Although temperatures have dipped recently and the rain has been falling steadily, it’s important to consider how we can help wildlife in our gardens should the summer heat up and dry out again. Summer can be a tough time for some of our garden visitors, but with a few simple steps, we can help them get through times of heat and drought.
The most important and obvious way to help is to provide a fresh and continuous supply of water. A bird bath is ideal, but even a shallow dish of fresh water can be a lifeline. You might even consider making a pond in your garden, or making a mini pond as a fun activity during the long summer holidays, providing a wonderful habitat for a vast range of species. If you already have a pond, it may be necessary to top up the level to provide adequate depth. As well as providing drinking water to birds, insects and mammals, water is vital for birds to wash their feathers, which helps them to regulate their body temperature. Birds have a higher core body temperature than many other animals. They also don’t have sweat glands, so struggle to maintain their body temperature in hot weather. This is why you may have seen birds ‘panting’ during times of hot weather – opening their beak to try and lose some heat. A good wash can really help to cool them down.
Shade is another very important factor to consider in creating a wildlife friendly garden. Amphibians in particular need somewhere cool and shady as they are at increased risk of dehydration and desiccation during hot weather. Common frogs and common toads are widespread and often spotted in gardens. But according to the charity Froglife, sightings of these amphibians have fallen in recent years, and toads in particular are in trouble. Common frogs may still be in ponds at this time of year so are able to withstand the high temperatures. However, common toads are largely terrestrial during the summer, so finding suitable places for shelter is crucial. Habitats such as loose damp soil, leafy shrubs, the shade of a tree, logs and piles of dead leaves are all vital habitats. We can help in our gardens by providing areas of loose, damp soil, preferably within shrubs or undergrowth. Often amphibians will burrow underground to avoid the heat. Regularly watering areas of soil can help keep these cool and damp. Keeping an area of your garden overgrown with weeds, shrubs and long grass will provide valuable shaded areas for amphibians. We can also create an area of rocks, stones or logs, as amphibians often seek refuge within cool and dark crevices.
Common toad Bufo bufo, on a log pile in a new build garden that has been designed with nature and recreation in mind
Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)
Hedgehogs are another garden visitor that suffer particularly badly during hot summers, mainly because the ground can become too hard for them to dig for earthworms. Charities such the British Hedgehog Preservation Society report huge increases in the numbers of hedgehogs needing help during hot weather. We can supplement the diet of hungry hedgehogs by leaving proper hedgehog food, available from most bird feed suppliers, in shady spots. Like toads, hedgehogs need moist soil to easily reach earthworms and other invertebrates that make up much of their diet, so keeping damp areas will help them as well.
Finally for now, we can help wildlife during the summer months by careful use of outdoor lighting, which has become very popular in gardens. Though lovely for us, lighting can have negative effects on wildlife, such as moths and bats. For further details of the impacts of lighting and what we can do to minimise its effect, see this advice from the Royal Horticultural Society.
Summer holiday activities have kicked off at Flatford Wildlife Garden. This week the focus is on Brilliant Birds of Prey, with activities including owl pellet dissection.