I was surprised to see ice like this at 2.30 pm @LunarSea, and it was definitely cold! I'm ashamed to admit I don't know the ID of the birds, but here's another close up. Also a shot of the sea ice further down the coast, more like frozen foam!
Ah yes, some Pintail & Oystercatchers in that group. Interesting you should mention frozen foam. They were showing some frozen foam on the telly yesterday, somewhere in the UK, that had formed into circular discs of ice like in the Arctic. Quite unusual here.
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
We often get oyster catchers round here. They're not present just in coastal areas. We're about half an hour from the coast - as the oyster catcher flies... The Clyde has been freezing over in recent days, and the little burn along the road from me is frozen. Great to have some more normal weather for this time of year instead of all that horrible mild stuff. Re the foam - frozen pancakes appear up here quite often too. I posted a link here yesterday of some in a local park near me. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-63974538
Marsh tits are quite similar to coal tits too @CDouch, but without the little white splodge on the head. They're very common here. Lovely little things. Those conifers are very handy for them to nip into to eat @Crazybeelady They sit in the cages quite often for that now. Quite happy.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
It's usually on the fence @CDouch, but I was making some adjustments in various places and decided to leave it there. I have another one on the fence though, which is well used. The mesh is big enough to allow bullfinches in, but nothing bigger
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Same here @Balgay.Hill … we’re thawing out the birdbath every morning,
I empty our birdbath every evening and fill a bucket, stored next to the radiator, ready for my morning foray outside in my PJ's. I then have to top up from the kettle throughout the day. Like @Busy-Lizzie I'm going through suet balls & sunflower hearts like nobody's business. The latter cost me £45 for a 20 kilo sack! But hey, you can't take it with you.
£31.50 for 20kg. sunflower hearts on eBay, I always use Hopewell feeds. They do discount for 2 or more bags, although shelled peanut halves are cheaper from WinstonWild company at £38.50 for 25KG.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Ahh what a beautiful winter scene @Fairygirl 🥰 In my previous garden, which was in a more built up area, I had about 40 sparrows which used to spend all day either feeding on my sunflower hearts or sitting in my bushes and trees, I loved them. In the 3 years I’ve lived here, very rural, I’ve not had a single sparrow in the garden. Lovely to see yours 😁.
We took advantage of the sunny weather to go for a trek over the hill today towards Chatsworth. We saw a small flock of lapwings going overhead at one point. I haven't seen a lapwing in about fifty years. They used to be quite common round here. As with so many things, no longer.
You did well there @pansyface. They usually go to the coast in winter, and certainly in conditions where freshwater sites are frozen. They are quite regular at Middleton Moor close to Chatsworth but that will surely be completely frozen.
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
Wow @LunarSea I’ve never had a Goldcrest in my garden, lucky you, definitely bird of the day.
I've certainly never had a Marsh Tit (or Willow Tit) in my garden. Either of those would be bird of the century for me!
My parents used to get the odd Willow Tit on their feeders but at some point they just stopped coming and were never seen again. The habitat is the same but I worry that the weather extremes have pushed them away or killed them off. They've been reported to have a 50% reduction in breeding range in recent years and their area has seen a big loss.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
We've had a male blackcap on the sunflower hearts while it's been cold - no seen one here before.
I've been surprised by the number of robins around at once. Five, this afternoon; judging by previous posters this isn't unusual. They squabble a bit, but presumably the need for food outweighs the desire to defend territory?
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
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I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
Ah yes, some Pintail & Oystercatchers in that group. Interesting you should mention frozen foam. They were showing some frozen foam on the telly yesterday, somewhere in the UK, that had formed into circular discs of ice like in the Arctic. Quite unusual here.
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
The Clyde has been freezing over in recent days, and the little burn along the road from me is frozen. Great to have some more normal weather for this time of year instead of all that horrible mild stuff.
Re the foam - frozen pancakes appear up here quite often too. I posted a link here yesterday of some in a local park near me.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-63974538
Marsh tits are quite similar to coal tits too @CDouch, but without the little white splodge on the head. They're very common here. Lovely little things. Those conifers are very handy for them to nip into to eat @Crazybeelady
They sit in the cages quite often for that now. Quite happy.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
You did well there @pansyface. They usually go to the coast in winter, and certainly in conditions where freshwater sites are frozen. They are quite regular at Middleton Moor close to Chatsworth but that will surely be completely frozen.
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
I've been surprised by the number of robins around at once. Five, this afternoon; judging by previous posters this isn't unusual. They squabble a bit, but presumably the need for food outweighs the desire to defend territory?