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We are delighted to announce the publication of a new interactive map containing information about biodiversity in the 4Bs. The map has been created by Simon Humphreys as part of the 4Bs Biodiversity Initiative.
The map shows important places to see wildlife, SSSIs and the sites of wildlife habitat and biodiversity projects being supported by the Initiative. It shows opportunities for volunteering, local environmental groups, major landowners and the locations of outdoor wildlife educational opportunities. The intention is to update the map as new wildlife projects and opportunities emerge. If you have information that you feel should be included please let us know by emailing biodiversityinitiative1@gmail.com
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To access the map, click on the link below
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1u_wrcBm02kt-_EnDzpnijPFqDywHB7M&ll=51.23775260340388%2C-0.28022898950363473&z=14 You can also access the map via the 4Bs Biodiversity Initiative website https://www.biodiversitypark.uk/inventory.html This webpage also contains reports of projects and surveys. Simon is Surrey Wildlife Trusts Voluntary Reserve Manager at the Dawcombe and Fraser Down Nature Reserves. Simon is also a Trustee of Surrey Wildlife Trust and a member of the 4Bs Biodiversity Initiative Facilitation Team.
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An entertaining way of curating our photos of wild birds is to create a short movie. The birds in this movie were photographed in one Betchworth garden over a 12 month period using a Nikon Coolpix B700 and a Ceymours wildlife camera. Following on from Glenn Carmichael's excellent talk on the wild birds of the 4Bs, Glenn kindly led a bird spotting walk around Buckland Park Lake. The weather was kind and 27 residents of the 4Bs benefitted from the stunningly beautiful walk around the lake. We are very grateful to the Buckland Estate for waiving the entry fee.  Here is a list of birds that were spotted or heard on the Merlin App.
15 Canada Goose 2 Egyptian Goose 60 Eurasian Wigeon 1 Common Woodpigeon 2 Common Moorhen 2 Eurasian Coot 2 Black-headed Gull 1 Little Grebe 1 Red Kite 1 Common Magpie 3 Eurasian Jackdaw 3 Carrion Crow 2 Eurasian Blue Tit 2 Great Tit 4 Long-tailed Tit 2 Eurasian Blackbird 2 Tree Creepers Robins Blue Tits The 2025 RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, billed as the UKs oldest and largest citizen science wildlife surveys, took place on 24-26th January. Over 600,000 people took part in Big Garden Birdwatch 2024, counting a whopping 9.7 million birds! House Sparrows took the top spot, but counts of these chirpy birds are down by 60% compared to the first Birdwatch in 1979. In fact surveys show that we’ve lost 38 million birds from UK skies in the last 60 years. With birds facing so many challenges, it’s more important than ever to get involved in the Birdwatch. 4Bs contribution to RSPB Birdwatch Survey We encouraged residents in the 4Bs to spend just one hour to count the birds on their patch and contribute to the survey and share their results in the WhatsApp Nature Group or via email. 32 species of bird were reported by the 16 contributors to the 4Bs survey (Table 1). The three species with the largest head counts in the survey are 1 = Blue Tit (65), 2 = Sparrow (39), 3 = Wood Pigeon (35). 13 species had a head count of less than 5. The most abundant species in the 4B count are similar to this found in Surrey, where the most abundant birds are 1 = Blue Tit, 2 = Wood Pigeon, 3= Sparrow and the national survey, where the most abundant birds are 1= Sparrow, 2= Blue Tit and 3= Wood Pigeon. 
