Foxes are unlikely to attack cats, and are generally frightened of them.

Although there have been reported instances where foxes have been spotted fighting with cats, it is likely that an adult cat will see off a fox quite easily. However foxes may attack smaller pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs, and these should be kept in secure cages.

You can reduce the risk of any confrontation by keeping your cats indoors at night – this will also prevent your cat predating other wildlife.

Yes, foxes can cause damage by digging shallow holes in lawns, as they forage for food.

They are attracted by the presence of worms, beetle larvae, caterpillars etc. If you have placed a fish, blood, or bone meal based fertiliser on your lawn, foxes will be attracted to this since it smells like buried food.

There are some things you can do to deter foxes from your garden. Do not feed foxes, intentionally or unintentionally. Keep food waste in secure bins, and provide secure accommodation for pets or livestock. Fill in any excavations with loose soil as soon as they appear to prevent foxes moving in. Prevent foxes from gaining access to your garden by making sure fences do not have any gaps.

Further information on deterring foxes: The Fox Project: http://www.foxproject.org.uk/

The harvest mouse is our smallest rodent, and is the only mouse to build a nest of woven grass above ground.

Harvest mice nests are constructed on stalks of grasses such as cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata), common reed or in cereal fields. The nests are found at least 30 cm above ground, and may be higher in tall reeds. They can be as small as 5 cm in diameter for non-breeding nests, and up to 10 cm in diameter for breeding nests.

The outer framework of the nest is constructed by weaving a large number of shredded grass leaves. The nest is then lined by pulling further grasses through the wall until it is densely woven without leaving an obvious entrance. Nests are more conspicuous in winter when the surrounding vegetation has died down.

The garden can have a different dimension at night time. Many plants flower exclusively at night, and many more wait until evening to release their wonderful scents. These can play an important role in the wildlife garden, attracting nocturnal pollinators such as moths that are attracted to the strong scents.

Some favourite garden plants with night time scent are:

Honeysuckle – Lonicera periclymenum

Jasmine - Jasminum officinale (not strictly night scented, but the perfume can be strong on warm evenings)

Night scented stock - Mattholia longipetala

Evening primrose - Oenothera biennis

Flowering tobacco – Nicotiana alata – note that many modern Nicotiana varieties are day-flowering and have lost their scent.

Buddleia – various varieties, all attract butterflies during the day, but can also attract moths in the evening.

The huge majority of ladybirds being seen along the Norfolk coast at the moment are seven-spot ladybirds, which are one of our commonest of 24 native species of ladybird.

Seven-spot ladybirds spend the winter as hibernating adults. As temperatures warm in the spring, they emerge from their winter roost sites and mate. They lay their eggs on plants which are host to the aphids which their larvae eat. The larvae gorge themselves on aphids for a short period before pupating. The resulting pupae hatch out as adults in mid-summer and this is the phenomenon we are currently experiencing.

A female seven-spot has the potential to lay 1,000 eggs so, when conditions are suitable, it is possible for populations to rise very fast. The number of healthy eggs laid by a female is probably related to her diet both as a larva the previous year and as an adult. The number of her eggs which will survive through the larval stage, pupate and emerge as adults depends largely on how much food is available to them while they are larvae. So plentiful aphids - such as greenfly - literally mean plentiful ladybirds.

The warm, damp conditions of last summer, and the warm damp conditions so far of this summer seem to have been perfect for aphids. As a result, the adult ladybirds laying their eggs this spring were fat and healthy and able to lay lots of eggs. The resulting larvae were born in another aphid-rich year and themselves were successful in growing to adulthood; so successful in fact that huge numbers of them are now emerging as adults.

As so many ladybirds have emerged there is tremendous competition for food, causing huge numbers to roam in search of new food sources. These roaming ladybirds eventually reach the coast and unable to go any further gather there in swarms.

It is not possible to trap and/or move otters anywhere within the UK. Otters are protected under the UK Wildlife & Countryside Act and also under European legislation. Otters are mainly a river dwelling species and it is in their nature to eat fish, eels and crustaceans. About 40-80% of an Otters diet consists of fish with them eating around 1kg a day. An enclosed fishery or pond simply offers a very tempting feeding opportunity for them. It should be remembered that most still waters stocked with fish are artificial, manipulated environments that support high densities of small fish or small concentrations of very large fish (usually carp) which, from the perspective of the otter, constitute part of its range and provide foraging opportunities. The onus for protecting a fishery against predation falls with the owner, or the club/syndicate using the fishery and in relation to otters this can only effectively be achieved by fencing of a specific design.  Fisheries that are used by the public may be eligible for a grant from the Environment Agency but otherwise the cost is the responsibility of the fishery owner, club or syndicate. Information on appropriate/effective fencing specifications is available from a number of sources including the Angling Trust, Specialist Anglers Conservation Group, the Environment Agency and Norfolk Wildlife Trust For smaller garden ponds it may be possible to cover the pond in a mesh or grid to stop the Otter being able to dive down to the fish.

