Winter is a wonderful time for wildlife-lovers. While some species, such as the adorable dormouse, are in hibernation, its a great time to spot many others. Woodland birds such as siskin are easier to see among bare branches, starling murmurations draw oohs and aahs from spectators and the Christmas palette of green, red and white decorates the countryside through holly, ivy and mistletoe. Winter visitors such as redwings and fieldfares have already joined us and garden feeders get busier as the first frosts arrive.
A wintery walk is a must on a bright, frosty day and Herefordshire has a wealth of landscapes to explore. The Woolhope Dome is crisscrossed by footpaths leading you through woodlands and orchards, villages and meadows; the Lugg Valley offers brilliant bird watching; or blast off the cobwebs climbing the Black Mountains or Malvern Hills.
At Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, winter is a busy time as woodland work such as coppicing happens now, while the sap is low, along with laying hedges. It’s also a good time to get on with tasks such as fixing fences and gates and improving paths which cannot be done in spring and summer when we risk disturbing breeding wildlife.
To help wildlife in your garden through the winter, clean and refill bird feeders regularly and provide food for ground-feeding birds too if possible. Leave areas of the garden a little wild by leaving seed heads until early spring, making a log pile and leaving areas of long grass. Supporting your local Wildlife Trust through shopping, donating or joining will also make a real difference to your local wildlife, this winter and beyond!