Glenn Carmichael (Leader of the Dorking and District branch of the RSPB), provided an excellent illustrated talk of the Wild Birds of the 4Bs. It was the perfect introduction to the RSPB Big Garden Bird watch. Glenn spok with passion and humour and in spite of the poor weather, 40 residents of the 4Bs turned up and greatly appreciated his talk. You can download Glenn's slides and view a recording of his talk below.  Glenn's Poerpoint slides
Video recording of Glenn Carmichael's talk
 The Big Picture The phenomenon of bird migration and the question of where our birds go during the winter months has fascinated people since the earliest times. Early theories included suggestions that Barn Swallows buried themselves in the mud at the bottom of ponds, that Barnacle Geese emerged from barnacles, that Redstarts transformed into Robins or that White Storks wintered on the moon! For more than a century, ornithologists and biologists have attempted to answer these questions using increasingly sophisticated methodology (e.g. observations, bird ringing, radar, radio-tracking, isotope analysis), which has improved our knowledge and understanding of the migration ecology of many of our resident and migrant species significantly. Map showing Common migratory routes through the western palearctic. The UK lies along the East Atlantic Flyway, one of the major migratory routes for birds traveling between northern Europe and Africa. Every year, millions of birds embark on incredible journeys, traveling thousands of miles from their breeding grounds in the UK to warmer climates for the winter, and returning in the spring. Similarly, breeding birds from higher latitudes in Scandinavia and the high arctic arrive on our shores in the winter months to escape harsh climates and to take advantage of the plentiful food resources along our coastlines and within our wetlands, woodlands, hedgerows, scrub and gardens. Bird migration is one of nature’s most remarkable phenomena, and the UK plays a vital role in this process as both a stopover location, breeding ground and wintering ground. As changes in daylength and temperature occur in spring and autumn, many species begin their journeys, some by day and some by night. Birds instinctively navigate across vast distances, using a combination of the stars, the sun, visual landmarks and the Earth’s magnetic field to find their way. The success of these journeys is dependent on a wide variety of environmental and physiological factors including temperature, humidity, wind speed/direction, body weight and condition, as well as flight speed and altitude.
 Adaptation for Migration Birds exhibit a wealth of adaptations to make these long-distance flights more efficient. This includes a lightweight skeleton comprising hollow air-filled bones, large flight muscles and feathers. Prior to take off, adaptations also include rapid fuel deposition in the form of fat within their tissues, achieved via increasing the amount of time spent feeding and altering the size of their liver and digestive tracts. For example, the Garden Warbler, a trans-Saharan migrant, can increase its body mass from 18g in the summer and winter months to a maximum of more than 37g shortly before setting out over the desert in autumn or spring. For the flights themselves, birds exhibit an ability to increase the size of the flight muscles and heart as well as subsequently reducing the size of digestive organs. These changes in body structure and composition at migration times are some of the most rapid and striking in the animal Kingdom. Incredible Journeys The longest of all bird migrations are performed by seabirds, most notably the Arctic Tern (right), some individuals of which migrate each year between Arctic and Antarctic waters, giving return journeys of more than 30,000km. In the process, these terns experience more daylight than any other organism as they shuttle between the continuous daylight of the northern and southern summers.  One of the most impressive migrations (confirmed via radio-tracking data) undertaken by any bird is that of the Bar-tailed godwit (right), which has been recorded migrating 10,400km over sea from Alaska to New Zealand in the space of approximately 175 hours (7.3 days), giving a mean speed of 1,512 km per 24-hour day (or 63 km per hour). This is the longest and fastest over-water flight known from any land-bird species, during which an individual will lose around half of their initial body weight over the journey. Some of Our Winter Visitors to the UK https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2025/01/british-winter-birds/   The Thrill of Birdwatching For bird enthusiasts and professional ornithologists alike, migration season is an exciting time. Autumn and spring bring a flurry of activity, as migrating birds pass through, sometimes in huge flocks. Birdwatching hotspots across the UK, like Spurn, the Norfolk coast, and Isles of Scilly offer excellent opportunities to witness this incredible phenomenon. Bird observatories are strategically positioned around the coasts of the British Isles (see photo) which enable us to record detailed migration data. This plays a vital role in informing population trends and directing conservation efforts. Whether you're spotting rare species or simply enjoying the sight of flocks flying overhead, bird migration offers a chance to connect with nature in a profound way. The adjacent map shows the location of bird observatories in the UK. Conservation Efforts Understanding bird migration is not just about marvelling at nature’s wonders; it’s also a reminder of the importance of preserving the habitats that these birds depend on. Many migratory species face numerous threats during their journeys, including habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, and human activities. Conservation efforts to enhance habitat condition and connectivity, while reducing threats from hunting and pollution are crucial to ensuring that these incredible journeys continue for generations to come. Through citizen science projects and research, we gain a better understanding of how these species navigate and what challenges they face. The British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO) bird ringing scheme (https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/bird-ringing-scheme) has been responsible for a wealth of knowledge gained in the last century on migration of birds to and from the British Isles.  