If you're looking for bird food and everythning for your garden birds and wildlife on a budget, take a look at Garden Wildlife Direct

With everything from fat balls, seed mixes, sunflower hearts, peanuts, bird baths, bird houses, wildlife houses, wildlife feed, half coconuts, feeding stations, next boxes, chicken food, hedgehog houses, you should find lots to choose from to help our feathered friends through the winter or even the next few weeks.

Garden Wildlife Direct have great offers very often, so it's worth keeping an eye on their site to see what they've got.  Make your money go further and help wildlife at the same time.  Find out all about today's offers here.

Amongst other things, they've got these great High Energy Autumn and Winter Seed Mix, just the thing to help your garden birds through the colder brrrrrr months of autumn and winter, as they have protein-rich and oil-rich ingredients.   You can buy them in different sizes of bag, too, from 2kg to 25.1kg.  Prices start at £7.99.  

Take a look at this great offer from Garden Wildlife Direct - 
it ends at midnight on Friday 13th December 2024.

**Free 2kg High Energy Autumn & Winter Mix with every £20 spent!
*Plus FREE Express Delivery on orders over £25.00.
All you have to do is enter the code AW2 at the check-out and
choose the 1-2 days delivery option for £0.00 on orders over £25.00*

This is the High Energy Autumn and Winter Mix
from £7.99.

 
How about this Sunflower Heart Value Seed Mix?
From 2kg bags for £5.99 up to 25.1kg for £34.99
It's a combination of sunflower heart kernels and black sunflower seeds,
so it gives a very nutritious seed variety to have.

 Flap your wings and fly off to Garden Wildlife Direct here.

 **OFFER DETAILS: Does not include Borderstone products and gift cards. Subject to availability, while stocks last. Garden Wildlife Direct reserve the right to substitute with an item of equivalent value. If your free 2kg High Energy Autumn & Winter Mix or free express delivery upgrade are not available when you apply the code, please contact them prior to placing your order. Orders submitted without an offer code cannot be amended retrospectively. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or reward points. View  full terms and conditions here.

*Delivery charges apply to orders under £25 or 'out of areas' postcodes. Express delivery is not available to locations deemed as 'out of areas' and will take considerably longer to be delivered. Full delivery details here

Have you heard of Lily's Kitchen?

They create yummy, wholesome food for both cats and dogs - they believe our cherished family members deserve to eat proper food full of nourishing ingredients.  They're on a mission to give pets a diet full of goodness, whilst treading lightly on the planet at the same time! 

For dogs , they've got dry dog food, wet dog food, dental chews, treats, selection boxes and more.   They've got diets for dogs with sensitive tummies, and sensitive skin, and special diets that are grain free, hypoallergenic, organic and vegetarian.  You can order for puppies, adults and seniors.  They've got recepies in beef, chicken, salmon, goose, herring, lamb, pheasant and pork so you've got lots of choice!

You can buy these Bedtime Biscuits on their own for £3.50
They have a bit of chamomile in them, known for its soothing properties!

There's a Limited Edition Advent Calendar for Dogs!
Your lovely dog can enjoy a treat in the lead up to Christmas!  
It's got turkey bites, chicken bites and chicken with beef bites...
Yummy!  

Oy!  What about us?!!

Yes, there's an Advent Calendar for Cats, too!
Check it out here

And for our feline members of the family, there's wet food, dry food, treats (of course!), selection boxes and you can choose from special diets such as grain free and organic and hypoallergenic.  You can also choose for kittens (under 1), adults (1 to 6) and seniors (7 plus).  Recipies include beef, chicken, salmon, cod, trout, prawn, turkey, pork, lamb and duck.  Miaow!! 

Lily's Kitchen have also got helpful tips on caring for your dog and caring for your cat.   

And did you know that Lily's Kitchen is giving £10,000 to each of their charity partners during the festive period, namely the  Dogs Trust (Charity Numbers 1167663 & SC053144) and L.I.C.K. (Charity number: 1181426)!   

Introducing Lily's Kitchen's subscription service!  

