FEED the birds!

That is the message from the Lancashire Wildlife Trust as our feathered friends struggle to cope in the freezing conditions.

Garden-visiting birds, such as blue tits and starlings, are in urgent need of food to survive the big freeze, according to James Hall, the trust’s senior project officer.

He said: “Birds take the biggest hit. They fall foul of the weather through a lack of food. We are promoting the feeding of birds in back gardens and in parks.

“It’s an important time of year and, with the breeding season in the spring, they will need lots of energy.”

A bird can lose about 10 per cent of its body weight keeping warm on a cold night. Mr Hall recommends feeding birds with seeds, nuts and fat.

People should also expect the unexpected in their gardens.

“The bad weather is likely to attract birds that wouldn’t normally come into your garden, like woodpeckers,” said Mr Hall. “The weather means they are driven to find new food sources.”

Birds are not the only creatures struggling for food.

Mr Hall said: “Deer might be driven out into more open spaces in search of better feeding areas. They are more noticeable at the moment.”

Emily Sanders, of the RSPB, said: “The smaller birds really struggle and they need to eat constantly to keep warm.”

Meanwhile, youngsters from schools across Bolton have been pitching in to make sure the animals are fed and kept warm at a school farm.

Fred Tyldesley, the former head of science who manages Ladybridge High School in Deane, said: “We have students from across Bolton using the farm for their caring for animals and horticultural course.

“Some students came during the snowy weather to help feed the animals. along with myself and other farm staff, because the animals still need feeding.”