Fat balls are a nutritious treat for birds and are very easy to make. All you need is some fat that is solid at room temperature. Good fats to use are suet, lard, solid vegetable fat, peanut butter or the fat from your Sunday roast. You will also need some extras to mix in with the fat. These can include good quality bird food such as sunflower seeds and finely chopped peanuts, breadcrumbs, grated cheese, oatmeal, bacon rind (as long as it’s not salty), cornmeal and molasses. Some fats – such as suet – will need warming first until they are soft or melted. Once the fat is soft enough to work add the extras you are using and mix well (you may find it easier to use your hands). Add some flour if necessary to give a firm consistency. Form into balls and, if you like, roll in some millet seeds or breadcrumbs before placing outside. You can buy specially designed feeders to put the balls in or you can use a peanut feeder. It is not a good idea to use the type of nylon mesh around the fat balls that you see in shops as birds can get their feet and legs (and even their tongues) caught in them. The same mixture can also be placed into empty yoghurt pots. Poke a hole in the bottom of the pot first and thread a piece of string through to make a hanger. Then fill the pot with the fat mixture and hang outside.

Hedgehogs will eat at least 100 invertebrates, such as snails, slugs and worms every night. If you want to put out supplementary food you can buy specially made dried food for hedgehogs or you can feed them dog or cat meat – any flavour except fish. Do not give hedgehogs milk but ensure that there is water in your garden, not just for hedgehogs but for all animals.

The adult male has a grey top to the head and a characteristic black ‘bib’ on his chest which is bolder in spring to attract a mate. The females and young birds are mainly sandy brown with darker streaks on the back and wings. The much rarer tree sparrow can be confused with the house sparrow. However, tree sparrows are smaller and both sexes have a distinctive copper or chestnut brown cap to their heads, a white collar and a black spot on their cheeks. The tree sparrow is also much shyer and prefers to live in open farmland, isolated woods and disused quarries.

The tree sparrow was once a very common bird in farmland habitat, where they could be found amongst most overgrown hedgerows, especially ones with occasional mature trees. During the winter, grain piles and spillages also used to see large gatherings of mixed tree and house sparrow flocks. Nowadays though, much smaller numbers are to be found in these habitats. In North Norfolk the most well known site is Choseley which is just 1 mile south of Titchwell, where the species is still present in small numbers. The best areas to look are around the drying barns and surrounding hedgerows. You can also search the hedgerows around Choseley Farm at the crossroads intersection, this is approximately ½ mile south of the drying barns. If you visit this site please park sensibly and respect farmer’s land and resident’s privacy. If you visit areas with overgrown well-developed hedgerows that feature mature trees, then take the time to look for tree sparrows. Whilst they have become scarce, small numbers are spread widely across Norfolk. If you feed birds in a rural garden then look for this species when we have hard frosts or snow, this forces individuals to move from their normal areas and they do regularly turn up at feeders in these conditions. You may be surprised to find they are closer to home than you realised.

The best way to see reptiles in Norfolk is to join one of the special guided walks organised by Norfolk Wildlife Trust or the Norfolk Amphibian and Reptile Group. These guided walks will take you to the best sites for reptile spotting within the county and you will have the services of an expert on hand. Other sites that are generally rich in reptiles include the heathland areas of north and north-west Norfolk including the NWT nature reserve at Roydon Common, the dune systems of north-east Norfolk between Waxham and Horsey, and Broadland where NWT has nature reserves at Ranworth , Hickling Common and Upton fen.

The adder is the only venomous snake that can be found in Norfolk. It mainly inhabits areas of open heath and sand-dunes but can be found in woodland and is particularly active in spring and early summer. Adders are very shy and retiring creatures that will readily move away from any human presence well before potential contact. Adders will usually only bite if an attempt is made to pick them up but their bite is rarely fatal. If you or somebody with you is bitten it is very important that you stay calm and seek immediate medical attention. If possible the affected body part should be immobilized. Symptoms that may occur include dizziness, vomiting and swelling. Adder bites can sometimes, though rarely, be fatal to pets and care should be taken when walking dogs through likely habitat particularly in March and April when the snakes are recently emerged from hibernation and may be slower to move out of harms way. It should be stressed that you are very unlikely to encounter an adder and that if you do you should not try to handle or provoke them in any way. Adders are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is an offence to kill, harm or injure them or to sell or trade them in any way.

Numbers have dropped by more than half since the 1930s. The main causes of decline are loss of nest sites as mainly grassland/woodland areas are developed and barns are converted for housing. Road deaths have also led to declines and owls will not breed in the areas surrounding roads, which may have suppressed the population. However Barn Owls are currently doing quite well in Norfolk which remains one of the best places in the country to see one of these lovely birds.

Bats are protected by the law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and Regulation 39 of the Conservation (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1994. It is an offence to kill, injure or handle bats or disturb their breeding sites or resting places.

Black swans are not native to Britain, they are originally from Australia. They were brought over here as ornamental birds and as part of wildfowl collections. However, as often happens, some birds have escaped and now live quite happily in the wild.

