THE WINTER CHILL HAS ARRIVED

So the long nights and dark commutes to work are with us again, but as we bunker down for winter how does wildlife cope?

Many depart to warmer climes in search of food that would be in very short supply here, while others adapt their eating habits. Some even come to this country for the winter.

 

Reports of swallows still in the UK have been heard this week, but these must surely be heading south now. The onset of the much colder conditions and the lack of daylight hours must mean these reports will soon cease.

What I expect to increase will be reports of fieldfares and waxwings. I’ve only seen fieldfares on rare occasions near my garden and never seen a waxwing. Luckily my parents-in-law live closer to the east coast so around Christmas I see quite a few fieldfares and the odd waxwing taking advantage of the numerous winter berries.

I’ve increased my supplies of nuts to the bird feeders this week to help top up the natural supply of food, although some birds may rely much more on what I and my neighbours put out than any other food source during winter.

The number of birds I’ve noticed in the garden has decreased, although this is probably down to me being unable to spend much daylight watching for them.

Robins, blue tits, great tits, house sparrows, tree sparrows and blackbirds are still using my garden every day, though I’m hoping to see more of the great spotted woodpeckers, goldfinches, long tail tits and maybe one or two surprises.

I’ll be checking the nestboxes over the coming weeks to clean them up and help provide a place for birds to shelter and a communal huddle for warmth. Perhaps I’ll get the camera working again and get some pictures up on here.

The garden is halfway to being prepared for winter, though I’m leaving dead plants and leaves in areas so insects can shelter, while the bushes are being not being trimmed short so birds can also find shelter.

Over the next few weeks I’ll show some images of how this is coming along, subject to any early snow!

OCTOBER PROVIDING LAST CHANCE TO BREED?

As the wet and cool summer gave way for a wet September, most people could be forgiven for thinking October would be cold and even wetter.

So far it's turned wet, but the cold weather hasn’t really materialised, the odd exception apart. In fact the weather is due to become a little milder in the next few days.

This has been backed up by regular sightings of swallows and house martins across the UK, despite the fact they should have been half way to Africa now.

I last spotted a large number of swallows at the end of September, but others have reportedly seen some in the last week, while there’s been one tweeter (excuse the pun) posting about house martins still nesting.

Wildlife has the knack of adapting to weather conditions and changing things like breeding habits, migration and even food sources.

It’s difficult to tell what the long or mid-term results will be of the wet summer we’ve had, but one thing could be our summer migrants staying later, risking their lives, to increase the breeding population for next year.

You could even say (without any biological evidence) that old birds are potentially sacrificing themselves to give their youngsters the chance to keep populations of their species going.

Of course you could also say that they could be first time parents or know that leaving it late will still give enough chances to raise a successful brood as insects hampered by the wet summer continue breeding in to autumn.

I was checking a couple of my nestboxes this week, ones that haven’t been used for nesting, when I came across a dead tree sparrow in one. I couldn’t see any reasons why it had died, other than old age or starvation.

The starvation one seems unlikely as I supply the birds visiting my garden with a range of seeds and nuts, so can only presume it died of old age or a genetic condition. A sad sight, but just part of nature.

The blue and great tits are still enjoying the sunflower seeds, so I’m not clearing up the plants until all seeds are gone.

My garden flowers are still producing a colourful backdrop, and there seems to be plenty of takers to the pollen on offer. I wonder if they, like the swallows and house martins, are relying on late breeding insects to prolong the breeding season and make up for a very poor spring and summer?

Winter and next year will help provide some of the answers.

SUNFLOWERS PROVING POPULAR

As the daylight succumbs to the long dark nights that winter will soon bring, the sunny moments we experience now should be enjoyed while they last.

Inevitably the wildlife are now storing up food for the colder days ahead, so my peanut feeder is taking a battering, along with the seed-filled heads of my sunflowers.

Today I've spent time watching as blue and great tits feast on the seeds, sometimes hanging upside down before prising the valued food from the flower head.

I've counted 37 sunflower heads in my garden, some bigger than others, from three varieties of plant. It doesn't seem to worry the tits as they happily fly from one type to another.

I was busy digging up part of the garden last weekend when I noticed I had company. Within minutes of me starting a robin was watching my every move and when a tasty morsel popped out of the ground, it was soon gobbled up by my new friend.

The robin stayed with me for over an hour and didn’t seem too disturbed to be feeding within a few inches of where I was standing or my spade was digging.

I suspect this robin is a resident of the area and knows that I’m not a threat; indeed I’m great help for a hungry bird looking for food.

About a week ago the garden peanut feeder was visited by a bird I’d not seen around for months; a great spotted woodpecker. I was quite shocked because the feeder is now within six feet of the house and front door, so this one must have been brave.

They’re very flighty birds so this one didn’t stay around too long, but it’s good to know one is still around and I’ll be looking out for it this autumn and winter.

The number of snails and slugs seems to be going down, although I still ‘crunch’ a few underfoot as I walk in the garden after dark.

I’m wondering of the huge numbers this year will result in even bigger numbers next year. If so I’d like to think that we’ll have hedgehog numbers increasing and hope to see one in our garden soon.

On final note the main concern I have for this winter is the high water table level. Just a short spell of rain now floods streams and rivers, while making fields and gardens very boggy.

Will autumn help by being drier than normal or will we face the prospect of heavy snow and dangerous surfaces outside this winter.