The Big Garden Birdwatch, organised by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), is the largest citizen science project of its kind in the world and provides a great opportunity for members of the 4B’s community to contribute to bettering our understanding of how both our resident birds and winter migrants are faring. Residents can be on the lookout for all the usual garden visitors as well as winter thrushes like Redwings and Fieldfares. A number of warblers such as the Chiffchaff and Blackcap may also be seen, which in recent years have begun overwintering in the UK. In exceptional ‘Irruption’ years, similar to that of 2023, species like the Waxwing may also arrive in the UK in large numbers, usually as a result of low food availability in northern Europe. This year has seen an influx of Hawfinches from the continent, particularly in the south-east of England so this is another species to keep an eye out for when out locally. ‘Across the UK, over 600,000 people took part in Big Garden Birdwatch 2024, counting a whopping 9.7 million birds! House Sparrows took the top spot, but counts of these chirpy birds are down by 60% compared to the first Birdwatch in 1979. In fact, we’ve lost 38 million birds from UK skies in the last 60 years. With birds facing so many challenges, it’s more important than ever to get involved in the Birdwatch. Every bird you do – or don’t – count will give us a valuable insight into how garden birds are faring.’ Spend an hour counting birds in your garden between 24-26 January 2025. You can sign up via this link: https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/big-garden-birdwatch  Some links to examples of other research projects actively monitoring bird migration are provided below, where you can track the location of individual birds in real time along their migration routes. https://www.bto.org/cuckoos - BTO Cuckoo tracking project.  A Global Journey Bird migration is a reminder of the interconnectedness of our world. Birds that migrate across continents are not just crossing borders but connecting ecosystems, carrying vital roles in pollination, seed dispersal, and maintaining ecological balance. Their journeys highlight the importance of collaboration in conserving migratory species and their habitats on both a local and international scale. Did you know that humans have to teach birds to migrate if they have been hatched and reared by humans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyzl04z_RLU Bird migration across Africa and Eurasia If you are resident of Betchworth, Buckland, Brockham or Boxhill dont miss our 4Bs wild bird talk and walk    The simple answer to the question of how we attract and care for the wild birds in our garden, is to provide them with the things they need – safe habitats, food, water and shelter. In short, the opportunities they need to flourish. But different species have different needs. This article amalgamates extracts from several articles (sources listed at the end) to provide a basic introduction to how we can attract and care for our wild birds.  Birds are wonderful visitors to have in your garden – they’re relaxing to watch, can help rid your lawn of weeds, are brilliant at eating pests and can also help with flower pollination. Here are 4 ways to encourage birds to come and visit your patch. 1. Set up some bird feeders One of the best ways to encourage birds to visit has got to be by installing some bird feeders in your garden. There is a wealth of different bird feeds available to attract different bird species, so you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to attracting them to your garden. By providing a variety of feeding sites, you can attract a wider range of birds into your garden. Seed feeders You want to make sure every bird in your garden - from small birds like Robins and Blue Tits to larger birds like Woodpeckers and Blackbirds - gets the right kind of energy-rich bird food they need. A seed feeder can attract many different species to your garden, including sparrows, tits, finches and Siskins. Available with plastic or metal fittings, they come in a wide variety of sizes and styles and are suitable for sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts or any free-flowing feeder seed mix. Metal fittings usually last longer than plastic and they are more resistant to squirrel damage. Look for RSPB Ultimate feeders. For nyjer seed you need a specially designed feeder as this seed is smaller than other bird food. These special feeders have very small holes or slits instead of the standard feeding ports, which helps prevent too much seed from being wasted. For even less waste you can add a seed tray to your seed feeders. It catches dropped seed and provides extra perching space. Be aware though, that if you wish to attract smaller birds, seed trays are an inviting place for larger birds. Suet pellet & peanut feeders Ideal for suet pellets and peanuts, suet pellet and peanut feeders are often popular with tits, Woodpeckers, Nuthatches and other species that cling. The only safe method of offering peanuts to wild birds are feeders made from steel mesh. The mesh size needs to be large enough to prevent beak damage and small enough to prevent large pieces of nut from being removed – about 6 mm is a good compromise. These feeders can also be used to feed suet pellets, which are a great alternative to peanuts. Suet feeders Suet feeders come in many shapes and sizes. Some are suitable for suet balls, others for suet cakes. Some are multi-purpose and can be used for either balls or cakes. These feeders are typically made from a wide metal mesh, which holds the suet and provides birds with something to cling to while feeding. Suet feeders are particularly popular with members of the tit family and starlings. Food for wild birds Providing a range of different nutritious foods is essential to attracting a variety of birds to your garden. Some of the foods available include:
