Wirral’s wildlife heroes revealed

Sep 23 2009 by Jade Wright, Birkenhead News

Wirral’s wildlife heroes revealed

l Barn Owl

The conversion of barns into housing still poses a threat as nesting habitat is taken away. Luckily, barn owls are thriving in specially-made barn owl boxes put up across the countryside. As wood mice and vole numbers decrease, so do the barn owl numbers. Long, undisturbed grassland is needed to provide the habitat for wood mice and voles.

“You can help your local barn owls by creating a wildflower meadow and leaving areas of long, undisturbed grassland,” she says.

l Common Frog

“Frogs help us by eating slugs and other invertebrates in our gardens,” says Sarah.

“To encourage and help frogs why not build a pond (with sloping sides) in your garden or community area and provide cover like a log pile or rocks where frogs can keep cool and moist,” suggests Sarah. “Frogs hibernate in ponds over winter, so, if you need clean your pond, do it around September to avoid disturbing the hibernating frogs.”

l Otters

“They help us by encouraging us outside to enjoy the countryside whilst trying to spot them,” says Sarah.

“To help otters we need to continue to ensure good water quality in our waterways,” says Sarah. “The quality of our water is affected by various issues, some of which include dumping into waterways and throwing chemicals down our drains and road grid systems.”

To find out more visit www.cheshire-biodiversity.org.uk.