Help Fylde birds prepare for winter

With winter rapidly approaching, wildlife across the Fylde coast will be starting to prepare for the colder months ahead.
By Paul Berentzen
Published 31st Oct 2013, 05:05 BST

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Visitor services officer Julie Vale at the RSPB Ribble Discovery Centre at Fairhaven Lake.Visitor services officer Julie Vale at the RSPB Ribble Discovery Centre at Fairhaven Lake.
Visitor services officer Julie Vale at the RSPB Ribble Discovery Centre at Fairhaven Lake.

As residents turn their thoughts to heating their own homes, one animal charity is urging people to spare a thought for the birds struggling to keep warm outside.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is calling on members of the public to help make sure the creatures have enough food and shelter to get them through winter.

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Julie Vale, visitor services officer at RSPB’s Ribble Discovery Centre, said: “Autumn is a great time of year to do all sorts of jobs to give nature a home in your outside space – whether it’s a large garden or a small window box.

“You can build or buy a hedgehog shelter, also known as a ‘hogitat’; put up nest boxes; dig a pond or tidy up your existing one; or you could even plant bulbs ready to attract bees and other insects next summer.”

The charity has compiled a list of things people can do to help support the wildlife on the Fylde coast.

Julie added: “But if this sounds like a lot of hard work, don’t worry – doing nothing can also help.

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“Holding off pruning your hedges is a great way of helping wildlife without actually having to do anything.

“Leaving them until around February next year means the berries will be able to be eaten throughout the winter.”

For more information about helping wildlife prepare for winter, visit the RSPB’s ‘Giving Nature a Home’ site at www.rspb.org.uk/homes

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Related topics:AutumnFylde