On 2010-01-07 09:32:03 +0000, "David WE Roberts" said:

Well, the fieldfares are so busy fighting each other and the blackbirds
that none of them seem to have time to eat.

I've increased the number of feeding stations to try and split them up,
but there are still too may birds to feed peacefully.

Earlier there were just loads of blackbirds - seven or eight males -
all sitting on the fence or surrounding trees.
For terrritorial birds this is most unusual.

Yes, we've seen this here, too.

The main problem is finding a snow free area to hold the food.
Under the table, the swing chair, and the sun lounger are the only
snow-free areas. It is also snowing again.

Things must be getting pretty desperate in the avian world now that the
normal food sources are covered in snow and ice.

I'm sure they are. We keep the bird feeders filled, both in the garden
and the greenhouses but they're going through it like nobody's
business. I go out two or three times a day to throw food down for the
ground feeders but then we're not getting the sort of snow falls others
are - none today, for example.

I am now contemplating on how to build a bird table (or snow shelter)
to keep the bird food free from snow.

BBC are now running clips from previous severe winters and talking
about what it was like to be snowed in for months.
Also, local radio is talking of panic buying in the food shops.

Interesting times.

Dave R

In 1963 I was at school in the Malvern Hills. I do remember the bitter
cold and depth of snow and also that at one time the school was getting
a bit panicky about running out of food. The delivery vans and lorries
couldn't get up the steep roads out of Great Malvern into West Malvern.
We use to sleep with our day clothes under the mattress to try to keep
them warmed up for wearing in the morning! And I think we were let off
hockey on the grounds that they couldn't find the pitch!

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon