VISITORS are being encouraged to see a wide range of birds which dwell at a National Trust park during winter.

Croome Court, near Pershore plays host to a number of winter birds with a hide in the church shrubbery amongst the attractions.

With food sparse at this time of the year, volunteers regularly top up the feeders with nuts and seeds, giving families the chance to watch the food stations as finches, nuthatches, robins, tits and woodpeckers feast.

Ian King, Croome's assistant ranger said: "Creating an attractive habitat for wildlife is really important to us at Croome.

"We plant trees and shrubs which are berry bearing to attract birds to the garden, parkland and woodland.

"Berries are a really important natural food source during the winter but we also supplement these with nuts and seeds at the bird hide, they particularly love the giant seed heads from Cardoons which are grown in the garden and blackbirds and thrushes love the fallen apples that we leave in the orchard.

"This is really easy for visitors to do at home too by planting common plants such as ivy, holly, cotoneaster or pyracantha."

Continuing through the grounds, birds such as fieldfares, redwing and bramblings can also be spotted with cormorants often glimpsed sitting atop the trees in the field.

The lakeside and river becomes home to swans, ducks, geese, egrets and heron, kestrels and buzzards can often be spotted soaring high above.

Children can build a decorate their own bird feeder to take home with them on Wednesday February 15 and Wednesday February 22 between 11am and 3pm, with a £3 suggested donation.

For more information, call: 01905 371006 or visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/croome