PRESS RELEASE
18th March 2008
Help the early birds with their Easter eggs
With Easter arriving before spring has had a chance to really get started, Cheshire Wildlife Trust is keen to look after early birds that will be joining in the egg festivities by nurturing their real life broods this month.
Although many of Cheshire's birds hold off their breeding season until the weather warms up in April, some common species such as the song thrush and blackbird have longer breeding seasons beginning in March, allowing them to produce two or three clutches of eggs. Lapwings will also be busy keeping their eggs warm over the Easter period having broken from winter flocks as early as February to begin mating in March.
But with the conditions still fairly harsh, these young families might struggle to survive into spring and summer so Cheshire Wildlife Trust is urging people to help protect some real life Easter eggs this season. Sue Tatman, wildlife gardening officer for the Trust, advises: “If you spot an early bird nesting in your garden, try not to disturb their habitat but leave some sunflower seeds or bird mix out for mum and her soon-to-hatch little chicks to help her whilst there is a shortage of other foodstuffs like caterpillars and earthworms.
“If people wish to encourage birds to their garden and watch families grow, erecting a nest box can help provide broody birds with a home and leaving out scraps of wool or even fluff combed from the dog can help birds line their nests.”
Other Cheshire garden birds such as robins, chaffinches and sparrows that usually begin to lay eggs around Easter time are still in their pre-breeding stage until well into April when the weather is generally warmer and food is more accessible.
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