The cold snowy weather can keep many of us in during the winter months but these cold spells can be even more harsh on the local wildlife. Not only do many of our native animals and birds struggle to find enough to eat during the winter months they also struggle to find shelter.

But turning your garden into a winter safe haven for a variety of species of animals and birds need not be expensive and it can go a long way to help many of them to survive through the winter and help their dwindling numbers.

There are a huge variety of wildlife shelters and feeders available that it is often difficult to know where to start. Bird tables and bird feeders are a good place to get started but most of these are not indiscriminate and you could find the local squirrel of vermin population keeps any birds away.

A better solution is to target individual species such as the housemartin or swallow. Housemartin bowls and swallow bowls are fitted by the gutter. They are out of the way for other species but these migrating birds are attracted to the high up shelter. Not only are these two species of visiting birds a delight to see after the cold months, their numbers have been decreasing dramatically over recent years.

Bat boxes too, work on a similar principle but these endangered and timid animals can be attracted even in urban areas with a safe enough shelter.

Other animals worth considering are less desirable in a physical sense but are even more crucial to eco-system as a hole. Bumblebees for instance are vital in pollinating a huge variety of plants but their numbers are dangerously low. A bumblebee nester need not be obtrusive and can look quite ornamentally pleasing in the right area.

Other animal shelters such as toad houses and hedgehog homes provide much needed shelter in the harsh weather for many of our local wildlife and can go a long way in helping them survive another winter.