Oh, for a sleepy winter for Irish wildlife

As the days get shorter and the nights get colder many animals are preparing strategies for surviving the winter. 

The best known of these strategies is hibernation but it’s actually rather rare among Irish wildlife, at least in the strict definition of the word.

Many insects, including ladybirds, tortoiseshell butterflies and queen bumble bees, seek out a sheltered spot at this time of year in which they can survive the winter in a torpid state. But, to be biologically pedantic, this is not hibernation, it’s called diapause. Only our hedgehogs and bats really hibernate. There are a couple of bird species around the world that become inactive in winter but it’s generally accepted that no birds hibernate.