As our autumn gardens change, so does the visiting wildlife. Pollinator numbers have diminished as they either dye off or prepare themselves for over wintering, amphibians become less visible as they seek out damp, dark shelters to hibernate in and even our birdlife changes. You may see more Jays about as they scavenge for acorns to feed on and store away for the winter. They can carry three or four at a time taking them away in their expandable gullet and bill.
Jay: Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)
Cuckoos, Swallows and swifts have long returned to Africa and our common garden birds are all adults now and the new generation are finding their own places to roost at night. You may see redwings and fieldfares, otherwise known as the "winter thrushes" that visit from Northern Europe and Scandinavia where they have been breeding through the summer. They usually feed in hedgerows but do venture into gardens, especially where there are berries and windfall apples on offer!
Redwing: Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)
Sometimes there seems to be less interest in the bird feeders while there is such an abundance of natural food around for birds. If you notice this, just put less out for the time being, they're sure to be back with enthusiasm when the winter really sets in and the nature; fruits and berries are gone.
Autumn is a good time to clean nest boxes before the really cold temperatures set in and birds will be seeking a more protective place to sleep.
Consider moving your bee/bug hotel to a dry location, into a shed, garage or outhouse to avoid it getting wet through winter which can cause mould/fungi and parasites to set in. Keeping it as dry as possible will protect the larvae inside unit they need to emerge in early spring; remember to re-site it outside at the beginning of March.
The best thing we can all do is to be more relaxed about tidying up. Leave dead leaves on the ground for over-wintering insects and caterpillar pupae, pile up garden clippings, twigs and wood into piles as homes for amphibians and small mammals and leave old stems and seed-heads as shelter for tiny insects. If you do nothing and just leave the garden to decay naturally, you are doing your garden wildlife a huge favour!
Gardeners' World online say: "Think of your garden as not belonging to you for the next few months – take a back seat and leave the tidying until spring. The wildlife needs it now." So there's every excuse to do nothing until spring! There are more ideas on how to encourage wildlife in your autumn garden from The English Garden plus some general October gardening tips from the RSPB.
It's a feast in the garden at this time of year and a joy to share our seeds fruits and berries with the wildlife in our gardens,