The weather has suddenly turned in my part of the UK. Ive gone from T-shirts to my big coat in a couple of weeks and I'm sure it won't be long before Jack Frost lays his chilly fingers on the earth making life difficult for our wildlife.
There are a few ways you can make life easier for our furry and feathered friends and it doesn't have to cost a lot of money or take a lot of time but can mean the difference between life and death for wildlife.
One really easy way to help birds is to Buy Wild Bird Seed. You can buy a variety of mixes and if you are clever and fill specific feeders you can make sure that small birds and ground feeders get a look in while deterring squirrels, cats and other predators. You can even buy species specific blends for robins or song birds for example, and buy high energy mixes which are especially good in winter when birds find it harder to supplement their diet naturally.
Water is vital for birds and mammals and you'll be doing a huge amount of good ensuring there's a clean supply in safe locations all year round. Obviously in the winter freezing can be an issue - just add a floating ball like a pingpong ball to stop water from freezing completely over. Water in rubber water containers freezes much slower than in metal containers. Clean water containers regularly to avoid spreading disease.
Never leave milk or milk-soaked bread out for hedgehogs. They are lactose intolerant and drinking milk will make them seriously ill. You can buy special hedgehog food or feed them fresh cat or dog food, preferably with a high meat content.
It's tempting to leave out leftovers which animals like foxes and badgers will relish but you need to be very careful to avoid creating issues for yourself, your neighbours and the animals themselves.
Here are a few tips for safely feeding foxes and badgers.
You could leave out cooked or raw meat, fruit (apart from grapes which are poisonous to them), cheese or tinned pet food but don't leave so much that they stop trying or even forget how to fend for themselves or become over confident. Leaving too much food might also encourage them to dig holes in your or your neighbours garden to store it
You also might end up accidentally attracting big groups of animals who could be a nuisance. Never, ever try and hand feed them or try to lure them to your door or even into the house. It might look cute on Instagram but could be dangerous for you and them. They may start to associate food with humans and become too bold and approach people who aren't as keen on you having wild animals so close. It's much kinder and safer to leave food out at specific times of day so they know when to come to you and watch them from a window until they head off to forage again like the wild animals they are.
Sadly not all mammals are considered cute and unless you want to attract rats and mice and other pests be sure to clean up uneaten food regularly.
If you see any kind of illness or injury in one of your wild visitors do not try to trap or treat it yourself. Instead contact the RSPCA or a local animal sanctuary to see if they will check it out for you.
Even people who live in apartments can help wild animals by donating food and money to animal charities and sanctuaries.