Category Archives: Nature News

Hedgehog Awareness Week 2015

This week is national Hedgehog Awareness Week. And we in Garvald have even more reason to be Hedgehog aware as we are lucky enough to have a number of these prickly personages resident in the village.

hedgehog

This year efforts are focussed on gardeners. There is so much that gardeners can do to help the hedgehog, very simple things like:

Ensuring there is access into the garden (all that is needed is 5” square gap).
Checking areas before strimming or mowing.
Moving piles of rubbish to a new site before burning it.
Ensuring netting is kept at a safe height.
Checking compost heaps before digging the fork in.
Stopping or reducing the amount of pesticides and poisons used.
Covering drains or deep holes.
Ensuring there is an easy route out of ponds and pools.

If you are lucky enough to see a hedgehog in the village at night time, why not post a comment and let us know? A note of caution should you see one out and about in the daytime though. It is very possibly unwell and in need of help. For more informtion, see the British Hedgehog Preservation Society Website.

 

 

Hedgehog Awareness Week: 4th – 10th May 2014

 

We are very lucky to have an array of hedgehogs in Garvald. A couple were spotted on the green last night. It would be great if they were a breeding pair with hoglets on the way …

hedgehog

… As you may have read or heard in the media, the species is under great threat. Yes, cars are responsible for a large number of hedgehogs’ deaths – but gardens are also an increasingly deadly environment. This year, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society is asking gardeners to do all they can to help the conservation effort, particularly:

  • Ensuring there is access into the garden (all that is needed is 5” square gap;)
  • Checking areas before strimming or mowing;
  • Moving piles of rubbish to a new site before burning it;
  • Ensuring netting is kept at a safe height;
  • Checking compost heaps before digging the fork in;
  • Stopping or reducing the amount of pesticides and poisons used;
  • Covering drains or deep holes; and
  • Ensuring there is an easy route out of ponds and pools.

There is a vast amount of additional information on the charity’s website, so please click on the link above and have a wee read. Methinks our prickly friends deserve five minutes of your browsing time!

Second lost ferret – found in Garvald park by local girls

Has anyone lost a ferret?

Garvald girls Robin, Tilly, Eliza and Connie caught a ferret in the park yesterday, thinking it was the one that escaped near Morham in March.   However, owner Paul reports that his ferret was found dead on the roadside so this is a second escaped ferret!

If you are the owner, please contact us here as soon as possible to arrange collection.

Deer seen in park, playing basketball?

Hazel sent in this photo yesterday showing two of the four deer seen recently in Garvald. Previously they had been spotted in the woods alongside Papana Water at the West end of the village but yesterday they ventured into the park during the snowfall at lunchtime.

Lost ferret

Local resident Paul Kennedy has sent a message asking people to look out for his lost pet ferret, last seen at the turn-off to Morham and heading towards Garvald. The ferret is a pale cream colour with hint of ginger around the neck. If anyone has spotted him, please contact us here.

More birdwatching news!

A lone waxwing spotted in the village this morning. But these punky wee birds usually flock. So has anyone seen his friends? They are famed for stripping trees of their fruit, so do keep an eye out if you’ve still got any berried branches in your garden!

Here’s two photos of our resident woodpecker sent in by Phillip White. Pretty well camouflaged in the branches…

Woodpecker

Lots of snowdrops …

… a few primroses and the odd aconite. But has anyone seen a Daffodil in bloom yet? The first person to report one in the Garvald area wins a (small) prize. And no sticking a cut flower from Tescos in the ground and sending us a pic of it!!!