You may have to wait a little while before the birds come to visit your feeder, but once they know it’s there, it’s highly likely they will return. Ensure you keep it regularly topped up and place it somewhere safe, where birds can spot any immediate signs of danger. This is ideally near to a tall hedge or tree which can provide cover. Avoid low cover as cats can ambush birds this way. It's also worth thinking about having more than one feeding station, to attract different species. If you a have tree in your garden it's a great option to hang some bird feeders from its branches, or you could choose a freestanding feeder if not. Some birds like to feed from the ground, such as blackbirds and chaffinches, so you could provide them with a ground feeding tray.  2. Provide fresh water Water is of course vital for birds’ survival, as they need it for drinking and bathing. So, providing them with a fresh, clean water source is a great way to entice them into your garden. You could place a bird bath in your garden or even putting a bowl of water out will suffice. Place it somewhere shaded and where birds can have a good view of potential predators. Water is best kept in a shallow container, no deeper than two inches. Refresh it as often as you can and remove any ice during the winter. 3. Give birds somewhere to nest Another great way to encourage birds to your garden is by providing them with somewhere safe and secure to nest. Adding a few nesting boxes in sheltered areas of your garden, away from potential predators, is the best way to do this. Don’t put your nesting box in direct sunlight or where it will be prone to strong winds – somewhere between north- and east-facing is best. There are a few different nesting boxes available, depending on the species of birds you’d like to attract, including:
4. Plant some bird-friendly plants Create an oasis for birds in your own back garden by planting a variety of bird-friendly plants, trees and shrubs. These will help to provide further shelter and nesting sites, as well as a natural food source. Berry-rich trees and shrubs like rowan, hawthorn, guelder rose and holly are all great natural food sources and also help to provide shelter. Plants with an abundance of seeds are another great choice, such as teasels or sunflowers. Ivy and honeysuckle are also popular with birds – they provide dense cover, fruits and attract insects for birds to feast on. Another option is to plant some wildflowers to attract the insects that birds love to feed on. That way you can supply birds with food while filling your garden with gorgeous flower displays. Follow these simple tips and you’re sure to have a flurry of feathered friends visiting your garden in no time. By providing them with the food, shelter and water they need, you can help conserve species and reverse the trends around declining populations.
Hygiene is important! Whatever you feed birds with, good hygiene around feeders and bird baths is important all year round, but particularly so during the summer months. The warm weather can make bird food go off more quickly and can provide ideal conditions for harmful bacteria to proliferate. Salmonella is present at a low level in wild bird populations, and poor hygiene at feeding stations can fuel a local outbreak. Greenfinches and house sparrows are most susceptible to this infection, which is transmitted by droppings from an infected bird. It’s important to clean feeders regularly, and to always exercise sensible hygienic care: clean the feeders outdoors, keep separate brushes for the purpose, wear gloves and wash hands after finishing the job. Keeping unwanted visitors away
Grey Squirrels are well known for being greedy and persistent pests in our gardens and can quickly infest a bird feeding station. Attaching a Squirrel Baffle to bird feeding station poles will help prevent these them from climbing up the pole and accessing the bird food. Ensure first that the pole is positioned at least 3m (10ft) away from trees and fences so that the squirrels can’t jump onto it. A wide range of Squirrel Proof Feeders are available to suit all budgets and types of gardens. Caged Bird Feeders come in a variety of attractive designs and are effective at keeping out adult squirrels as well as larger birds including peanut plundering Parakeets. Pigeons and Crows often like to plunder bird seed left on the ground for the smaller ground-feeding birds. To help prevent this make use of the specially designed cages or guards, which helps to protect the food laid out and makes sure it ends up in the right mouths. Rats are attracted to bird feeding stations. Keeping the ground around bird feeders and bird feeding stations clean and free of excess bird food is key; food left on the ground at the end of the day will be the first thing to attract them. Some bird feeders come with integral Seed Catcher Trays or you could make your own to attach to the bottom of feeders and prevent any discarded or spilled seeds from falling to the ground. Sources How to attract birds to your garden https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/07/attract-birds-to-your-garden/ Bird Feeders Buying Guide RSPB https://shopping.rspb.org.uk/buying-guides/buying-guide-bird-feeders-pgbirdfeeders  As we approach the end of the year it's time to reflect on what we have achieved as a group. Perhaps the most noticeable thing is the growth in size and vitality of our group. The first member joined the group on 09 November 2023 and by the start of 2024 we had nearly 40 members. During 2024 we the group has grown to 106 members from across the 4Bs – Buckland, Betchworth, Brockham and Box Hill. In setting up the group our hope was that members would generously share their observations, experiences, questions and that is eactly what has happened with thousands of contributions over the year. This post gives a flavour of what was shared. In January and February we shared observations and photos of our wild birds and by the time of the RSPB big garden birdwatch, we had spotted nearly 50 species. We also had an excellent Introduction to Bird Spotting talk given by Peter Almond.  