This post is the first in a series of 12 suggestions to encourage wildlife to thrive this Christmas. I’ve adapted suggestions offered by BBC Breathing Places in the UK. Although we do not have hedgehogs or badgers here, Nova Scotia has many species of mammals that are similar to those found in the UK.
Wildlife can be helped through the hard times (especially when the weather gets nasty) by encouraging their natural foods.
In much of eastern North America there has been an absence of acorns on oak trees this year. This has dealt a nasty blow to Grey Squirrel and Southern Flying Squirrel populations that are dependent on these acorns for sustenance. Offering unsalted nuts and seeds would certainly be of benefit to these squirrels if you live in an area where oak trees are common but did not bear any acorns this year. Some people have had great success in feeding Southern Flying Squirrels by smearing peanut butter on the bark of trees.
Like Grey Squirrels, Red Squirrels do not hibernate but remain active throughout the winter months. Here in Cow Bay, the Red Squirrel population is kept well fed with plenty of conifer seeds. They will often snack on the sunflower seeds that I usually put out for the birds. Young Red Squirrels especially benefit from the calcium in carrots.
Vole ~ Photo credit: BBC Breathing Places
If I put out a bird seed mix that includes corn or millet, I’ll often see the odd Meadow Vole (a tiny mouse-like creature with small ears and a short tail) darting around the feeding area. Voles are herbivores that live in grassy areas on the edge of woods. Although you might consider them insignificant, voles play a vital role in the food chain as a staple for foxes and hawks.
If you do offer seed, it’s important to only put out as much as will be eaten in one day, in order to keep the feeding area clean and free of the fungus that may grow on rotting seeds.
Recessed areas in the woods near the feeder provide water after rains or when the snow melts, but I’ll often see squirrels taking a drink from the birdbath. I try to add warm water to the birdbath when it freezes, which is quite often here during the winter. It’s important to keep the water shallow as well as clean.
When snow covers the landscape, Snowshoe Hares will nibble on the needles of low hanging Balsam Fir branches. I’ve often seen them stretching up on their hind legs as they try to reach the lowest boughs. Not cutting the bottom limbs of these trees in your yard would provide both food and cover for these snow bunnies.
Though it’s a good idea to offer food to these non-hibernating mammals when the weather is harsh, it’s important to not provide so much food that they become wholly dependent on your food supply.
For more information about feeding mammals at BBC Breathing Places, see:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/doonething/quick/feed_mammals.shtml
