Twist issue 148 April 2023

Tw st
Boost wildlife habitats in
Blue Tit enjoying a spiked apple
This small-holed box will attract Tit family members
House Sparrow nesting box
22
Planning your wildlife garden or a community
wildspace is certainly not rocket science, but
it does require thought and, sometimes,
imagination too. Prof Ian Rotherham explains
A
KEY thing to consider when attempting to attract more
wildlife to your garden is how your site or place differs from
wild nature - and especially what it lacks. Then, you come up
with ways to plug the gaps!
Look carefully at wilder places and more natural sites and think about
the wildlife species you hope to attract. You can then devise and design
features to mimic the natural world and to provide mini-habitats or
habitat boosters to deliver what the wildlife species require.
Feeding the birds in a range and variety of ways is one example, and
this has evolved from the Victorian practice of throwing a few crumbs
onto the ground, to what is now a sophisticated and indeed, multimillion
pound industry.
How you feed and what you provide depends on your target birds and,
of course, how much you want to spend or can afford. Don’t worry,
there are relatively low cost ways of doing this as well. We will touch on
some of these in a later feature.
Most gardens lack breeding and roosting sites for birds, bats and
insects, and so this is an easy way to supplement the provision.
Bird boxes, bat boxes, and bug boxes can be huge fun. However,
don’t assume that because you have provided a suitably placed,
upmarket ‘des res’ the birds or bats or even the bugs, will come.
Blue tits, for instance, will check out several different possible
nesting sites before choosing one, and the final selection may be
perplexing. We don’t view this from the bird’s-eye perspective, and I
guess they know best.
Strategy
So, with bird boxes the best strategy is as many as possible and in
slightly different positions and then let them get on with choosing.
Avoid sites with direct, hot sun in summertime afternoons, and
anywhere that might have excessive water run-off down, say, the trunk
of a tree. You will see water runnels marked out by algae and mosses,
so simply ensure that doesn’t impact on your box.
The selection of box types and locations depends on your garden, the
trees or walls available to you, and the species of bird likely to take up
your offer; and you need to be realistic to avoid disappointment.
There is plenty of on-line guidance from the RSPB or the Wildlife Trusts
on types, siting and suitability of boxes. It is fun to make them, but you
can now also buy them very cheaply too.
Bat boxes are rather more specialist but are a great boon to
conservation. Again, as many as possible and in different locations.
These will be used for roosting by bats, and they move around
according to changes in weather etc; and once they are there, then they
should not be disturbed.
Bug boxes are great fun but for maximum effect, place in a sunny,
exposed position and the solitary bees will surely move in.
Our first free workshop on this topic will take place at Sheffield
Botanical Gardens. I will be covering topics such as habitat creation and
planning for nature, and looking both inside the garden and beyond to
your neighbourhood community greenspaces.
The event is on April 20th and thanks to a local sponsor supporting the
Friends of Whirlow Brook Park, it is totally free. However, you do have to
book, and places are limited: bookwhen.com/sybrg/e/ev-sdz8-
20230420133000 . There will be further details posted on our website.
• Prof Ian D. Rotherham, researcher, writer, broadcaster on wildlife
and environmental issues is contactable on info@hallamec.plus.com
Follow his website and blog: www.ukeconet.org &
ianswalkonthewildside.wordpress.com/ & Twitter @IanThewildside
www.ukeconet.org .