October - A Busy Time For Wildlife

In October wildlife start to make preparations for winter and birds are on the move. Small birds such as tits, nuthatches and other woodland birds are joining other species to form flocks so keep an eye out for groups of birds arriving at your feeders.

Now as winter progresses and the cold snaps arrive, birds will become more dependent on the food you put out. Make sure you clean your feeders and tables now, and get into the routine of washing them regularly.

Resist the urge to cut back ivy, trees and bushes so that the foliage can provide shelter and a foraging habitat for insect-eaters such as Tits.

As well as ensuring birds are warm and have plenty to eat, you can also help a host of animals and mammals to find safe hiding places and food during the cold, when times are hard.

Many people tend to tidy their gardens in autumn, but often take this to the extreme and end up blitzing them, removing most of the shelter and leaving wildlife homeless. You can help wildlife by leaving as much tidying up as possible until the end of winter, and doing so can make your garden look more attractive, too.

Take a moment to look around and decide where to add new wildlife features, such as a log pile or pond. Toads like to spend winter months in greenhouses or under pots or piles of bricks and frogs are more likely to be seen in piles of leaves. Hedgehogs need all the help we can give them so leave piles of leaves and compost heaps in your garden so that they can make a nest for their hibernation that will be frost-free.