Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2011/January 2012 | Page 82

COUNTRY LIFE

Winter
Wildlife Gardening

By Natalie Rogers, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

Redwing by Caroline French

Winter can be a tough time for
local wildlife, especially with the
extreme cold and snow that we have
experienced in the past few years.
There are some simple steps that you
can take to ensure wildlife can thrive
in your garden and the good news is
it means there’s less tidying to do! The
cuttings, fallen leaves and trimmed
branches can all provide excellent
habitats for local wildlife so before
you rake it all away, why not create a
sheltered corner for wildlife in your
garden this winter?

Blue Tit by John Windust

completely, there can be a depletion
of the oxygen in the water and a build
up of noxious gases. To avoid this
happening, place a ball on the pond
surface so that a hole is left in the
ice in the event of it freezing. If your
pond has already frozen over, place
a pan of hot water on the surface to
gently melt a hole in the ice.

Protect the frogs and newts that visit
your pond
Whilst most amphibians leave the
pond during the winter and find a
terrestrial hibernation site, some stay
in the pond and can survive the winter
fully submerged. If your pond is deep
enough, it will not freeze completely,
allowing the frogs to breath the oxygen
in the remaining water. However,
if the surface is allowed to freeze
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Common frog by Jim Day

Feed your local hedgehog
Winter can be a difficult period for
mammals as there is less natural food
available. Some mammal species have
overcome this problem by hibernating
through the winter. Hedgehogs are one
of only 3 species of British mammal
that truly hibernate (the other 2 are
bats and dormice). The hedgehog
hibernation period is (in general) from
November to March but is dependant
on weather conditions and food
availability. If you put food out in
your garden for hedgehogs they will
often take advantage of the extra food
for as long as possible before resorting
to hibernation, fattening up as much
as they possibly can. You can help
the hedgehog by providing a suitable
hibernation site in your garden such as
a log pile covered in leaves in a shady,
quiet corner. Also, please remember to
check any bonfires for hedgehogs and
other wildlife before they are lit!