Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2010/January 2011 | Page 113

country life

Island Life - December 2010

country life
RSPB - Birds Face
Big Freeze!

RSPB south east media
officer, Sophie McCallum,
says: “With the harsh winter
weather we’re experiencing
the wild birds in our gardens
will need a little extra help.
The insects, berries and
seeds they would usually
feast on become off limits
if there is frost and snow”.
To help the survival of our
birds, you can provide food
like meal worms, fat-balls,
crushed peanuts, dried fruit,
seeds and grain. This will
compensate for birds’ natural
food which is covered in
snow and ice and impossible
to get to. Leftovers like

grated cheese, porridge oats,
soft fruit, unsalted bacon,
cooked rice, pasta and the
insides of cooked potatoes
are also a good source of
energy for garden birds.
Water for both drinking and
bathing is vital.
When the weather conditions
take a turn for the worse
there is often a noticeable
change in the behaviour
of wildlife. Birds will try
to replenish energy lost
overnight, first thing in the
morning and last thing in
the afternoon with a spurt of
activity. www.rspb.org.uk

New ponds give threatened
species a fighting chance
Funding and support from the

very poor condition, so it is very

‘Million Ponds Project’, has

important that new clean water

enabled three vital new ponds to

ponds such as these are created,

have been created at Bouldnor

giving the hundreds of species

Forest, which will help safeguard,

that depend on ponds a fighting

scarce Great Crested Newts

chance. www.pondconservation.

and encourage nationally rare

org.uk/millionponds