Help wildlife through winter

Gardens can be lifesavers in the cold months, says Ruth

- Ruth

Top Tip

It’s bonfire week so check any piles of material for hedgehogs and other creatures before lighting. Alternatively, move the pile to a new site just before burning.

WE have had some marvellous encounters with garden wildlife this year, including hours watching hedgehogs trundling around the beds, and seeing a badger and a fox on our garden webcam.

I also found a just-fledged sparrow on the patio (I heard the telltale thud on a window as I was working on AG upstairs) that I thought was dead, so I picked it up to bury it with all the other glazing fatalities under the greengage tree at the bottom of the garden (it always fruits well!)

At this point it miraculously resurrected, opened its eyes, hopped to the ends of my fingers and after a few stunned minutes, flew away.