Wildlife Air Conditioning!
Most of us enjoy the sunny days in August but it isn’t always a happy time for wildlife. Many earthworm eating species are affected by the earthworms disappearing down in the earth in search of moisture. Slugs and snails hiding in the deep vegetation means that the hedgehog is going to find life difficult through a period of drought. So, support of fresh water and food is always welcome from all kinds of wildlife.
Our badger cubs are now in our large, grassed enclosures and a few years ago, I was up checking on them during the day and their water trough was empty, so I filled it up. Because we were experiencing very hot weather, I went up to check again a little later. The water trough was empty again. I couldn’t believe they had drunk all the water but filled it up again. My next visit about an hour later showed me what was happening. A juvenile badger was sitting in the water trough having a nice cooling bath! We now put a large plastic water container for them to bathe in during hot weather and have some wonderful footage of a badger sat in the bath with another trying to get in with him.
Our farmhouse was built in 1675 and we have many photographs of the house at the beginning of the 20th century. There is a Deutzia bush in our garden which we know from photographs is over 100 years old. The flowers on it this year are amazing. It is full of bees drawn to it by the scent. Both large bumble bees and honeybees are busy getting pollen from the fragile flowers. Water is important to bees and in a beehive some of the bees will spend their whole life carrying water back to the hive as much as 50 to 100 times a day. Just over a litre of water is needed each day and in the very hot weather even more water is required. The water that has been collected in the hive is spread in a thin layer over the comb. The bees will then fan the water with their wings causing it to evaporate and therefore reducing the temperature in the hive. Wildlife air conditioning!
A shallow dish water will be attractive to many wildlife creatures including the insects. I hope you enjoy the summer sun with so much to see and do in Somerset.
Pauline Kidner August 1st 2024