It’s an easy way for you to get regular top ups of your pet’s food!  And it means you spend less time shopping online – you set up your subscription and Lily’s Kitchen take care of the rest.  (You can update, pause or cancel easily, too.)  The Subscription Service gives you 5% off – and free delivery – on all future series.  Lily’s Kitchen will make sure you get any promotion live on the site when you order.  There’s more information on that with the FAQs on Lily’s Kitchen website.

So how do you get set up for Lily's Kitchen and their subscription service?

1. Shop online – browse and shop
2. Add what you want to the basket and choose ‘Order Every’ with how often you want an order e.g. every 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 or 9 weeks
3. Checkout

 Subscribe to Lily's Kitchen here.

Head over to Lily's Kitchen to find out more!

Those lovely folk at Pooch & Mutt have created an range of natural meals treats and supplements that both does good and tastes good giving dogs the ingredients they need to boost their mood and behaviour and their  physical health.

They create an enhanced range of natural meals treats and supplements that does good and tastes good, to give the UK's dogs the optimal ingredients needed to boost their mood and behaviour paw in paw with their physical health.

They’ve got lots of treats for dogs and cats, and also – very handy – they’ve got dental treat.   They’ve got functional ranges – calming, digestion, weight-loss, skin and coat, dental and joint care, and they have products which are suitable for different dietary needs such as hypoallergenic, low fat, grain-free, fish based, probiotics and gluten-free.   Not only that, they’ve dry food, wet food, supplements, dental sticks, long-lasting chews, a small dog range and Christmas gifts!  Their Christmas gifts for dogs include advent calendars, Christmas boxes, and cheese fondue meaty treats – yummy!!

There's a Dental Stick Advent Calendar 

 or how about....

There's Christmas Cheese Fondue Meaty Treats for £3.99 (one off purchase).

By the way, did you know that Pooch & Mutt support Woodgreen?  They donate bags of their dry food every month to feed the dogs in their care - along with lots of meaty treats to help with training and rewards!  And when people adopt a pet from Woodgreen, they receive a rehoming pack with helpful info;  Pooch & Mutt will also be supplying a taster bag of dry food with every dog rehoming pack - and also discounts for life on their nutritious range!  Pooch & Mutt customers can add a donation to their orders or through their Pooch Rewards! 

Go on - treat the ones you love so much, with Pooch & Mutt!

Take part in the Wildlife Quiz Poo with the London Wildlife Trust

Wildlife can be hard to spot, especially if they just come out at night, so droppings are a good way to find out who'se been visiting your garden at night, or your neighbourhood.   Can you guess with this quiz whose poo belongs to who?   

Give it a go!   Take the wildlife poo quiz here

And why not take part in 12 Days Wild?   This is a festive nature challenge, and it encourages you to do one wild thing every day from the 25th December through to the 5th January each year.   

And take actions to help nature, such as recycling your Christmas tree or feeding the birds - or just look out of the window and watch the stars!    Find out more about it here.

Image of the fox copyright London Wildlife Trust

If you're looking for an animal experience as a gift for an animal lover, or you want to treat yourself, take a look at gift experience company Into the Blue 

They've got a number of animal experiences, with animals such as ferrets, tamarin monkeys, alpacas, meerkats, pigs, sheep, snakes and crocodiles, bees, horses and donkeys. 

They have a number of experiences for horse lovers, including a couple near York (Skipwith) - you can have a Traditional Farm & Horse Experience or a Two Wheeler Horse Cart Driving Experience, for instance.  They've also got Romantic Horse and Carriage Rides for Two there, or maybe you'd prefer a Horse Drawn Carriage Rides with Afternoon Tea?

SPECIAL OFFER - there's 15% off*!

There's great news from Into the Blue!  They have a 15% off code* for you with the code ITB15FORME on experiences up to £250.00!  (Some are excluded from this offer.)y some wonderful animal experiences!

 

There's a Traditional Farm & Horse Experience near York
for half a day or a full day.
Gallop off here for more information.

There are animal experiences here.

Bee-keeping experiences are listed here.

Fly off to see the falconry experiences here.

Click here to see the photography experiences - there are some wildlife photography experience days amongst them.

