Important public helps feed the birds in bad weather - Scunthorpe area naturalist

WILDLIFE groups have emphasised the importance of feeding garden birds this winter after poor weather hit natural food supplies.

It means fat balls, seed mixes and other products in gardens are more important than ever.

Eddie Gaunt, chairman of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust's Scunthorpe area group, said: "I have got a bird-feeder and a fat ball feeder as well.

"I would advise people to get a fat ball feeder, rather than leaving them in the plastic baskets because they can get their claws caught in them."

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Mr Gaunt said he thought the wet weather so far this year had led to an impact on natural food resources for birds.

But he added in the local area, some of that impact had been positive.

He said: "Certain things have done quite well, for instance the growth at our reserve in Messingham has been phenomenal.

"There has got to be certain things that are down and some areas say the amount of berries are down. But we have got quite a lot in our garden this year."

Lionel Grooby, warden at Far Ings National Nature Reserve in Barton-Upon-Humber, also urged people to help.

He said: "I think it is important, especially at the moment, with it being frozen quite a lot.

"On some of these very cold nights, a lot of birds don't make it and more birds die in the winter than people notice.

"Just a little helping hand can help a bird survive that cold night by being well fed.

"They live from day to day, whether they are birds of prey or blackbirds.

"They are always only one or two days from starvation."

Howard Robinson, chairman of the Scunthorpe Museum Society bird group, said: "Birds will always come to your feeders if you put grain, nuts, or sunflower seeds out for them.

"In particular, they need water and if you can give them a regular supply in a bird bath."