Youngsters wing it to make delicious tweets for birds

Tasty treats for our feathered friends were no mere flight of fancy as officials at the RSPB Discovery Centre at Fairhaven Lake prepared for an important annual survey.
By The Newsroom
Published 24th Jan 2017, 20:00 BST
Big Bird Cake-off at the RSPB Discovery Centre, Fairhaven LakeBig Bird Cake-off at the RSPB Discovery Centre, Fairhaven Lake
Big Bird Cake-off at the RSPB Discovery Centre, Fairhaven Lake

Scores of cakes specially intended to attract birds were prepared by visitors of all ages at the centre’s two-day Big Bird Cake-Off event.

Pine cones, meal worms, lard and even Cheerio breakfast cereal were among the prime cake ingredients as officials at the centre decided to combine preparations for next weekend’s Big Garden Birdwatch with the hugely-popular TV show Great British Bake-Off – and were delighted with the response.

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“The Big Garden Birdwatch is an annual RSPB survey into the numbers and species of birds around the country and we encourage as many people as possible to take part simply by looking out for what birds they see in their garden,” said Fairhaven Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) officer Claire Critchley.

Lilly and Edward Entwistle at the Big Bird Cake-off at the RSPB Discovery Centre, Fairhaven LakeLilly and Edward Entwistle at the Big Bird Cake-off at the RSPB Discovery Centre, Fairhaven Lake
Lilly and Edward Entwistle at the Big Bird Cake-off at the RSPB Discovery Centre, Fairhaven Lake

“We decided this year to adapt the idea of the Great British Bake-off and make cakes specially designed to appeal to birds and it was a big success. The people who took part will be keeping a close eye on what birds their cakes 
attract.”

For the Big Garden Birdwatch, the public are asked to spend just one hour watching and recording the birds and other wildlife in their garden or local public space, then send their results to the RSPB. Details at rspb.org.uk/birdwatch.

Related topics:RSPBBig Garden Birdwatch