Thursday 23 December 2010

This weather is `Snow` joke!

Spare a thought for our feathered friends during one of the coldest Decembers in recent times. At the moment I am being eaten out of house and home by the large numbers of wild birds that are coming to my little garden in search for food! Not that I mind, I hasten to add.

My feeders are kept topped up and I throw plenty of food on the floor especially for the Thrushes and Blackbirds. Equally important as food is fresh water, which the birds drink and also bathe in, yes you heard correctly, bathe! They do this to keep their feathers in tip top condition which helps them get through the cold nights. Birds have to eat an astonishing amount to keep their fat reserves topped up, even more so in this `extreme` weather that the whole of the U.K. is experiencing, so I urge you all, please feed the birds.


Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)

Great Tit (Parus major)

Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

8 comments:

  1. Lovely photos, and excellent advice--your goldfinch is such a spectacular bird.

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  2. Hi John,
    I have indeed spared a thought for our bird friends and will do whatever I can to make it more tolerable for them.
    My good friends up in Durham have been keeping the birds, well fed.
    May you have a peaceful Christmas.
    Kind wishes, Gary.

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  3. Ahh, now I can see that what I thought was a regular daily visit to one of my feeders from a Blue Tit is actually a Great Tit.
    That Song Thrush looks like he has eaten all the pies!
    May you and all of your loved ones have a wonderful Christmas and New Year with best wishes from Bazza of ‘To Discover Ice’

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  4. Thankyou Raining Acorns. The Goldfinch is a very pretty bird, now becomming a regular sight in a lot of gardens in Britain, which is a bit of positive news!
    J

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  5. Hi Gary. I know someone who was in Northumberland last weekend and he said the snow there was extremely heavy! Any help for the birds is gratefully received and it is two-fold, you get the pleasure of seeing them at fairly close range!
    May you and yours have a peaceful Christmas too.
    J

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  6. Glad to be of help bazza! ;)
    The Song Thrush is all puffed up trying to stay warm, I have got another photo (bit blurred which is why it`s not on this) taken a fraction later where the birds` feathers are down and it looks half the size!
    May you and all your family have a good Christmas and I hope the New Year brings you happiness.
    J

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  7. Those are some beautiful birds. If I ever have the seed and am around birds, my seed is for them. I never go out of my way to feed them, but if I get a home I will put a feeder up for them. Wonderful pictures.

    Draven Ames
    http://dravenames.blogspot.com/

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  8. Thanks for your comments Draven! Why not click the `Follow` button and get to see more photo`s!?
    By feeding the birds you not only help them out, but you get the spectacle of seeing nature in motion!
    J

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