Country Corner



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The festive season often sees folk out and about for fresh air and exercise, especially if the weather is kind to us.

Cold days tend to be sunny days due to the lack of cloud, and there is nothing so special as sun on your face when your ears are freezing!

Of course, to our wildlife, Christmas is just another day in a long line of short cold days and colder nights. Natural food is becomming scarce and has to be competed for.

Roosting cover is becoming thinner and often subjected to winds and rain. Winter mortality is a factor in the lifecycle of all local species. Their numbers, built up during summer, are now under severe pressure to survive. Many of them do not.

Of course, that is the way Nature works, ensuring the survival of the fittest. Modern humans with their centrally heated homes and comfy beds. We can sometimes help, for instance, in the provision of bird food. Wildlife gardening must also ensure the winter survival of many, with the growing of berries, seeds and dense foliage.

However, there are other ways, such as being aware of the effect your presence has on wildlife. Wildlife disturbed while feeding may not return for an hour or so. It’s just a case of being “simpatico”with Nature and understanding the requirements of our fellow species.

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