Getting through the winter

But how do all those other animals and plants out there cope?

Some like the Dormouse, (right) build a nest, , drop their temperature and heart rate and virtually sleep through the winter. Other animals, like the badger and Squirrels sleep in their nests or burrows but will awaken during warm spells and venture out for an hour or two.In a similar way, some insects , like the tortoishell butterflies will come into our homes, and bats will find roof spaces,cave or tree holes ,and like the dormouse virtually go into a winter “coma”Many insects in fact spend the winter as larvae or caterpillars which snuggle down deep in the leaf crevices at ground level. They too will awake in the Spring, feed for a while then eventually emerge as adults. Plants unable to tolerate the frost simply die down for the winter with shoots underground away from the elements, but ready to sprout into action with the arrival of warmer Spring days. Other plants like bracken and tall herbs will fall down and the pile of dead stems will protect their crowns and other smaller plant species from the cold. Some plants rely on seeds which lay dormant through the winter. Deciduous trees loose their leaves and halt the sap flow thence passing the cold in a semi dormant state. The young Oaks however keep their dead leaves all through which acts as protection against the colder temperatures which are intense at their lower level. Very clever ! Cold blooded creatures a like amphibians, and snakes will burrow below ground or crawl deep within a compost heap or timber piles to pass the winter.

Fish, and other water creatures are able to survive even when the surface is frozen as long as there is a supply of oxygen in the water. Other water dwellers like dragonflies pass the hard times as larvae which burrow down into the pond or river bed where they are relatively safe.

Birds are the clever ones ! Some head for the sun as our migrants like the swallows do, or others rely on us for food like the many garden birds which come to our feeders. Large flocks of waders will head for the coast where they are able to feed on the invertebrates left by the falling tides.

Sleeping through the winter is the one method which perhaps appeals to me the most !

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