Please give fresh water to birds/wildlife in your garden each day

Susan Neighbourly Lead from St Heliers

Summer can be a tough time for wildlife. Please give birds/wildlife clean, fresh water each day - it's easy to do and could save their lives!

HOW TO HELP
* Use a fairly shallow, wide container with an edge to perch on e.g. a plastic cat litter tray or an old roasting dish. Make sure it's shallow, so if a bird or small animal falls in, it can get out (don't use ice cream containers, buckets etc as they are too deep).

* Put the container in a location that's well away from shrubs or places where cats might hide.

* Clean and disinfect the container at least every few days. This is important as unwashed containers can spread diseases among birds. A quick scrub with a strong cleaner like bleach will do the trick.

* If possible, water an area of your garden by putting a sprinkler on for 10-15 min every second evening. This will create a thriving ‘oasis’ for birds as well as insects, which the birds will eat. It will also help plants grow that may be a food or nesting source for birds.

* Bees also get very thirsty. It's easy to create a watering station for bees - just fill a shallow dish with water and add lots of rocks of various sizes to create little 'islands' for the bees to stand on as they drink.

* If you have a swimming pool or any container with a lot of water, birds and other animals may get into trouble trying to get to the water. Please place pieces of wood, branches etc so animals can get out and don't drown.

IF YOU'RE IN AN AREA WITH WATER RESTRICTIONS...
Here's an idea for collecting water that would otherwise be wasted, to give to birds/wildlife. If you're going to wash dishes or have a shower, put a bucket in the kitchen sink or shower to capture the cold water when you first turn the tap on, before it warms up. Then you can give this unwanted cold water to animals.

Thank you!