Molly our residential volunteer was working in the office garden today, clearing out some dead leaves to pop onto the compost heap. Very useful things, compost heaps. Everyone should have one. That way we wont need anywhere near as much peat and we can save the fragile peat bogs. But I digress!
Whilst working, she pulled aside a clump of dead vegetation and found underneath a little newt. A smooth newt, as far as i can tell. Simon the lead field teacher took a photo of it, so if anyone knows different, can they let us know. Sorry it is a bit blurry, not sure he found the macro function!
Of course, after the photo shoot Molly popped it back into a nice safe spot, where it could go back to sleep and hibernate through the winter.
Lots of wildlife lives in our gardens and with the weather getting colder could well be looking for somewhere to sleep out the winter. Not just newts, but grass snakes, toads, and insects such as ladybirds and lacewings. So do take care when doing some end of season tidying. And maybe consider building a wildlife stack to house them safe and sound. Instructions are on the main RSPB webpage.
Reedbed, freshwater scrapes, saltmarsh and wet meadow. Frampton Marsh has it all! Come and pay us a visit soon.