From country hedgerows to inner-city railway cuttings, birds will be making the most of autumn’s bounty. In some areas the pickings can be so rich that your feeding stations will be less frequently visited for a short while. This is what has become known as the “October Gap” and is perfectly natural, but still continue to provide food should the weather take a turn for the worse. If you plan to do maintenance and cleaning or make alterations to your feeding station there is no better time than this.
The end of October is also a good time to clean out your nest boxes and put up any new boxes. A nest box used for shelter over winter is likely to be used again next spring, plus removing old nests and their attendant parasites makes life a little easier for any birds that use the nest box as a winter roost.
At this time of year other garden wildlife will already be preparing for winter. Bats will be looking for hibernation sites and becoming torpid for progressively longer periods as the temperatures start to drop, and reptiles and amphibians will be doing much the same. Hedgehogs will be looking for hibernation sites, building winter nests and trying to build up reserves of body fat before they finally enter hibernation. You can help them by providing a regular source of specialist food and siting a Hedgehog House in a quiet, undisturbed corner.
On mild days insects such as queen wasps, Peacock butterflies and several species of flies will buzz noisily from ivy blossom if disturbed by a passing shadow; the nectar is a vital source of late season energy. If left uncut the blossom will in turn produce a late crop of berries that many birds will appreciate into the early part of next year, and the shelter provided by the rest of the plant makes for an important overwintering site for many species of butterflies and insects.
CJ Wildlife is proud to be working in partnership with Butterfly Conservation. For more hints and tips about how you can help your garden wildlife this Autumn visit www.birdfood.co.uk. Plus, as a Butterfly Conservation supporter, you can save 10% off when you buy from CJ Wildlife, simply use discount code UKBCM19 when you order.