There are lots of falconry experiences to choose from
- there are locations around the UK and they start at £24.50
Experience a meeting and handling a bird of prey
and even flying them to your gloved hand!

Try a bee keeping experience!
They start at £35.00
Find out all about the art of keeping bees and making honey!




There are a number of animal-related photography experiences
- some are not animal related and some are online.  

How about a Carnivore Encounter in Shropshire?
£75.00
Get up and close with 3 formidable carnivores
Meet a Red Fox family and feed them, stroke and handle the Snakes, 
and meet the servals and stroke them too!

There's a Border Collie Experience in Leicestershire
Learn the art of traditional shepherding, 
and meet the sheepdogs!  All for £99.00.
Fetch more information here.

You could go Alpaca Walking in Warwickshire 
from £7.50 for a child, £13.50 for an adult.
Meet the alpaca herd near Atherstone
and head off on a guided walk with your alpaca!

There's Sheep Trekking in Somerset
from £25.00
Meet and greet the friendly sheep and give them snacks
Lead a sheep on a stroll across fields and through woodland

There's Ancient Trails Pony Walking in Dorset
from £49.00
This is a great way to discover Dorset, 
on a guided pony walk with a pony by your side!




Meet the Meerkats in Oxfordshire
Learn all about the Meerkats' lives as a family
and get to feed them inside their enclosure
 

Click here to see all the Animal Experience Days and Gifts 

*The code ITB15FORME will give you 15% off experiences
up to £250.00
Some products are excluded from this offer.

For those of you who love nature and wildlife, how about a Half Day Woodland Ranger Experience with Go Wild Scotland in the Scottish Borders?  It's led by a knowlegeable guide so this is a good chance to ask lots of questions! 

This takes place in the stunning surroundings of Mauldsheugh in the South of Scotland.  Start by taking a walk around the reserve and discover all about the trees, plants and wildlife living there.  Get involved in activities such as topping up the feeders and surveying the wildlife, planting trees and checking the ponds.

You'll receive a certification on completion!  

A snack and a soft drink are included.

Find out more from Virgin Experience Days.  This experience is for two people for £74.00. 

There's also the chance to Become a Woodland Ranger for the Day with Lunch for Two with Go Wild Scotland for £194.00.  Find out about that here.

Do you know what a sugar glider is??

Well, now's your chance to find out!  This could be a great gift for an animal lover who loves finding out about new types of animals, or anyone who just enjoys being around animals!

Meet Sugar Gliders for Two with The Animal Experience
in Cambridgeshire
£75.00

Discover all about these pint-sized possums from expert guides on hand!  Go directly into the enclosure to meet them - you'll probably find you're used as a climbing frame, so make sure you cover your arms and legs as sugar gliders have small claws.

You'll have the chance to feed them their favourite food and watch how they interact and behave.

SPECIAL OFFER!

Use our exclusive code AHW2024BAG  and you can enjoy 10% off this experience - the code is site wide, although some products are excluded, and it's valid to 31 December 2024.

Find out more from BuyaGift - they have lots of other  animal experiences around the country you can take a look at as well! 

 
Those lovely folk at Pooch & Mutt have a range of treats for your woof, whether you want to show them even more love than usual, or help their dental health or calm a nervy dog.  

They've got natural meals, treats and supplements to give dogs the optimal ingredients they need to boost their mood and behaviour "paw in paw", as they say,  with their physical health.

There's a Cheese Fondue Dog Advent Calendar for £9.99

And there's a great offer from Pooch and Mutt for you: 

Use the code POOCH to get 20% off site wide util 5th November 2024 - there are some exclusions. 

Head off to Pooch & Mutt to get your 20% off!

Don't forget that Pooch & Mutt have also got some delicious dental treats, too...

These are Superfood Dental Sticks for Dogs for £3.99
made with natural functional ingredients. 
A convenient way to clean your dog's teeth!

There are Calming Probiotic Meaty Treats for £3.99

There's the Dental Stick Bundle For Dogs
- all the flavours in one bundle!
£11.49

And there are Skin & Coat Probiotic Meaty Treats, 
with Shrimp & Coconut for £3.99.  
Pooch & Mutt say they are just the thing for dogs 
who are prone to dry and itchy skin or
who may need some help developing a glossy coat. 

