December has started with plenty of snow - shades of 1947? - not quite but it is very unusual to have so much snow here at this time of year. My back garden has about 6 inches (15 cm) of snow and my grocery delivery has been cancelled as the road conditions are atrocious. Many think of Lincolnshire as a flat county. Well it is near the coast and in the south of the county but not far from me there are several steep hills and main roads surrounded by open arable land. Even the snow on my roof is blowing about so I can imagine what some of the drifts will be like. On top of that it has started snowing again.
This morning the Great Tit was a bit later again in leaving the nestbox. Here a video of it superimposed on still views of my front and back gardens.
I cleared the snow from the feeders, put out a fresh saucer of water and scattered some seed on top of the snow. It didn't take long for some of the regulars to find it.
Wood pigeon sinking up to its belly in the snow:
A few of the Starlings, too cold to argue:
The only good thing about having snow covered roads through the village - for once traffic is moving well within the speed limit.
Lovely "Woodie" shots John.
ReplyDeleteLooks as if it was praying to find food in the nest box..........perhaps you could arrange for some.
ReplyDeleteIt is so fascinating to see the Great Tit. It is such a fragile yet tough little cookie - so tiny, weighs next to nothing and yet it has survived the really cold overnight temps ... again. Humans are real wimps in comparison.
ReplyDeleteHi John, I'm not surprised the Great Tit spent longer in the box in this weather! Poor birds, it is so difficult for them. We have not had much snow at all in comparison to you and others but it is bitterly cold and the bird bath has to be chipped away at several times a day but rapidly refreezes again. The poor old Wood Pigeon doesn't look too impressed with it all, lovely photos though.
ReplyDeleteI missed commenting on yesterday's post but particularly liked the first photo. Ah! I remember those spikes, they sound wonderful, I bet they don't do them in my size though, I only take size 2!! and no I am not a tiny person, average size but tiny feet :) Great tips also from twosiehedgehog about keeping the water ice free!
What a fascinating Great Tit movie, John. Also, super woody pictures.
ReplyDeleteYou've got a lot more snow than I have John; but I don't mind ;)
ReplyDeleteThat's one fortunate Great Tit to have somewhere sheltered to spend the night. If only all the birds could find somewhere as snug.
Oy! My snow shovel is still warmed up from its work around here, so I better get it over there quickly! I can relate to your snowy situation well. Sorry to hear the groceries weren't able to be delivered, but hopefully you're OK for food. You might have to start eating at the Birdy Bistro! How does Bobby like the snow? Interesting video of the birdhouse ~ the bird looked like it had to take a second look to figure out what had happened over night. I bet it was thankful of the 'feathered nest'.
ReplyDeleteThank you Roy. I was so funny watching them plough their way through the snow.
ReplyDeleteHello Adrian. Nah. It needs the exercise nipping round to the front of the shed where the feeders are.
ReplyDeleteI really don't know, Twsoie, how some of the smallest birds survive this sort of weather.
ReplyDeleteHello Jan. Temperatures keep going just above and below freezing so the water isn't freezing too fas yet though temperatures are going to tumble tonight and through the weekend by the sound of things.
ReplyDeleteIt is fascinating, Emma, to watch part of the life of birds we don't normally see.
ReplyDeleteAW Keith. I was hoping to share some with you lol.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good job there are lots of thick evergreen in the area which must shelter a lot of the birds.
Hello Glo. I haven't bothered to shove the snow this time as I can walk on it with the spikes. I'll wait until the worst is over then have a clearing session. In the past the paths have usually become covered over as soon as I cleared them.
ReplyDeleteThe GT often pokes its beak out has a quick look and goes back to sleep for a short while.
The grocery delivery was just a top up session. I try never to get below about two weeks worth of essentials. Just fresh fruit like bananas can be a problem.