Bread may be bad but there other ways to feed the swans – Hayley Matthews

Schools have been off all week and with the rain and cold lingering about, it's been hard to go anywhere outside because it's just been a bit miserable!

Grains, lettuce and potatoes can be used to feed swans, according to the RSPB (Picture: Michael Gillen)

If we need a bit of fresh air my go-to place is Arthur Seat. I love this beautiful spot and we're very lucky to have it on our doorstep. What other city do you know that has a beach and a lush green defunct volcano?

But it's not just the sheer beauty that attracts me to it, it's the swans too. I love feeding them and for a while noticed not as many people as usual were feeding them.

I noticed the same with the swans at Figgate Park and after some investigating Kenny found out people were scared to give the birds bread after being told not to and we were then left with a lot of hungry birds.

So now we're being encouraged to feed the birds because what we give them is better than nothing.

Surely though, the council should have some feeding stations near the birds if they're not being fed.

I'm sure many of us would happily pay 50p for a handful of bird food to scatter for our feathered friends. I have visions of something like a bird-food vending machine, so people can make sure what the birds are getting is decent scran!

If you are feeding the birds this weekend, they like grains, lettuce and can be partial to potatoes too! You'll spot me a mile off, I'll be that woman standing with a big bag of food teetering on the edge!

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