We also tried to solve the conundrum of what animals were digging holes in our lawns – squirrels, rabbits, badgers and foxes all featured in this discussion and perhaps all are responsible. Sadly, no one saw the animal at work. In spring we shared our photos of snowdrops, wild garlic and bluebells. We also shared traditions from around the world that celebrated spring. For example, Sandeep shared a tradition in the country of his birth, he posted Kashmiris celebrate spring today by filling a plate with all that we depend on ( for sustenance) and what we seek in the year to come. The pen, coin and a symbol for God are the only things not directly connected with nature. The day is actually called Sonth Mubarak, which means ‘Celebration of Spring!’ Throughout the year hundreds of photographs have been shared of the wildlife we have encountered in our gardens or while on a walk – lots of birds, insects - especially butterflies and moths. bees and hornets, newts, deer, foxes, wildflowers, trees and fungi to name a few. I'm sure we all have our own favourites.  Simon Humphreys provided an opportunity to visit Fraser Down nature reserve, and Paul and Clare Ritchie invited members to visit their garden for wildlife. We also shared photos of the wild orchids we had found.  In May, the 4Bs Biodiversity Initiative team launched a Gardening for Biodiversity project. Many members of the group came to one of the 4 talks given by Paul Ritchie on what gardening for biodiversity might mean using his own garden to illustrate. 46 members of the group pledged to create a new habitat for wildlife in the garden for example – small ponds, bird feeders and shelters, wormery, log piles and insect shelters, wildflower strips and patches. Many participants shared photos of what they had created encouraging others to have a go at creating their own wildlife habitat. In this way we inspired each other to do more for nature.  In July and early August members of the Nature Group participated in the nationwide Big Butterfly Count. In spite of the many butterfly photographs shared there, was a sense that there were not so many butterflies as in previous years. A total of 176 counts were made in the 4Bs and 2766 butterflies observed including 28 species.  In May and October we were treated to the rare but stunning site of the aurora. Rich and his Aurorawatch app let us know when to go outside and see them. For anyone interested, the northern lights are visible right now. We also witnessed an unusual number of moon bows supermoons and hunter moons. Members of the group also shared just causes that they cared about to find others who were willing to support. For example Lyndsey posted Hi! Can you help me support Indigenous Peoples fighting to protect the Amazon and the planet? More than 2,000 have been killed in recent years for standing up to ranchers, loggers and miners invading their land for profit! We want to get to 1 million [signatures] ahead of a key summit happening in just days! The Nature Group became a community as members supported each other by answering questions that were posed, or shared their knowledge and appreciation for nature and for the people who did things to help wildlife flourish. In our first Nature Magazing published in November, we celebrated some of the things we had accomplished. Nature unites us all and its annual cycles of renewal, splendour and slumber helps us locate ourselves in the annual passage of time. At the scale of a life natures continuity helps us understand our own presence on this Earth and come to terms with our own mortality, knowing that we are as much a part of this continuity as every other living thing. By helping nature flourish we are contributing to this continuity in the face of the devastating impacts we are causing as a species. By helping nature flourish we are helping to create a future that is more sustainable than the one we are currently heading for. In 2024, we learnt how to create a vibrant, caring and knowledgeable community for nature and we can look forward with optimism to building on this sound foundation in the year ahead.  Those of us who grew up in the 1950’s and 60’s are well aware of how cold the winters were and how much snow and ice there was, compared to today. Okay there wasn’t much central heating then, but we do remember snow being piled high for days on end. These impressions and anecdotes are now being substantiated by scientific studies that show the average UK winter has become around 1C warmer and 15% wetter over the past century. The Carbon Brief analysis covers more than 100 years of data on temperature, rainfall, wind speed and snow, to assess how UK winters have changed. The data show that extremely warm and wet winters are becoming more common. Six of the 10 warmest winters on record were in the 21st century, and four of these also rank in the top 10 wettest years on record. Extreme cold periods are also becoming less common. On average, the UK saw more than 12 snow days each winter in 1971-2000. This dropped to 9.5 snow days each winter by 1991-2020. There is a similar trend in the number of frost days. As the climate continues to warm, the UK can expect winters to continue getting warmer and wetter. Met Office projections suggest that, under an emissions pathway in line with current global policies, the average UK winter by 2080-99 will be 2C warmer and 11% wetter than they were in 1981-2000.  We think of cold and the scaricity of food as the most serious challenge for wildlife in winter, but wet weather brings more chances of flooding and the increasing number of warmer days in winter upsets the hibernation patterns of wildlife. The problem for wildlife is the speed with which these changes are happening leaves little time for adaptation and consequently humans will need to do more to assist wildlife as it struggles to cope with the changes we have caused .Furethermore, warmer winters have “particularly devastating impacts for trees”, as cold snaps are often not long enough to kill off harmful diseases and pests.
