Wildlife Circus

During spells of  wet weather in the summer bats can find it difficult to get out to feed. If this occurs over several evenings they can quickly lose condition.  This week it has started to rain at dusk, just at the time bats emerge to forage around local parks and gardens. This male common pipistrelle was found near to the Fishponds along the Ewell Road in Surbiton suffering from dehydration. Hopefully he will regain condition and pass his fitness test by the weekend to be released on his home patch.  If you find a grounded bat please put it in a box (with a few holes) and a small amount of water in a lid. Please use a glove (as per photo) to gently handle it. Then call the Bat Conservation Trust, 0345 1300 228, who will arrange for someone to come and collect it.

Juvenile hedghog garden, 2014   I haven't found any hedgehogs in my garden this year using the usual methods (listening at night, camera traps, looking for scats) so I have made some footprint traps similar to the ones we used last year at Home Park. Hedgehog footprint traps are very easy to make from A1 sheets of Correx board and if you share a batch of 5 boards with someone they are very cheap. Required : A1 sheets of black Poster or Correx board 3 cable ties per footprint trap A4 paper Spongetex  Small dish/pot lid Poster paint Dog or catfood Fold the board into three even sized panels. Pierce 3 holes either side (long side) In the middle segment secure half a spongetex either side of an  A4 sheet of paper. Fold into three Cut Spongetex or J-cloth into two and secure in place; Squeeze paint onto spongetex Secure cable ties; Place food in small jam pot lid in centre; and Locate along hedgerow where there may be a faint animal run Note: green pa