You're cold and hungry. You sit down for a meal but your food, the plate, cutlery and even the table are covered in six inches of freezing cold wadding.
That's the reality for some of the birds in my garden this morning. Deep snow has blanketed everything; and it's still falling!
Birds have quite high body temperatures that need to be maintained or they die. You're quite possibly tired of hearing this from the RSPB, but please do feed the birds over this cold spell. Food saves birds lives and with dwindling numbers of common species, they need all the help they can get. Sparrows, starlings, robins, blackbirds, tits and finches will all benefit.
Dusting the snow off feeders and bird tables and keeping some clean fresh water in the garden all help birds maintain maximum strength and fitness. My seed feeder has seen a steady stream of smaller birds, much to my three year old's delight.
This snow is extraordinary. It's impact on modern life is also pretty gobsmacking. The unexpectedly heavy snow last night brought neighbours out in to the street for an unplanned, friendly and noisy snow-ball fight. I think that's quite possibly the first time many have met. Today, in the cold, bright light of a white-clad day, those same people are left wondering what the hell to do with no buses, no tubes and slippy pavements. Why not take time-out to enjoy the moment and help your local wildlife by sharing cake crumbs, breakfast cereal left-overs or a spare baked potato? Then go and make yourself a giant snow-owl, with a carrot beak and big round eyes - it's more fun than a snowman. Then, please send me a photo to compare with the effort shown on the left created by my daughters and me.