Winter wildlife

Far from being a quiet time of hibernation, the garden is teeming with wildlife in the winter.

Whilst some of the residents of the garden will migrate to warmer climates for the winter, there's still plenty to be seen. 

As leaves fall from trees and hedges, wildlife suddenly becomes much easier to spot. You will see many birds feeding and can while away many hours in the tea garden watching them at the feeders.  If we are lucky enough to get a bit of snowfall, you can sometimes spot animal tracks.

With less vegetation for cover, you may be more likely to spot a graceful roe deer moving through the garden at the beginning of the day.

The ducks are looking particularly nice at this time of year with their fine colourful plumage.

The swans will return to patrol the lake throughout the winter months and look beautiful against a frosty backdrop.

Owls become most vocal during the winter months. Listen out for a Tawny owl, or perhaps for the hollow drilling noise of a woodpecker across the valley.

The trees are looking splendid with a skeleton silhouette against the sky, see if you can identify them from their distinctive shapes.

The holly and Butcher’s Broom shrub will be covered in berries giving a bit of warm colour to the garden at this time of year.  

Colour also comes in the form of interesting stems from the willow and cornus around the lake edges.

What you can do at home:

The winter can be a hard time for many winter animals. You can help at home by putting out a variety of food on your bird feeder and make sure there is always water available for animals.