Plea to feed the birds the right way

Laura Gilchrist, who enjoys seeing the birds when she visits the loch, said: “After chatting with a woman I found out that they have lost three of their cygnets this spring due to people feeding them bread, and it has come to my attention that people are not aware of the problems it causes.

“Not only does it make the ducks ill, it also pollutes the water.

“As we are coming into summer now, there will be a lot of people out feeding the ducks.

“It would be good to let people know of the alternatives to bread such as oats, corn and swan and duck food pellets which can be bought in the garden centre.”

Some other foods suitable for ducks include cracked corn, wheat, barley or similar grains, oats (uncooked; rolled or quick), rice (cooked or uncooked) milo seed, birdseed (any type or mix) or grapes (cut in half or quartered).