With winter finally here its time to start preparing for the frosty mornings and icy winds, and whilst for most of us,
this means wrapping up in as many layers as possible and preparing for Christmas, for many animals, winter is
a harsh and difficult time, filled with limited food and warmth. It is therefore essential that we do all that we can
for our wild neighbours this winter.
Here are some top tips for helping our wildlife this winter.
Leave parts of your garden undisturbed
Piles of leaves and logs will provide sufficient warmth for animals over winter. Hedgehogs are particularly
vulnerable to the cold, especially those that have been unable to hibernate or have woken up too early,
which can often occur during milder winters.
Feeding the birds
During winter birds face the risk of starvation with food in limited supply. Therefore, it is important to supplement
their diet with foods high in fat. These include unsalted peanuts, sunflower seeds and dried mealworms. All
available here at Sunshine!
Providing fresh water
It is not only food that is in limited supply during winter but water too. Providing regular fresh water will attract
more birds and even hedgehogs to your garden. However, a word of warning, leaving out milk for hedgehogs
is a bad idea as it can give them diarrhoea.
Taking part in the RSPB big garden bird watch
This is a great opportunity to not only learn more about the bird species found in the UK but also a chance to
help contribute to the RSPB's long-term data sets which have been monitoring bird numbers across the UK
for the last 40 years. The survey takes place between the 26
th-28
th of January 2019 and registration opens
on the 12
th of December 2018. Read more about the survey and why it is so important on the RSPB
website:
https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/
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