JANUARY 2020
I know, I know so I didn't get round to posting a December blog,
I was far too busy getting Christmas orders out in time!

Happy New Year to you all, let's make 2020 an amazing Wildlife haven. January began with rain and more rain, to the point of making rivers
rise to scary heights, flooding fields and gardens, blocking drains and
making driving conditions difficult with high winds in the mix too.

A short but welcome break of hard frosts and sunny days was happily
received, making the ponies’ field harder and drier, let them enjoy a bit
of sun on their backs and meant their hay didn't just blow away.

At least we humans can prepare and plan for wild weather, making it that
wee bit more manageable. Wildlife can't watch the forecast like us, but
nature just has to adapt and cope or be brutally punished by the wrath of
the weather. After one particularly wild day of constant heavy driving rain and high winds,
the river Liddle rose and rose. Driving home in the early evening I spotted a
large dog Otter lying on the road, just a couple of hundred yards from home.
Sadly he was dead and I suspect he'd been flushed out of his holt and hit by a car.
I lifted him off the road and placed him in the grass verge. We barely saw a bird nor animal on this particular wild day, when branches
were snapping in trees in the garden, our track was running like a burn and
we were all in hiding, until it passed. Even through the wild weather, snowdrops are popping up everywhere
and our daffodils are bursting through too. Even some shrubs and
trees begin to bud, nature just keeps surviving.

In Australia new growth is being seen only a matter of days after
land being fiercely burnt. Is it just survival of the fittest? Have we as
humans caused global warming, from fires to flooding, with people and
animals losing their lives – or are we seeing the earth trying to cleanse itself? So again I'll stress, we can do better. We can do something about it. Often I hear people say, 'What's the point? One person not buying plastic
straws anymore won't make any difference.' But we all have to see the bigger picture.
Imagine if one family per street, or one school from each district, or one business from each town all took the same action, such as no more plastic straws or allowing only one-use plastic water bottles – the actions of all those households, schools and businesses would add up, to become an EPIC response. So go on -
be part of the bigger picture and do something to help change the planet.

Newcastleton wildlife club will be continuing to support and help wildlife
in the Liddesdale area, from planting shrubs and trees, carrying out regular
litter picks, presenting talks to educate others, making animal and bird boxes
and so so much more.

You can help this month by : ●Providing fresh water and bird food in your garden
●If you see litter when you are out for a walk, pick it up and bin it
● Create a wild place in your garden
● Question the plastic that comes into your household - is it necessary? Can you change it for the better?
Till next month..... Happy wildlife watching