Wildlife
The Sussex Wildlife Trust explains how to care for wildlife this spring
The Observer series has teamed up with the Sussex Wildlife Trust to bring you questions and answers about all things nature.
Charlotte Owen, Wildcall officer at Sussex Wildlife Trust, is on-hand to answer your wildlife and conservation queries. As well as answering a variety of wildlife queries, Charlotte is always eager to receive your wildlife sightings in Sussex.
Wildcall provides fact sheets ranging from how to make bird cake to beachcombing and can offer advice on environmental and planning issues as well as the best ways to help wildlife such as frogs, birds, bats and bees flourish in your garden.
To talk to Charlotte, call 01273 494777 between 9.30am and 1pm on weekdays, email wildcall@sussexwt.org.uk, write to her at Wildcall, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Woods Mill, Henfield, BN5 9SD or visit www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.
What should I do if I find a baby bird on the ground?
At this time of year it’s quite common to find baby birds on the ground that seem to have ‘fallen’ out of their nest. They are not always in trouble but will sometimes need a helping hand. If the baby bird doesn’t have any feathers yet then it is still a nestling and should be returned to its nest.
Doing so will not cause the parents to reject it. If you can’t see the nest or you find a baby bird that’s visibly injured, please contact a local wildlife rescue for assistance: sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/ injuredwildlife If the bird has feathers then it is a fledgling and, unless it’s in immediate danger – maybe from a busy road or neighbourhood cats – the answer is: do nothing.
It takes time for birds to learn how to fly and very few manage it on their first attempt. Fledglings often spend a few days on the ground waiting for their feathers to develop completely before they can fly.
It can be distressing to see a baby bird flapping around trying to get off the ground but the parents will usually be close by, hidden away but spurring on their offspring with the promise of food.
If you find a fledgling at risk from a predator or passing traffic, consider moving it to a more sheltered location such as a hedge.
It’s a myth that handling a baby bird will cause its parents to abandon it, but it’s important not to move it too far away so that its parents are still able to find it.
I’m delighted to have hedgehogs in my garden this year, what can I feed them?
This is great news, and may mean that your garden is already providing a good supply of natural food.
Hedgehogs eat a wide variety of insects and other invertebrates but will opportunistically hoover up whatever they can find, from carrion to bird’s eggs, frogs and fallen fruit.
They love earthworms, beetles, slugs, caterpillars, earwigs and millipedes and these can be plentiful in gardens with compost heaps, log piles and plenty of undergrowth.
You can supplement their natural diet with meaty cat or dog food, either wet or dry, along with a shallow dish of water. Other favourites include unsalted peanuts, boiled eggs, mealworms in moderation – too many can cause issues – or a commercial hedgehog food.
One item that should never be on the menu, though, is bread and milk. Hedgehogs are severely lactose intolerant and milk will make them seriously ill, while bread is nutritionally poor – and no good for ducks, either.
Hedgehogs can easily travel a mile or more in a single night, passing through multiple gardens, parks and other green spaces in their search for food but often encountering fences, walls and other impenetrable barriers along the way.
If there aren’t already any gaps in your fence, try cutting a small (13cm x 13cm) hole at the base or digging a channel underneath it to create a simple ‘hedgehog highway’ and welcome these prickly characters into your garden.
Most flowering herbs are wildlife magnets and will attract a wide range of insect pollinators including honey bees, bumble bees, solitary bees, butterflies, moths and hoverflies as well as bright and shiny beetles.
Thyme, chives, marjoram and mint will all do well in a window box or hanging basket but you might want to plant any mint in its own container, as it will spread rapidly and may otherwise take over.
Angelica seems to be a particular favourite with wildlife – the flowers are attractive to bees and hoverflies, while the seedheads are excellent for visiting greenfinches and blue
tits. Fennel and rosemary are also good, and borage is one of the best ways to attract bees.
The tiny white flowers of coriander are great for hoverflies, and lavender will be buzzing with insect activity throughout the summer. Can you identify this beautiful, bright yellow butterfly?
This is a brimstone butterfly. Males have very distinctive sulphur-yellow wings, while females are paler and may look almost white, especially if seen from a distance. Supposedly the brightly coloured males helped coin the term ‘butter-fly’ and they can look especially ‘buttery’ when the sun shines through their golden yellow wings.
The brimstone is one of the first butterflies of the year and traditionally heralds the start of spring. Adults hibernate over winter, sheltering in old ivy growth where their closed wings provide excellent leaflike camouflage, complete with veins and mottled spots. They emerge on the first warm, sunny days, sometimes as early as January, in search of nectar to re-energise after a long winter. Brimstones can be seen flitting along roadsides and through parks, gardens and woodlands. You can attract them by planting nectar-rich borders for them to feed along, and climbing ivy and other shrubs for them to overwinter.