We had a very heavy frost last night. I knew it was coming so took all my feeders indoors overnight to stop them freezing up. This morning I had dozens of birds waiting for me. I rushed out to replace them all, still in my dressing gown and slippers, and scattered food on the ground for the ground feeding birds. I was rewarded with them all coming for breakfast. Poor little things must have been so hungry. The ground is solid, like rock. I also had to pour tepid water on the bird baths, which were frozen solid all the way down. And all this before my own cuppa and still in slippers!! What a saint!!
Cheers, Linda.
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Juno -
He was looking at a half coconut filled with a suet mix and wondering if he could have a taste. He did - and his claws came in useful. One remained on the bar and the other gripped the swinging coconut. Agility worthy of any blue tit!!
Me neither Kezmo - it must have been a really bad frost. Love the birdie prints - well spotted and captured Juno.
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!
Susan H said: I have been much the same with the feeders today. This is the first winter I have been doing this - is it normal, or is it because we had such a very heavy frost last night?
I have been much the same with the feeders today. This is the first winter I have been doing this - is it normal, or is it because we had such a very heavy frost last night?
Hi Sparrow, it is fairly normal for me. But I do try to only replenish them three times a day normally otherwise I fear they would become wholly dependent on me and not even look for other food. However, when it is near freezing, as it has been today, or worse, then I do keep everything well-stocked for them as I reckon they expend enough energy coming to the feeders without having to go searching.
Juno, you will have to be more careful or it could be rather expensive replacing your bird feeders. Our frost wasn't that severe but I don't think the garden can take any more rain. Lovely second photograph.
Hi Squirrel,
Squirrel B said: Hi Sparrow, it is fairly normal for me. But I do try to only replenish them three times a day normally otherwise I fear they would become wholly dependent on me and not even look for other food. However, when it is near freezing, as it has been today, or worse, then I do keep everything well-stocked for them as I reckon they expend enough energy coming to the feeders without having to go searching.
I suppose it depends on how many feeders there are!! I have been giving them much the same every day, and it has been just about enough, but today was a exception. I have never seen so many birds all at once over such a prolonged period. They were everywhere.
Our birds have been much more active on the feeders than of recently but we were intrigued to watch a couple of nuthatch on the sunflower feeder. Instead of their usual darting back and forth to the feeder, as they usually do, they stayed on the feeder and just kept eating for quite some time.
Brrr! It was frosty yesterday! I do love those frosty crisp mornings though! It was -3c when I left for work.
Great pics and especially love the birdie foot prints! :-)
"All weeds are flowers, once you get to know them" (Eeyore)
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Hello Juno, I love the photo of the frosty footprints. Very wintery! We had our first snowfall here in Lancashire last night, albeit very minor. I was half expecting all the feeders to be frozen up again this morning but it's turned out to be lovely. I took this yesterday after the frost. The greenfinch was very nervous as you can tell from his posture on the feeder and not without good cause. I often find a neighbour's cat lurking somewhere in the garden, although it doesn't tend to do it so much in the winter because there's nowhere for it to hide.
Happy snapping!
Great photo Wildshots. It's lovely to see a greenfinch as they have not had a good time this year with that nasty disease. Yours looks very healthy though.
Hi Sparrow, it does seem that the more food you put out the greater the number of birds which will come to eat it. With me that especially applies to starlings so sometimes I get caught between a rock and a hard place. If I put out less food the starlings take the lion's share and leave a minimal amount for the smaller birds so then I put out more to cater for the little 'uns only to find the starlings back again and starting on their second course (and by then they have brought a few buddies with them) - and so it goes on! I should add that over roughly seven years I have tried almost every type of feeder to limit the starlings intake with no success whatsoever - including ones rashly called "clingers only". Clearly "my" starlings haven't read that bit!