Source Carbon Brief Analysis: How UK winters are getting warmer and wetter 16 Febrouary 2024, https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-how-uk-winters-are-getting-warmer-and-wetter/  Winter is a harsh time for most insects in the UK, yet they've all evolved strategies to get them through a period when food is scarce and temperatures are too low for them to be active. Providing winter homes for insects is an easy way to get more butterflies and moths in our gardens in the summer months, and the good news is that it involves doing fewer jobs in the garden, so we have more time to enjoy it!
If we had a sixth sense that allowed us to see where these insects go in the winter, our gardens would look very different to us. In piles of leaves we would see hundreds of caterpillars and pupae tucked away from predators and the worst of the weather. Some, like the Elephant Hawk-moth, might have formed a silken cocoon and wrapped themselves in a kind of sleeping-bag made of leaves. Others are hunkered down as free caterpillars, waiting among the leaves until green growth comes back on the plants so they can resume feeding and go to the next stage in their life cycle. Some tiny moth species would even be living inside the leaves where they have tunnelled around, eating their way through and making beautiful patterns that we can easily see. Others won't have got that far - they could be eggs that were stuck onto twigs by the adult moths in the autumn and won't hatch until the buds burst in spring. Along tree trunks and twigs of shrubs we might see the pupae of butterflies like the Orange-tip. This butterfly flies in May and June and the caterpillars feed for just over a month before crawling off to find a hard surface above ground. There they tie themselves to it with a thin strand of silk and shed their skin to become a striking thorn-shaped pupa. This starts off bright green, but soon becomes pale brown, perfectly matching the woody plant material around it. Almost no predator would have a chance of detecting the nutritious meal inside, and it's not surprising that some gardeners aren't aware either. What looks like a lifeless twig or a pile of dead leaves could harbour the next generation of butterflies and moths that bring us such delight in the warmer months. So it feels like a tragedy to see piles of burning leaves and branches in gardens across the country, knowing that millions of insects are perishing this way and for no good reason other than the pursuit of a tidy garden. A tidy garden might be able to support insects in the summer if it has flowers that are rich in nectar and pollen to feed the adults that are looking for this food to keep them going. But that's where the relationship between a tidy gardener and insect ends. Severely cutting back hedges to neat shapes, removing all long grass and the dead stems of plants, and clearing leaves from every corner of the garden might provide aesthetic satisfaction, but these actions sweep away the winter homes of insects. Yes, as a gardener, I don't want complete chaos. The garden has to work for both gardeners and wildlife. So, I take a more relaxed approach. Go easy with hedge pruning Leave some parts unpruned for a year or two, and do this on a rotational basis so that you can still maintain it as a hedge without wiping out entire generations of insects. Birds will also prefer this, as deeper hedges make better nesting sites for birds like wrens and blackbirds. Leave the leaves By all means remove them from lawns to keep the grass in good condition, but pile them in quiet corners of the garden or on flower beds. They will supress the growth of weeds while also adding nutrients to your soil. Various caterpillars live amongst leaves, while birds and hedgehogs will also feel more at home in your garden if they have places to snuffle and root around in. Start habitat piles This might be a pile of twigs and branches and leaves where things can retreat to in the winter months. Having more of these in different parts of the garden will help the caterpillars that don't move very far from their food plants. Have some areas completely untouched These might be around the edges or under trees so that you can still have a neat garden that is balanced by these wilder spaces. Source: The Secret Gardener Butterfly Conservation Society https://butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blog/dig-it-the-secret-gardener-encourages-us-to-do-nothing-for-nature-this-winter |
BlogThis blog is maintained by the 4Bs Biodiversity Initiative Team. Its purpose is to provide brief updates of activities and interactions as the project unfolds. We also welcome posts from members of the 4Bs WhatsApp Nature Group and wider community. PagesArchives
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