Otter populations crashed to near extinction across most of lowland England by the mid 1970’s as a result of pesticide poisoning, loss of habitat and hunting. Otters were released by the Otter Trust in Norfolk between 1984 and 1997 with the approval of the statutory conservation bodies existing at the time; there have been no releases since then (other than orphaned otters which are released by the RSPCA as close as possible to the location that they came from).  It is worth pointing out that since the 1970s, otters have also spread naturally from western lowland England back across the Midlands into eastern England, so the release programme simply speeded up their natural re-colonisation of Norfolk.

Murkiness or algal blooms in ponds are usually caused by single cell plants (phytoplankton) which live on any free nutrients in the water.

Introducing zooplankton, the best known is daphnia or water fleas, can clear a cloudy pond but in order to keep the pond clear there needs to be a good community of larger aquatic plants including deeper – water species.

There are two websites that can help you with further advice about the type of plants these are www.froglife.org and www.pondconservation.org.uk.

You can find instructions for making exterior and interior barn owl boxes on the website of The Hawk and Owl Trust.

The non-native American mink is in the same mammal family as the otter, stoat and weasel, and resembles all of these species in general body shape. It is quite commonly confused with the otter, especially in wetland habitats, but there are several important differences. It has a long, slim body, short legs and a round, fluffy tail that is about a third of its body length. The otter’s tail is broad-based, flat and tapers towards the tip and is about half the body length. In size American mink are larger than stoats and weasels but smaller than a domestic cat and about half the size of an otter. The average body length is 60cm for males and 50cm for females. The tail adds an extra 14 – 21cm. The fur is rich, glossy and generally dark brown or black, with a white or pale patch on the chin only. The pale markings on an otter extend from the chin to the chest. The muzzle of a mink is pointed and ferret-like whereas the otter has a flattened head shape and a broad dog-like muzzle. The mink swims high in the water with the head and body visible but the otter swims low in the water with only the head and part of the tail on show.

These animals, descendants from mink that escaped or were intentionally released from fur farms, are an ‘alien’ species, and don’t fit properly into Norfolk’s ecology. The American mink is a very undesirable resident in Norfolk and certainly not to be encouraged; in fact, due to the damage the animal can cause to native wildlife, especially species such as the water vole, the Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership is undertaking ongoing control programmes in mid-Norfolk and the Broads. Gamekeepers also undertake mink control in order to reduce predation of pheasants and partridge, all of which contributes to the control of this predator. Mink also hunt water birds, such as moorhen and ducks, and a noticeable decline in numbers of birds may indicate that mink are in the area. Mink are aggressive predators and will overkill prey. They can cause significant damage to housed or penned game birds or poultry by killing large numbers, far more than they can eat, and they may also damage fish stocks.

Muntjac are not native to Britain. They originate from China but were introduced to Woburn Park in Bedfordshire in 1838. After escapes and deliberate movement of the deer by humans they have now spread over southern England and are increasing in number. Muntjac are the smallest deer in Britain and are about 45cm at the shoulder. They have a hunched posture due to their haunches being higher than their withers. Their fur is generally brown although they have darker markings on their face which in the male is V shaped and stretches up the pedicles, whereas the females have a dark U or diamond shape. The pedicles are characteristic of the males in this species and are extensions of the skull. These pedicles have short, straight antlers (about 10cm long) extending from them during the autumn. Bucks also have large canine teeth which protrude from the top lip and are used in fighting. Both sexes have black scent glands under both eyes and a large characteristic tail which is held upright when the animal is startled revealing a white underside. You may hear a Muntjac before seeing it as they have a loud and quite distinctive ‘barking’ call.

Muntjac inhabit both deciduous and coniferous woodland with shrubby areas where they can feed on berries, acorns and grasses. They can be seen throughout Norfolk and can sometimes be found visiting gardens with good cover. Muntjac can be seen at any time of the year. Unlike other deer species in Britain the Muntjac does not have a set rutting season and they will breed all through the year. They are active throughout 24 hours, but dawn and dusk are the best times to see them especially in an area subject to human disturbance.