Five species of bumblebee, which twenty years ago were classed as widespread and common, are now endangered. The reason for the decline of some bumblebees species is not fully understood. The common theory is that there are fewer wildflowers, due to the change in traditional haymaking practices and the use of weedkillers. The removal of suitable nesting sites, such as hedgerows, could also have played a part. Changes in gardening practices may also have had an impact. Increased use of insecticides, the fashion for flowers which have no scent and do not produce nectar could all have played a part, along with tidying up of gardens which removes potential nest sites.

The main difference is that dragonflies hold their wings open at 90 degrees to their body when resting whereas damselflies hold their wings parallel to their body. On the whole, damselflies are much smaller than dragonflies. Dragonflies have huge eyes which occupy most of their globular head whilst damselflies have much smaller eyes which are positioned at each end of their oblong head. The flight of a damselfly is a relatively weak fluttering type compared to a dragonfly’s.

Grey is not necessarily a bad colour for camouflaging birds. Herons, for example, can be very difficult to spot in amongst reeds especially if they are standing still. Their grey colour may also act as a camouflage by helping to ‘hide’ them from the fish, amphibians and small rodents that they feed on. Herons usually hunt and feed in water and their grey colouring can be very difficult to see from underwater. However, a bird’s colour may not have anything to do with camouflage. Although wood pigeons are preyed on by other birds and animals they adopt a different defence. By feeding in the open in large groups it isn’t necessary for them to remain hidden as they can usually spot predators long before they are in any danger. In fact, when pigeons fly away from a potential predator their white wing bars act as a warning to other birds. Like many other birds, wood pigeon’s also use their colouring for breeding purposes. The iridescent patches on their necks are used to attract mates. It’s also possible that grey is seen differently by other creatures (e.g. the blue on blue tits stands out in ultra-violet light) which means that grey may not be such a bad choice for camouflage after all!

This is actually quite a common occurrence, and is due to the tadpoles from the spring/summer missing the trigger for metamorphism. The reason for this could be due to the water temperature of the pond affecting the development rate, the lower the temperature the slower the development. A problem for many ponds is a lack of sunlight. This could be due to overhanging trees and sometimes by carefully pruning surrounding vegetation you can let more sunlight into the pond and really help your ponds flora and fauna. There is no need to worry about the tadpoles as they can actually over winter in the pond and once the temperatures increase the following year metamorphism will take place.

Boxing occurs during March/April when two hares stand on their back legs and 'box' each other with their front feet. The behavior can be quite intense and gives rise to the name the ‘Mad March Hare’. Boxing is part of courtship behaviour and is usually the female warning off unwanted males rather than fighting between two males.

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, no one can remove any hedgerow at a time when any bird nesting is disturbed. At all other times, a hedge between domestic properties or in a private garden is not protected by any law preventing its removal. However, the Hedgerow Regulation 1997 states that no countryside hedge can be removed without permission if it is more than 20m in length.

House sparrows are sociable birds living in colonies in both towns and countryside, rarely far from human habitation. House sparrows will not travel far from where they were hatched. Their territory is the area immediately outside their nest, and, as a result, they can build their nests quite close to each other forming large communities. Although the species has suffered considerable decline, most towns and villages in Norfolk still have populations of house sparrows although there are some puzzling exceptions, for example the centre of Norwich.

Harlequin ladybirds can be difficult to identify as they are highly variable in colour and ‘spottiness’. They range from orange or red with black spots to black with red or orange spots. They also have various white makings on their head and the bit behind their eyes (the pronotum). The number of spots is also highly variable. While many of our native ladybirds can also vary in colour and number of spots –especially the two- and ten-spot ladybirds, harlequin ladybirds are larger than most of them (>5.5mm). The exceptions to this are the seven-spot, scarce seven-spot and eyed ladybirds which are a similar but they have black legs instead of reddish-brown like the harlequin. A good website to visit is the harlequin ladybird survey www.harlequin-survey.org

The White Admiral butterfly has increased its range within the UK over the past 20 years and seems to be expanding its Norfolk range where it inhabits a number of widely separated sites. In fact the UK site with the largest recent increases is the Bure Marshes area of Broadland. The butterfly does inhabit a few sites along the North Norfolk coast. Despite the expansion in range the species seems to be in general and long term decline with some sites in central southern England experiencing significant decreases in numbers. The butterfly inhabits areas of open woodland which supports the common honeysuckle – the sole foodplant for the larva of the species. Adults come frequently to bramble blossom. The main flight time is from mid June through to end August with a marked peak in July. However there have been occasional sightings recorded in late September. Sometimes unusual weather patterns, with prolonged periods of cold and wet during the summer months could upset the usual cycle for some individuals resulting in late emergence. The species is quite large and has a distinctive gliding manner of flight. It is unlikely to be confused with any other species except perhaps its close relative the red admiral which is often abundant in the autumn months.

They are usually found on farmland or grassland where they will be seen hunting. The most likely time to see them is dawn or dusk although it is not uncommon to see them during the day. They can also regularly be seen along the roadside as they use the verges to hunt. Barn owls are regularly seen at NWT Hickling Broad, RSPB Strumpshaw Fen, NWT Salthouse Marshes and RSPB Titchwell.

Bats make very good house guests: they do not chew through wood or wires; they do not bring in nesting materials and they are extremely quiet. Bats usually use buildings during the summer, but move out in the winter to a hibernation site.