In your garden

Back in May, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) launched Gardenwatch on Springwatch, on BBC2, asking people for information on garden wildlife across the country. The responses show how people help wildlife in their gardens, and what more can still be done. The BTO’s report on it covers 31 wildlife-friendly garden features and practices, from feeding Badgers to leaving long grass to grow. But a number of recommended practices are not as widespread as they could be. Fallen leaves provide important food and cover for invertebrate life, shelter for Hedgehogs, and worms feed on fallen leaves, so more leaves means more food for birds such as Blackbirds and Song Thrushes, but according to the report, over half of us remove the leaves from our gardens. Ivy is flowering at the moment, and is a key source of nectar for insects stocking up larders for their young to use during the winter months, or for those such as Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies that hibernate as adults through the coldest months. But while 83% of respondents said that they had climbing plants like Ivy in their garden, there were fewer in northern England and Scotland. Over two-thirds of people taking part in Gardenwatch have at least one nestbox for birds in their gardens, but only 6% have a bat box, so now’s the time to put one up, either under the eaves or in a nearby tree. Kate Risely, Garden BirdWatch Organiser at the BTO, said: “While many respondents are already doing fantastic things in their gardens for wildlife, we hope this report will inspire people to do one more simple thing, such as create a log or rock pile or leave an area of long grass.” All the maps, figures and results can be viewed at: