Wildlife

There is plenty of wildlife to be spotted on the site. Much of which is listed here, if you spot anything new let us know and we'll add if to the list.

Mammals & Amphibians

Hedgehogs

A popular visitor to many plots each evening. Hedgehogs share distant ancestry with shrews and they have changed little over the last 15 million years. Like many of the first mammals, they have adapted to a nocturnal way of life.

Hedgehogs have a relatively long lifespan for their size. In the wild, larger species live four to seven years (some recorded up to 16 years)

Feeding Hedgehogs

Put out fresh food at dusk and don't forget a dish of fresh water!

Use plain kitten biscuits or meat-based wet dog or cat food. You can also use specialist hedgehog food but keep in mind that this isn't regulated and can vary in quality.
If you have a problem with cats eating the food, fire up google and look up Hedgehog feeding stations. You can buy one off the shelf but they are easy to build for little cost.
Avoid any interaction between dogs and hedgehogs. Sadly dog bites frequently cause injury or death to hedgehogs.

Remember: it is important not to leave bread and milk out for hedgehogs as it can cause diarrhea.

Mice

Wood Mouse and Harvest Mouse have both been spotted on site

Harvest mice are the smallest mice and the UK's smallest rodent. At around 10g, harvest mice are the weight of a 20p piece and so tiny that they are very rarely seen. Like other mice, they are attracted to seeds and grains. As a result, they occasionally show up unexpectedly around bird feeders during the winter, when natural seed sources are low.

Wood mice will live anywhere! As long as they have safe cover and a good supply of food, they are quite happy. They will happily build nests in wall cavities, sheds and garages. But they favour making nests in the bases of trees and shrubs. Wood mice are chestnut-brown and have very large eyes and prominent ears. They are found throughout the UK and are the mouse you're most likely to spot.

Mice play a key role in the natural environment; from distributing plant seeds to being prey for animals like owls and foxes. When small rodent populations are low, the number of their predators falls dramatically too. Mice have short life spans in the wild, with an average of just one year. Population sizes can vary with weather conditions and food availability.

None of our mice hibernate and must feed throughout the year, so there is potential to spot any of them at any time. But even though some mice are more common than others, they can all be hard to spot!

You can make a mouse nest by cutting a one inch hole in an old tennis ball and hiding it in the undergrowth were it wont be disturbed.

Moles

Moles are very rarely seen as they spend most of their lives underground. They are stocky animals, with a wedge-shaped body and short tail. They use their spade-like paws to dig tunnels and hunt for their favourite meal of earthworms. They also like to eat underground grubs that would usually feed off crops, so moles can help to control unwanted visitors

By digging up the earth, moles help make the soil healthier by aerating it. This allows more types of plants to grow, which in turn feed more insects. Not only this, their tunnels improve soil drainage, which helps stop flooding and huge puddles forming on the ground. Moles truly are the unsung heroes of the animal world

Rabbits

The rabbits are a bit of a pest species on the site, especially for the gardeners who have to rabbit-proof thier pots and planters. (See Rabbit Resistant Plants)

While they make themselves scarce during the day, come sunset they appear in their droves and driving past the field at night can be quite a sight as hundreds of eyes are reflected by the headlights.

Rabbits can feed on a very wide range of ornamental plants, fruits and vegetables. New plantings and soft growth in spring may be eaten, even on plants that are listed as less-susceptible. Rabbits also dig holes and scrapes in lawns and flower beds.

Shrews

Common and Pygmy Shrew have both been spotted feeding on fat and seeds left for birds in ground-feeders. They're also very fast. They're faster than a fast thing going fast.

Compared to mice, shrews tend to be smaller, with longer, more pointed snouts and very small eyes. The common shrew is brown on its upper surface, with a white/cream under side. It looks quite similar to the pygmy shrew, though is larger in size. Common shrews also have a sharp contrast between the brown top fur and white underside, whilst the pygmy shrew has a more gradual change in colour.

Like all shrews, common shrews are insectivores, consuming a wide variety of insects, spiders, slugs and earthworms. They will eat anything they can, but prefer not eat some invertebrates like millipedes. They occasionally to eat some plant material as well. Common shrews also eat more subterranean prey such as earthworms.

Squirrels

Tree-climbing nut buriers. Scampering grey squirrels are a familiar sight. It is not possible to stop the squirrels from entering a garden and it is usually necessary to accept and tolerate their presence or even appreciate their acrobatic antics.

Netting can give protection to fruits and shrubs when squirrels are showing interest in them. Wire netting is best used for permanent structures such as fruit cages, as squirrels can quite easily bite through plastic. Netting can be placed over areas where bulbs and corms have been planted, to deter squirrels from digging them up.

Bulbs in pots can be protected with wire netting. Usually once the bulbs have started growing, they become less attractive to squirrels and the barriers can be removed.

Most garden centres will happily sell you squirrel proof bird feeders. Don't believe them, that are at best, only a deterrent. The best way we've found to keep the squirrels off the brid feeders is to set up squirrel feeders.

Toads

If you find a toad in your garden, observe it from a distance unless it's in immediate danger or trapped, in which case you should move it to a nearby shady, sheltered spot with cover from predators and the weather, like under a shed or a pile of logs.

All native UK amphibians are protected by law, so avoid handling them with bare hands to prevent harming their delicate skin. Create a toad-friendly garden by adding a shallow water source and a hiding place.

Toads are excellent for the garden because they act as natural pest controllers, eating slugs, snails, and other insects, helping to maintain a balanced ecosystem. They benefit gardens by consuming pests like beetles, bugs, and grubs, and can eat up to 10,000 bugs in one summer.

Slow Worms

The slow worm is neither a worm nor a snake, but is, in fact, a legless lizard - its identity is given away by its abilities to shed its tail and blink with its eyelids.

The slow worm is much smaller than a snake and has smooth, golden-grey skin. Males are paler in colour and sometimes sport blue spots, while females are larger, with dark sides and a dark stripe down the back.

Slow worms can be found in heathland, tussocky grassland, woodland edges and rides where they can find invertebrates to eat and a sunny patch in which to sunbathe. They are often found in mature gardens and allotments, where they like hunting around the compost heap. However, if you have a cat, you are unlikely to find them in your garden as cats predate them. Like other reptiles, slow worms spend the winter in a dormant, hibernation-like state known as brumation, usually from October to March.