This site was updated on May 21st 2009

This Month in the Wildlife Garden  

March 2010  

March has so far been a flurry of activity,with birds seemingly nesting all over the place.Annoyingly,still nothing concrete as regards the camera boxes,though all have been visited several times.Last week we were visited by the local Sparrowhawk,(see pictures left and right)which sadly took one of our Blue Tits.Sad to see,but to be expected when you feed the birds regularly as we do.

February 2010  
February was reasonably quiet in the garden,after the harsh weather and snow from January.There was lots of activity from birds inspecting potential nest sites,but disappointlingly no activity to mention in any of the camera boxes.There`s still plenty of time,so fingers crossed.
January 2010  

January has been fairly busy in the garden.The weather has been particularly harsh with heavy snow forcing more birds into the garden to look for food.It really is a very tough time,making supplying food and fresh water even more important.The picture to the right shows the garden under a blanket of fresh snow.Beautiful to look at,but a potential disaster for wildlife.

December 2009  
We have recently been seeing flocks of Long tailed tits on a very regular basis.I normally hear these delightful little birds long before i see them.Their high pitched piping call is very distinctive,and i always know when they`re around.There are also the usual Blue and Great tits visiting our nut feeders.
November 2009  
The first frosts of autumn have resulted in a larger number of birds visiting the bird feeders in our wildlife garden.It really is a delight,to look out of our windows and see the variety of birds that we attract.Just a few years ago we planted an Alder tree to provide food for birds,and now it is the tallest tree on our street.Look into its branches on any day,and you are likely to see small flocks of Goldfinches and Siskins that are attracted to the cones.This is a perfect example of how planting with wildlife really can have a positive effect on what you can attract to your garden. We have been busy planting a vegetable garden,and being totally organic,we are trying to find a natural balance,and deter slugs and snails from eating their way through the whole crop.
October 2009  
We have been enjoying the mild weather,and the relatively warm evenings bring lots of insects and moths,so we have been lucky enough to be able to watch the pipistrelle bats feeding in the evenings.
September 2009  
The garden is still looking beautiful,with many plats still in flower.We are slowly replanting with perennials to give lots of colour and structure year after year. Ideally our flower beds will be packed full of beneficial plants,to attract as many birds,insects and animals as possible throughout the year.
August 2009  
The nesting birds have now flown their nests,and the garden becomes a slightly quieter place.We still feed the birds at this time of year,but it does go fairly quiet for a while,which hopefully suggests that there is a plentiful supply of natural foods available.
July 2009  
The Robins have been very busy rearing their young.They nested somewhere in the garden,but we have so many possible nesting places that it is impossible to know where exactly the birds are nesting.This can be a good thing,i suppose,as there are always cats and magpies,amonst other predators,that pose a threat to the young birds,that they need all the help that they can get,just to survive.
June 2009  
The Blackbirds did indeed raise a second brood,so we were very happy with that.Hopefully we`ll have even more young to report next year.
May 2009  
The Blackbirds successfully reared 4 young,and as it is only the end of May,we are hopeful that there will be a second brood.We haven`t managed to locate the Wren or Robin nests,but see the adult birds around the garden.True to form,the Sparrows have built in the camera boxes but still not laid any eggs.Hopefully there`s still plenty of time for that. We have been busy planting a vegetable garden,and being totally organic,we are trying to find a natural balance,and deter slugs and snails from eating their way through the whole crop.
April 2009  
The nesting season is fully underway,with the Blackbirds sitting on 4 eggs,so we are hoping for a successful conclusion with this.We have had major problems with Magpies and cats,either destroying the nest or taking the young once they have fledged.
March 2009  
March has been a very busy time in our wildlife garden.The Robins,Wrens,Blackbirds,Sparrows and Blue Tits are all either already building their nests,or checking out suitable nesting sites.We have Sparrows building in one of our camera nestboxes, and we are adding daily pictures of this Here

February 2009  
In early February we had our heaviest snowfalls for many years.We also built a Sparrow Terrace with three individual nesting chambers,each with its own miniature infra red camera,to enable us to watch the nesting birds.We hope to add pictures,and perhaps video footage,of any birds that nest.
January 2009  
We may only just be into January,but already the Robins are being amazingly territorial.We will often hear them singing,long into the dark winter night,proclaiming their territory.Today, 2nd January saw frenzied activity,as they checked out numerous nesting sites,and seemed to settle for a sheltered spot in the Ivy on the fence.I took the 3 pictures above as they went about the garden collecting nesting material.

December 2008  
December is usually a quiet time in the wildlife garden.Many of our wildflowers are just a distant memory.The leaves have all fallen from the trees,and the hedgehogs are now firmly in hibernation.Yet there is much beauty,much to see,especially on a frosty morning,when every twig,every leave shimmers like a diamond in the weak winter sunshine.At this time,we are already thinking ahead to next Spring,thinking of which plants or trees we can add to enhance the garden.Wildlife hedges can be planted at this time,on milder days,when the ground is not frozen solid!Hedging plants can be bought`bare rooted` and planted ready for the coming Spring. At this time,feeding wild birds is even more important,and can really be rewarding.Wild birds can bring a welcome splash of colour to an otherwise drab garden.We regularly get beautiful Goldfinches and Siskins on our Alder tree,planted specifically to attract birds.