Red Fox (vulpes vulpes)

Foxes have a reputation for being cunning and clever. They are good hunters, and they are happy to scavenge for food too. They are omnivores, meaning that they eat both meat and plants, although their diet is mainly meat.

Traditionally foxes were found in the countryside, but nowadays you are more likely to see one in towns and cities. Their urban populations have grown as they have adapted to the urban habitat and found different sources of food to scavenge. Foxes tend to come out at dawn and dusk to hunt for food or scavenge in bins. 

A male fox is called a dog, and a female is known as a vixen. They come from the same family of animals as dogs and wolves. They tend to have one litter of cubs a year, usually four or five cubs. They are born in the spring and are cared for by both parents until the autumn when they go it alone.  

In the past, wolves would have hunted foxes, but in the 1700s wolves were hunted to extinction in the UK, leaving foxes with no natural predators - except humans, of course. 

European Hedgehog (erinaceus europaeus)

First of all, if you need a reminder as to why we all love hedgehogs, why not have a look at one of our supporters facebook page (2) Wild hog cam | Facebook dedicated to videos of the hedgehogs in her own garden? She does a great job to care for hedgehogs and her garden is also a release site for Northumbrian Hedgehog Rescue.

Read on to find out more about these great animals. 

• Hedgehogs are nocturnal. That means they sleep during the day and are awake at night. In one night a hedgehog can walk two miles or more.

• Prickles!! Grown up hedgehogs have about 7000 prickles. The prickles are made of keratin, the same as your fingernails and toenails. When baby hedgehogs are born, their prickles are under their skin. To protect themselves from predators, hedgehogs roll into a ball and stick up their prickles. Their spines are not poisonous or barbed and, unlike the quills of a porcupine, do not easily detach from their bodies. However the immature animal's spines normally fall out as they are replaced with adult spines. This is called "quilling".

• What's on the menu? Hedgehogs eat beetles, caterpillars, earthworms, earwigs, slugs and snails. If you want to feed a hedgehog which is visiting your garden, give it dog food or meaty cat food and water. Please don’t give it milk and bread (this will give it an upset tummy).

• Hedgehogs hibernate, which means they sleep through the winter from November until April. Before this they eat as much as possible, to make sure that they have lots of fat. This fat keeps them fed whilst they are sleeping through the winter.

How can you help?

There are lots of easy things you can do to help hedgehogs at school or in your own garden. You could show this information to your teacher or your parents.

• Keep a quiet corner of your garden a little bit wild. Add piles of sticks and leaves. These are things hedgehogs can use to make a hibernation nest. You can also make or buy a hedgehog house to put in your garden.

• Ask adults not to use slug pellets in the garden as these can make hedgehogs very poorly. Also clear up rubbish because sometimes this can harm hedgehogs.

• Make sure there is a gap under your fence so that hedgehogs can get in and out because they like to walk long distances at night.

• Hedgehogs are good swimmers. If you have a pond, all you need is a slope so that they can easily get out.

• If you are lucky enough to have a hedgehog hibernating in your garden or in your school grounds, don’t disturb it, because it might run away from its warm nest.

• If adults are lighting a bonfire, always ask them to check that there isn’t a hedgehog underneath before they start.

• Hedgehogs are nocturnal. If you see one out in the day, it might be in trouble. Get a grown up to contact one of the hedgehog groups below for advice. You should never pick up a hedgehog, unless it is in immediate danger and even then always ask a grown up to do it (with gloves).

All the websites below give you lots more information and advice about hedgehogs:

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/gardening-for-wildlife/homes-for-hedgehogs/

https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/

https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/

https://www.lovethegarden.com/advice/birds-wildlife/what-do-hedgehogs-eat

House sparrow (passer domesticus)

The male house sparrow looks quite different to the female and some people think it’s a different bird. The male has a streaked brown back, grey crown, black chest bib and white wing bars whilst the female is brown all over. The baby birds beg for food from their parents by quivering their bodies and wings. Sparrows chatter with a loud ‘chissup’ or ‘chee-ip’ which can last a long while!

Sparrows are used to living around humans and live in both the town and the countryside. They like to have a splash in puddles and a dust bath in dry soil. They nest in cracks in walls, as well as hedges and small trees.

Long-tailed Tit (aegithalos caudatus)

This striking, black, white and pink tit has a very long black tail, which is more than half its length. You’ll see them travelling around in small flocks looking for insects and spiders especially in the birch trees in Scotswood Garden. They need to eat a lot as they lose heat quickly and may die if they can’t get enough food in the winter.

Long tailed tits are known as master builders as their nests are beautiful – made from moss and lined with cobwebs, hair and 100s of tiny feathers. The hole into the nest is small so they have to fold their tail over their head to get in. The female bird lays 8-12 white eggs.

Goldfinch (carduelis carduelis)

These lovely finches are seen very often in the garden feeding on thistle and teasel seeds and making a lot of noise in the blackthorn hedging at the north end of the garden nearest to Whickham View. They have become much more common in the last decade.

They have a bright red face with a black and white head. There is a bright bar of yellow on the wings. A flock of goldfinches is known as a ‘charm’ and they are certainly charming with their dancing flight pattern and tinkling bell call. 

The nest is neat and delicately woven with the fluff from thistles lining the inside to make a soft bed. The 4-6 eggs are pale bluish white with reddish brown streaks.