The Wildlife Food Company

26/08/2026

We’re going to be at Patterdale Dog Day and the Keswick Show this coming weekend (29th and 31st). If you fancy saying hello and having a chat then please stop by and say hi.
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26/08/2026

We'll be at Patterdale Dog Day and the Keswick show this weekend. Starting with Patterdale Dog Day on Saturday and then the Keswick Show on Monday.
If you'd like to put a face to the name or just have a chat about how we are supporting conservation in Cumbria and looking to support local schools with our new wildlife initiative, then please come and say hello.

18/08/2026

Something extraordinary is happening in UK gardens right now — and 2026 is the year to pay attention.

This summer has been officially declared a Painted Lady summer. Wildlife experts are calling it a miracle — the largest arrival of Painted Lady butterflies for 17 years, and potentially the third biggest influx on record.

Here’s what makes this butterfly so astonishing:

The Painted Lady undertakes one of the longest migratory journeys in the animal kingdom — a multi-generational 9,000-mile round trip from tropical Africa to the Arctic Circle, crossing the Sahara Desert along the way. And no single butterfly completes it. The journey is handed across generations — each one carrying the route in its biology, continuing a chain that has run unbroken for thousands of years.
The new generation of home-grown Painted Ladies is emerging right now across the UK — and the numbers seen this summer have already dwarfed the entire total from last year.

Look for them on sunny days nectaring on brambles, thistles and buddleia. Fast, purposeful, restless — always heading somewhere.
More on our blogpost,

https://wildlifefood.co.uk/blogs/news/the-painted-lady

2026 is a Painted Lady summer — the biggest butterfly migration to the UK in 17 years. Discover the remarkable story behind their 9,000-mile journey and how to spot them in your garden.

17/08/2026

This summer’s reading. A really great insight from Adam Nicolson about bird life on his farm.
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10/08/2026

Great news at RSPB Campfield Marsh.

Campfield Marsh, on the shore of Solway Firth in Cumbria, has a platform to attract ospreys.

07/08/2026

Red Squirrels in Summer. New blogpost about what they get up to and how you can help.
Take a look at the website to read more!
https://wildlifefood.co.uk/blogs/news

07/08/2026

A mid Summer blogpost on Red Squirrels and what they're getting up to at this time of year. Information taken from a variety of different sources but we'd love to hear your feedback on Summer activity and how your local reds are doing.

What are red squirrels doing in July and August? Discover how kits develop, what they eat in summer, where they sleep, and how you can support them during the leanest time of their year.

05/08/2026

I knew there was a culture of ‘hunting’ songbirds in the Mediterranean but didn’t quite know to which extent. To think that these tiny birds not only have to fly huge distances but then have to run the gauntlet of indiscriminate shooting, trapping and gluing, is simply horrifying.
This podcast is quite eye opening and also offers a glimmer of hope. Worth a listen.

Rewilding the World with Ben Goldsmith · Episode

02/08/2026

Moving into August and the meadow at Sparket Mill is overflowing with insects. The dry weather has probably helped and other parts have suffered. Some of the recently planted trees have dried up. Maybe they come back to life next year? The ponds have pretty much dried up, is this a sign of things to come?
However the swallows are having a field day, literally. We’ve counted 11 chicks combined from both pairs of adults and they are enjoying the insect life from our wild meadows. Hopefully we’ll have more returning next year.
At The Wildlife Food Co, we’re not just about selling bird seed, we’re looking and learning about ways to create and restore natural habitat to support native UK wildlife. This process has started in our own backyard in Cumbria.
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