When the hot weather approaches and there are predictions of a long hot summer, perhaps that is the time to begin thinking of ways we can help the native birds and animals in our gardens.

Containers to use

Bird baths are great and it's wonderful to see the birds drinking or splashing round in them. They don't need to be big, but if something you are using is a bit on the large side then sticks or rocks in the water are a good idea particularly for the smaller birds.

Containers of water strategically placed round the garden are good and when placed down low will help the animals on the ground. Stability is important but placing a rock inside the container so that it won't tip is a good idea. Remember too that these utensils must be kept clean and the water changed regularly.

When placing these things round our gardens, try to find relatively protected spots for them as most families have cats and dogs which, so often prove to be fatal to our native friends.

 Photos by J. Dawson

So many yards have ponds these days that are used by some birds and if we're lucky we may have frogs as well. Solar garden lights that are so popular are lovely to look at and while saving on electricity may also help our frog population by attracting insects to the light.

Feeding our wildlife

As time passes and new wildlife come along they seem to get used to living among humans and people love feeding them. If you want to do this please find out the correct diet for each individual creature as foods that are not natural to them or lack of certain things can cause all sorts of problems. Calcium is a common omission and this can cause deformities and lack of strength in young bones and often babies can't stand or walk properly making them easy prey. Perhaps feeding at irregular intervals may be a good idea too as they still have to search out food for themselves.