Head off to Pooch &  Mutt - they've got lots of lovely goodies for your dog (and cat) which will get tails wagging and cats purring! 

Whipsnade Zoo is situated in the beautiful Chiltern Hills in Hertfordshire, and 10,000 animals call it home - many of them are endangered in the wild.

And the zoo had some amazing news to share with everyone earlier this month - a rare Southern white rhino calf was born to Fahari and Sissle in early October!

Welcome to the world, little one!

He weighed roughly just under 50kg and first time mum Fahari did very well - her gestation period was 16 months so she had quite a wait, bless her.  Keepers have described how the calf is quite a character and actually stamps his feet when he's impatient for food.   He joins his half brother Benja who was born in March.  There are only about 17,500 of these particular rhinos left in the wild so you can see this is a really important birth. 

In the wild, these rhinos are threatened by the illegal wildlife trade, since their horn is used for traditional medicine in Asia and for making dagger handles in the Middle East.  The Zoological Society of London is working worldwide to stop the illegal wildlife trade and you can find out how here. 

Earlier this year in July, there was an important addition to the family of reticulated giraffes, when mum Luna gave birth to a male calf.   The calf is tall, standing at six feet already, and he could stand and walk and zoo staff monitored him carefully.  It wasn't long before he was racing round the paddock with another reticulated giraffe, who'd been born a few weeks before the male.

The reticulated giraffe is endangered, so the new arrivals at Whipnsade are important

This means there are now six giraffe at Whipnsade - the species is endangered because of illegal hunting, habitat destruction and human-giraffe conflict.  

You can go and see the giraffe at Whipsnade zoo.  

Will the new baby Southern white rhino be seen by the public?  This little rhino may not be just quite ready - check with the Whipsnade Zoo website!  But there's lots going on, with Boo to the Zoo for Halloween - there are lots of activities taking place.  Click on the meerkat to find out all about it!  It runs from the 26th October to the 3rd November 2024.

Find out all about Boo to the Zoo 2024!

Plan your visit here.

UPDATE OCTOBER 2024:

There was a baby bear experience available in Kent at the Wildwood Trust but Boki has grown up now, so this is no longer available.  However - you can still have a bear experience at the Wildwood Trust's Kent site - find out more about it here!

Unfortunately, poor Boki has not been very well, and he's been the first bear in the UK to have an MRI scan (at Fitzpatrick Referrals).  On Wednesday 9th October 2024, he'll have brain surgery with Romain Pizzi, a world leader in his field.  We wish Boki and the team well, and thank the team and everyone for their care of Boki.  Good luck!   You can donate to support here.   Find out more about it all here.

Notes from the earlier blog:

The Wildwood Trust is based in Kent (and Devon, but Boki is in Kent).  The Kent site is home to over 200 native animals, past and present, with bears, wolves, bison, deer, owls, foxes, red squirrels, wild boar, lynx, wild horses, badgers and beavers among those living in the 40 acres there.  

Wildwood Trust is dedicated to saving Britain’s most threatened wildlife, and it's taken part in many conservation initiatives, such as saving the water vole and using wild horses to help restore nature reserves.  It's brought the Euroepan beaver back to Kent and brought the hazel dormouse & red squirrel back to areas where they have been made extinct.

And one of those living at the Wildwood Trust in Kent is Boki!  He's a baby bear whose family sadly rejected him.  He was hand-reared by the team at Port Lympne and now Boki has come home to Wildwood Kent, where he'll learn how to be a bear.

Wildwood report that Boki has settled in well, and for a limited time only, they have a Boki the bear experience, giving you the chance to get close up and personal!  It is uncertain at the moment (April 2023) how long this experience with Boki the baby bear will continue - probably to September 2023 -  partly because of course Boki won't be a baby bear forever but also because he is starting to meet the adult bears and so there may be times when the experience with Boki needs to be suspended for a while.

Please note Wildwood Kent's "Things you need to know before you book" before you book.

Good luck, Boki!

Visit the Wildwood Trust here.

Images © Wildwood Trust