The short days mean birds have fewer hours of daylight to find food, and natural stores of berries have mostly been eaten. Supplementary food such as sunflower hearts and suet nibbles can offer birds a lifeline, along with a dish of fresh water. Make sure your feeders and bird baths are spotlessly clean to prevent the spread of disease. For migrant birds less used to human contact, leave small amounts of food in secluded places like the back of the border.
If it’s mild, hedgehogs may emerge from hibernation early and find little or no food to sustain them. Some will have been born late in the season and will be too small to hibernate, so will need to be taken to a rescue centre. Climate change is posing challenges for wildlife but we can provide food and shelter for those that live in our gardens.