BOYS and girls in the east end of Greenock ditched the classroom and took flight into the garden to learn about birds and nature.

Youngsters from Gibshill Children's Centre held a 'Big Birdwatch' to find out about their feathered friends in and around the Smillie Street nursery.

Mike Holcombe, senior ranger from Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park based at the Greenock Cut, visited to show the boys and girls how to make bird feeders before helping them to hang them in the garden.

The children then grabbed their binoculars and observed a variety of species descend for a bite to eat.

The event coincided with Big Garden Birdwatch 2020 - an annual wildlife survey organised by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to encourage people to enjoy nature and collect vital data.

Park ranger Mike said: "The children were brilliant. "I've been working for Clyde Muirshiel for eight years and this is the fourth year I've done this. "We always do it around the weekend of the 'Big Garden Birdwatch', which has just passed. "It gets the kids doing birdwatching and making feeders.

"It's great that the nursery is so pro-active getting the kids to observe nature."

The feeders were made using pine cones collected from Lunderston Bay and covered in lard and seeds before being attached to a string from tree branches.

They helped attract magpies, crows, pigeons, blackbirds and blue tits, which the children were thrilled to see.

Gibshill's head of centre, Janine Burns, said: "Making the feeders and using the binoculars is all part and parcel of the fun.

"They're getting to know about the birds, what they look like, what they eat and can spot them in the garden."