Himalayan balsam is not native to the UK and was introduced from the western Himalayas in 1839 as a garden ornamental. It has since escaped and spread across the country. Himalayan balsam is an annual plant, growing from seed set the previous year. This seed germinates early in the spring and grows rapidly to form dense stands up to 3 m in height which shade out native vegetation. It is the tallest annual plant in Britain. It has hollow, jointed pinkish-red stems which are sappy and brittle. The leaves are shiny, dark green and spear-shaped with a dark red midrib and up to 150 mm long. The flowers which appear between June and October are fragrant, purplish-pink, slipper shaped and held on long stalks. The numerous seeds are widely scattered by an explosive seed capsule, and can travel along water ways into new areas. When the plant dies back in the autumn it leaves bare patches which cause particular problems along riverbanks which become prone to erosion. The plant is now quite widespread in central and eastern Norfolk and is still expanding its range. It can be seen along the banks of rivers, in wet woodland and on waste ground.

Giant hogweed is an impressive plant and can reach heights of up to 5-6 metres. It is therefore much taller and has altogether larger dimensions than any related native plant. The plant is not native to the UK, and was introduced from south-west Asia in 1893 as an ornamental plant. The hollow stems are green with reddish-purple blotches, and up to 100 mm across. The leaves are dark green and jagged, ending in a spike, and arranged in rosettes around the stem. The many small white flowers appear in June or July and form an umbrella-shaped head (umbel) up to 500 mm across. It can take up to four years for a Giant hogweed to flower, but each plant can produce 50 – 80,000 seeds Giant hogweed grows well where the soil has been disturbed, such as wasteground, roadsides and riverbanks. Here they will shade out native vegetation. The seeds are easily dispersed by water, so it is often seen spreading along watercourses. It is widespread in Norfolk with ‘hot-spots’ to the south and east of Norwich. After flowering, the whole plant dies off. This can cause problems with soil erosion if large areas of riverbanks are left bare over the winter. NOTE: Giant hogweed is a toxic plant and a public health hazard. The stems, edges and undersides of the leaves have small hairs which contain poisonous sap. The slightest touch causes the skin to become photo-sensitive, so that exposure to sunlight causes severe burns and blistering. For this reason, protective clothing must be worn when dealing with this species

Japanese knotweed is not native to the UK, and was introduced around 1855 as a garden ornamental. It is an invasive and destructive herbaceous perennial, native to Japan and south-east Asia. Shoots emerge in spring and grow rapidly up to 3 m tall forming dense clumps that shade out native vegetation. It has fleshy green and red hollow stems with swollen red nodes, giving an appearance similar to bamboo. The leaves are green, triangular to heart-shaped, 70 – 150 mm long. Flowers appear from July to September and are creamy white, 3 mm wide, borne in dense clusters on the tips of stems. The underground rhizomes can be up to 10 cm in diameter, spreading 7 m from the parent plant and up to a depth of 2 m or more underground. Only female plants are present in the UK and they rarely set seed. Any seeds produced are likely to be from a cross with the closely related giant knotweed. The stems die back in winter, taking several years to decompose fully. The plant favours areas such as roadsides, railway embankments, riverbanks and wasteland, and can be found throughout Norfolk.

Mink can be found in and around many Norfolk waterways, including many parts of the Broads and rivers including the Waveney Valley, but their elusive nature makes them difficult to see. They can also be found away from waterways provided prey, such as rabbits, other small mammals and birds, is available. Mink can be seen throughout the year but generally require either patience or luck to actually spot them. They are active throughout the day.

The simple answer to this is yes. Many of the cornfield wildflowers are now classed as ‘weeds’ but can easily be reintroduced by making a wildflower meadow which will provide a nectar source for a wide variety of insects. For further details look at our leaflet on this subject - click here to go the leaflets section. Another wildlife friendly option is to make an herbaceous border using many of the old fashioned cottage garden plants and perennials. These will not only give a splendid array of colour all summer but will also attract a great number and variety of insects.

The British Trust for Ornithology carries out many surveys to monitor bird populations and actively seeks assistance from members of the public. For more information, go to their website at www.bto.org.uk. Alternatively you can take part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch which normally takes place in January. See www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch for more details.

The main reason why flowers such as these are now rare is that they are essentially flowers of cultivated or disturbed land. The drive for higher yields and ever more sophisticated farming methods, especially more efficient herbicides, has virtually eliminated these flowers from the UK; in fact the cornflower is now extinct in the wild in Norfolk. The seeds can however be readily purchased from garden centres and wildflower seed stockists, and when sown in the garden provide a beautiful display which is highly beneficial to insects. For more information download our leaflet ‘Creating your own Poppyland'. Click here to go the leaflets section.