Who’s popping up in our Huddersfield gardens?

Nearly half of people in West Yorkshire who took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch see common frogs in their gardens on a regular basis and grey squirrels are also regular guests.

But only a fraction ever see the endangered red squirrel, according to the second round of results from the world’s biggest wildlife survey, run by the RSPB.

This year, for the first time in the 36-year history of the survey, Big Garden Birdwatch participants were also asked to tell the Denby Dale-based RSPB about some of the other wildlife that visits their gardens throughout the year, including common frogs, red and grey squirrels, badgers and hedgehogs. This follows the release of the bird results by the charity at the end of last month.

Almost half a million people took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch and most of them supplied extra information on the other garden wildlife they see. The RSPB hopes to use it to build an overall picture of how important our gardens are for all types of wildlife and tailor its advice so people can help their wild visitors find a home, feed and breed successfully.

According to the national results, grey squirrels came out on top overall, with 72% of people seeing them in their gardens at least once a month. In West Yorkshire 75% of participants see a grey squirrel in their gardens regularly.

At the other end of the scale, the grey’s native relative, the red squirrel, was one of the least-seen garden visitors, with 98% of participants in West Yorkshire reporting they never see one in their gardens. The red squirrel, which is threatened by a lethal virus carried by the grey, has been lost from much of the UK. In areas where the greys don’t carry the virus, the reds are still affected, essentially being out-competed by their rivals.

Less than half of participants in West Yorkshire saw hedgehogs in their gardens regularly. Hedgehog populations have seriously declined nationally by around 30% since the millennium.

When not hibernating, the common frog takes the lead as the most abundant garden amphibian, according to the results. Approximately half of people in the UK see a common frog in their gardens at least monthly, regardless of whether they live in a rural, suburban or urban area. In West Yorkshire, 44% of participants see a common frog in gardens regularly.

Many garden favourites were among the creatures shown to be in serious trouble including starlings and hedgehogs, as well as some butterflies and ladybirds. All are in danger of further declines unless more is done to provide better habitats.

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