rate amongst British birds, but the transmission of it isn’t straightforward and it is a hard disease to predict.

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