Wildlife in May

The encouraging of wildlife in the garden is one of the greatest joys of our outdoor space. Being all but adjacent to the open Pennine moors is of course a help. However, there is a huge catalogue of things the small gardener can do to entice the wildlife in, as well as help to maintain our marvellous indigenous biodiversity.
This past week I have seen two of the spring wildlife regulars.

The cotoneaster which divides garden space is just coming into flower. The bees adore this plant and next week the bushes will be teeming with hundreds possibly thousands of these industrious little creatures. With the decline in our native bee populations it is nice to think that the responsible gardeners can do a little to help



The flowers themselves are pretty in an understated sort of way and of course there will be no trimming of the bush/ hedge until the bees have all had their fill. The cotoneaster horizontalis which feature in our garden is a particular magnet for bees. However, some varieties van be rather invasive so care must be taken to not let it get out of hand or sprout in unwanted spaces.


By way of contrast the badger is one of the UK's largest native mammal species. We have regular visits attracted in part by the lower pond. The night time mystery of the garden is lit up when the badger makes an appearance. These shots were taken last week. Of course they can be quite destructive but who would not trade a prisitine lawn (they are extremely powerful excavators) for the chance to share the outdoor space with these iconic creatures.