Photo: Scarlet elf cap - Suzanne Keene
11 December 2020
Should-be-sleeping beauties
Our friends at Butterfly Conservation have published this useful advice on what to do if you find a butterfly in your house at this time of year. They say:
'It is often a problem for the concerned householder in winter, how best to help these poor confused butterflies unwittingly tricked into thinking spring has come early. We are often asked what to do with a hibernating butterfly in your home, garage or shed.
'The best solution is to rehouse the butterfly into a suitable location. Catch the butterfly carefully and place it into a cardboard box or similar, in a cool place for half an hour or so to see if it will calm down.
'Once calmed down you might be able to gently encourage the sleepy butterfly out onto the wall or ceiling of an unheated room or building such as a shed, porch, garage or outhouse. Just remember that the butterfly will need to be able to escape when it awakens in early spring.
'If you have no options at all for suitable hibernation places, then it would be best to keep the butterfly as cool as possible, to minimise activity, and then to release it outside during a spell of nice weather.
'Among the butterflies, it is only the Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock that regularly overwinter inside houses. They come in during late summer/early autumn when it is still warm outside and our houses appear to provide suitably cool, sheltered dry conditions.
'However, come Christmas, when the central heating is cranked up, such butterflies may be awoken prematurely by high indoor temperatures. This presents a major problem for the butterfly as the outside weather conditions may be very hostile and there is little nectar available in gardens.'
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ID the butterfly you have found
Should-be-sleeping beauties
Our friends at Butterfly Conservation have published this useful advice on what to do if you find a butterfly in your house at this time of year. They say:
'It is often a problem for the concerned householder in winter, how best to help these poor confused butterflies unwittingly tricked into thinking spring has come early. We are often asked what to do with a hibernating butterfly in your home, garage or shed.
'The best solution is to rehouse the butterfly into a suitable location. Catch the butterfly carefully and place it into a cardboard box or similar, in a cool place for half an hour or so to see if it will calm down.
'Once calmed down you might be able to gently encourage the sleepy butterfly out onto the wall or ceiling of an unheated room or building such as a shed, porch, garage or outhouse. Just remember that the butterfly will need to be able to escape when it awakens in early spring.
'If you have no options at all for suitable hibernation places, then it would be best to keep the butterfly as cool as possible, to minimise activity, and then to release it outside during a spell of nice weather.
'Among the butterflies, it is only the Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock that regularly overwinter inside houses. They come in during late summer/early autumn when it is still warm outside and our houses appear to provide suitably cool, sheltered dry conditions.
'However, come Christmas, when the central heating is cranked up, such butterflies may be awoken prematurely by high indoor temperatures. This presents a major problem for the butterfly as the outside weather conditions may be very hostile and there is little nectar available in gardens.'
Sign up to Butterfly Conservation's free email newsletter for gardening tips and more
ID the butterfly you have found
What we've all been waiting for - an easy birdsong identifier
The RSPB has published a succinct identifier for the songs of the ten birds we're most likely to encounter in our gardens or out for walks. Go to https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/16/home-birds-how-to-spot-20-of-the-most-common-species-from-your-window-walk-or-garden?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0dyZWVuTGlnaHQtMjAwNDIy&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=greenlight_email&utm_campaign=GreenLight
The RSPB has published a succinct identifier for the songs of the ten birds we're most likely to encounter in our gardens or out for walks. Go to https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/16/home-birds-how-to-spot-20-of-the-most-common-species-from-your-window-walk-or-garden?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0dyZWVuTGlnaHQtMjAwNDIy&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=greenlight_email&utm_campaign=GreenLight
23 February 2019
Bird-safe windows
Ever heard that sickening little thump as a bird hits your window? It may have flown off but often there's a sad little corpse. There are ways of making especially large windows safe including by sticking bird silhouettes on them, but an inspiring case study from the USA at abcbirds.org/article/1st-ever-bird-friendly-sports-arena-in-the-world/?omhide=true&eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=3221ee75-d9e5-4653-941a-8c49e7ccc7c0
has taken this to an extreme degree.
Closer to home, the RSPB has some advice on preventing collisions and also deterring putty-pecking https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/birdwatching/bird-behaviour/birds-and-windows/
Bird-safe windows
Ever heard that sickening little thump as a bird hits your window? It may have flown off but often there's a sad little corpse. There are ways of making especially large windows safe including by sticking bird silhouettes on them, but an inspiring case study from the USA at abcbirds.org/article/1st-ever-bird-friendly-sports-arena-in-the-world/?omhide=true&eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=3221ee75-d9e5-4653-941a-8c49e7ccc7c0
has taken this to an extreme degree.
Closer to home, the RSPB has some advice on preventing collisions and also deterring putty-pecking https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/birdwatching/bird-behaviour/birds-and-windows/
Look out for previous residents
I was the first to move into my new-built house, in 2011. Quite soon, baby frogs appeared which I encouraged to exit across neighbouring grassy gardens in the hope they would find their way to an appropriate pond, though I didn't know of any nearby. Then, a very largely-pregnant frog arrived, ditto, followed in succeeding years by others. I have no idea whence they came, and knew only that the hillside my house is on was steep and very wet. And then last year, going out early to enjoy the signs of spring, I found a mass of spawn deposited on the dewy grass, and yet more amongst leaves where I looked to see if the frog was still around. Poor lady, she had obviously been caught short. I gathered up the spawn in a bucket of rainwater, and took it down to a friend's pond. I hope the froglets enjoyed their new home. Elizabeth Forbes
I was the first to move into my new-built house, in 2011. Quite soon, baby frogs appeared which I encouraged to exit across neighbouring grassy gardens in the hope they would find their way to an appropriate pond, though I didn't know of any nearby. Then, a very largely-pregnant frog arrived, ditto, followed in succeeding years by others. I have no idea whence they came, and knew only that the hillside my house is on was steep and very wet. And then last year, going out early to enjoy the signs of spring, I found a mass of spawn deposited on the dewy grass, and yet more amongst leaves where I looked to see if the frog was still around. Poor lady, she had obviously been caught short. I gathered up the spawn in a bucket of rainwater, and took it down to a friend's pond. I hope the froglets enjoyed their new home. Elizabeth Forbes