Volunteers are needed to nurse orphaned baby birds through the tentative early stage of life.

Thanks to the mild weather, spring this year has led to lots of activity in the feathered community. Barbara Cole, who runs Manx Wild Bird Aid, has helped wild birds for several years and said this is a ’record’ year.She and husband David pick up orphaned birds and feed the growing nursery at their home in Castletown.She will teach volunteers how to handle the birds, and what and how to feed them. They require feeding every half hour from 7am to 9pm.

The feed depends on the bird, they could have special formula, worms or wax worms, and are fed using a variety of implements such as coffee stirrers or syringes.

They need intensive care for one week or two, depending on the size of the bird, then they can be put into one of the release aviaries in Barbara’s garden. ’We need them to accept us but stay wild,’ she said.

To volunteer call 473582.