Help wildlife through winter

Gardens can be lifesavers in the cold months, says Ruth

WE have had some marvellous encounters with garden wildlife this year, including hours watching hedgehogs trundling around the beds, and seeing a badger and a fox on our garden webcam.

I also found a just-fledged sparrow on the patio (I heard the telltale thud on a window as I was working on AG upstairs) that I thought was dead, so I picked it up to bury it with all the other glazing fatalities under the greengage tree at the bottom of the garden (it always fruits well!)

At this point it miraculously resurrected, opened its eyes, hopped to the ends of my fingers and after a few stunned minutes, flew away.

All this, without even starting on the wealth of insect life that’s come our way; hornets feasting on windfalls, lots of butterflies, many varieties of bees and hoverflies and so many grasshoppers in the uncut wildflower meadow that it sounded like a sewing machine factory.

But now our garden is quiet as yours’ probably are too, the main wildlife interest coming from the birds that flock to the feeders and birdbath throughout the day.

I am sure I’m not alone when I say it feels like we spend more money on feeding the birds than ourselves, so occasionally I’ll make them some fatballs myself.

Simply take one part suet or lard to two parts seeds and dried fruits and melt them in a saucepan. Mould the mix into balls using your hands or an ice cream scoop and place them on a tray in the freezer to harden. Then either string them together or pop them into a fat ball feeder. Alternatively, spoon the mix into little yoghurt cartons

that have had string threaded through a hole made in the bottom. Again, freeze them then when hard, cut away the plastic and hang then up.

Birds are opportunists in winter so if you reseeded a lawn in the autumn they will be only too happy to partake of your carefully broadcast seed.

Deter them by handing moving shiny objects such as old CDs over the site

– it doesn’t look terribly attractive, but it does keep them off!

Make sure bird feeders are kept full and washed regularly to prevent the spread of parasites and disease It’s bonfire week so check any piles of material for hedgehogs and other creatures before lighting. Alternatively, move the pile to a new site just before burning. CD ‘mobiles’ keep birds off grass seed

Nutritious ingredients for homemade fatballs