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easily access buildings•    they carry Weil’s disease, which is potentially fatal to humansI paid close attention to my garden and realised I had to act when I spotted Ratty mopping up split niger seed from the bird feeders in broad daylight

It's cold, there's snow on the ground, and all is quiet in the garden. But I've just been outside feeding the wildlife. In my case that does not mean putting up nut-filled bird feeders or hanging fat balls, it means tipping the kitchen waste

bucketBuilding a bug box for insectsBuilding a hedgehog houseMaking a bird boxInstalling a window bird feederMaking a bat boxBrowse a variety of plants that are attractive to wildlifeView a selection of spring flowering bulbs

. Brilliant.There are four of them, and they do the airborne equivalent of scurrying about, spending a few moments examining the rather twisted apple tree and the lichen-coated pear tree, before bouncing down to the feeders and fat balls to practice

no birds, despite the sparkling clean feeders and expensive food I put out for them.I'm pleased to report that this has all changed. What's more, my garden has become a battle ground. When the snow came in December, a robin and blackbird tentatively started

clumps of this and that from my mum, who is very understanding of having her established perennials lifted out of the ground and brutally divided with a spade. My bird boxes and feeders have been up for a while, but there’s been no sign of any birds

). But I feel it's only a matter of time before they find it. The only birds visiting my garden at the moment are a blackbird, robin and several pigeons. Blackbirds and robins are ground feeders, so I leave food on the ground for them. I put it out first

This summer I’ve been a little preoccupied by cuckoos. They’re not strictly a garden species, but it’s possible to listen to a cuckoo’s distinctive call from the garden if you live in a rural area. And, while we won't get them visiting our bird

, as paths and steps will be covered with ice and very slippery. Don’t go out unless you really need to, and only then when wrapped-up warm and wearing boots with the best grip possible.Bird baths will be frozen solid, so if you can melt the ice and replenish

, to give it its full name, is a beautiful bird - sleek, handsome, well-groomed, elegant, silky (Bombyx, after which it takes its scientific name, is the silk moth). It is also a rare visitor to Britain.A native of higher latitudes, it only visits us when