Looking out for British wildlife is an important thing for us all to do. Every person who makes a change, no matter how small, is part of a much bigger movement to protect and conserve our native species. 

As we start a new year it’s a great opportunity to look ahead at what small actions we can take each month to make a big difference to our wildlife.  

January 

This month the focus is on cleaning bird feeders. In the winter months, food sources are reduced and as a result birds frequent feeders more often as a supplement to their diet. Putting out bird food can be very helpful for wildlife, especially during these months of less abundant supply.  

However, keeping feeders clean is vitally important to ensure the birds do not end up with serious diseases which can have very severe consequences on their health. An example of this is trichomoniasis. Trichomoniasis is caused by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas gallinae. This parasite causes thick white plaques in the oral cavity and crop of birds, commonly pigeons and raptors, but it can affect small garden birds as well. This plaque makes it difficult for the birds to eat and swallow food and can lead to death. This parasite is often passed on during feeding, especially from contaminated bird feeders, so it is very important to keep bird feeders clean to prevent infection with this parasite.  

February 

February is Toad Patrol Month. As the weather starts to become more rainy and less cold, Common Toads begin a migration across the same roads and paths they always have every year to get back to the ponds that they mate in. They always follow the same paths and as a result can often be the victims of road traffic accidents. This month you can help by volunteering to patrol known toad crossings in your local area and help move toads out of harm’s way.  

You can read more about Toad Watch and becoming a volunteer here. 

March 

As the end of the winter comes and spring begins, now is the time to clean out any bird boxes in your garden from last season and ensure they are ready for this season’s birds to build their nests in. You can set up cameras in your nest boxes so you can watch who enters, and view the chicks’ development when they hatch. Now is a great time to get this set up and prepped so you can watch the whole process. This is also a great way to get children involved and interested in wildlife. 

April 

April is the time of year when you may see badger cubs starting to emerge from sets and spending their first few moments outside. This is a normal part of young cubs’ development; however, if you see cubs wandering around for excessive periods of time and not returning to a set it is possible the mother badger may have been killed. 

In this situation it’s important to keep watching the cub and then contact wildlife organizations such as the Badger Trust, for advice and support. These organizations can assess the situation and determine if this cub has been orphaned, and if so get them transferred to a wildlife rescue centre for rehabilitation until they are ready for release back into the wild. Talk about this with friends and family this month, raise awareness and have fun badger spotting. This activity often continues well into May and June. 

May 

‘No Mow May’. As simple as it sounds, don’t mow your lawn this month, instead allow the grass and flowers to grow. This allows insects and pollinators to thrive and protects them as a food source for other wildlife including many species of birds and bats. Wildflowers and grass are really important for our wildlife so please do try and keep an area of garden dedicated to wildlife. You can read more about ‘No Mow May’ here. 

June 

If the weather behaves the June should be the month when we really feel the hot weather in the UK and summer arrives. Hot weather can be very enjoyable for some of us, but for our wildlife it causes its own set of issues, namely lack of water sources. This month focus on making sure water is available for wildlife to drink in your garden at all times. Make an effort to check bird baths and other water sources and top them up if needed. Dehydration will kill wildlife and in these hot months providing water will be lifesaving. 

July 

With lots of baby birds around as the fledgling season is in full force, it’s important to be a conscientious cat owner and keep your cat away from birds. These fledgling birds are particularly susceptible to predation by pet cats as they are still learning to fly and developing their feathers and muscles, so are not as agile as adult birds. Cat attack injuries are one of the biggest causes of admission of garden birds to wildlife rehabilitation centres during the summer months and can have a significant impact on population numbers. Spread the word and save lives. 

August 

Although not exclusive to August, in the summer months, beginning as early as May, UK deer species will birth their young. As the school holidays are here there is often an increase in the number of families taking long walks through the countryside. It is not uncommon for wildlife rehabilitation centres to receive phone calls from distressed members of the public who have found a deer fawn sitting in long grass and assumed it is an orphan needing hand rearing. This is often not the case. Most of the time the fawns have been left in a sheltered patch of long grass whilst the mother forages, and then the mother will return later to feed the fawn and stay with it.  

This means it is really important that if you find a fawn in long grass that appears healthy that you don’t pick it up and disturb it, as a mother is more likely to abandon the fawn if it has been handled. If you are concerned about the health of a fawn phone your local wildlife rehabilitation centre for advice and they may be able to send out someone to assess the situation. Definitely don’t move the fawn without speaking to an expert first as this can result in a fawn being unintentionally orphaned. 

You can find a list of wildlife rehabilitation centres here. 

September 

As the summer begins to end and autumn creeps in, September is a great month to start creating some natural sheltered spaces in your garden for wildlife. Building up piles of logs and leaves in the garden to act as shelters is a great way of doing this. These can be great places for hedgehogs to explore as they start getting ready for hibernation, and excellent nest sites for late breeding females. 

October 

In October hedgehogs are preparing for hibernation. Autumn born juveniles can particularly struggle at this time of year as they are born late in the season when resources are fewer and temperatures are lower, and as a result can struggle to get to an adequate weight for hibernation. Providing additional food in your garden for hedgehogs at this time of year can be a good way to support these endangered populations. To do this use a small shallow cat bowl or similar and provide a small amount of wet dog or cat food (meat only). You can set up cameras in your garden to monitor who is eating overnight and how many mouths you may be feeding and then adjust accordingly. Remember to clean the bowls thoroughly daily.   

Like with the nest box cameras, this is another great way to get children interested in wildlife. If you discover that you have small hedgehogs that are too small for hibernation (<600g), then it is advisable to contact your local wildlife rescue centre for advice as these individuals may need caring for over the winter by a rehabilitation centre. 

November 

Remember, remember the 5th of November… check under bonfires before lighting them! As we discussed in September, stacks of logs and leaves are great shelters for hedgehogs, and as the year draws to a close and hedgehogs start to think about hibernating over the winter, the bonfire is a top place for them to hide out. Sadly, many hedgehogs are admitted to wildlife rehabilitation centres with severe burns as a result of being caught in bonfires. These are extremely painful and can result in serious complications including death. Always check before lighting anything – if you are unsure don’t light. 

December 

As the year comes to a close, take a moment to consider the impact of practices such as cutting holly and mistletoe for Christmas decorations and wreath making. Be mindful that wildlife use this as a source of food and shelter, so be careful and considerate if you do this and ensure you are not impacting their environment.