"Sacha" wrote ...

Bob Hobden" said:

"Sacha" wrote ...

Not unless it's a container they can't get into but can only dip their
beaks into. Even then, I'd check with the RSPB site. Ray tried
smashiing the ice on our water trough and on two of the ponds and
failed to do so on the first and made a tiny corner in the two latter.
We've put a dog's dish out for them and will keep replenishing it as
it freezes. I've just chucked peanuts around the lawn for the
collared doves, as well as some slivers of cheese and its of apple.
All the bird feeders are well-used and to my great delight I've just
seen a thrush. They seem to be very rare around here. Now we have
freezing fog. I feel so sorry for those caught up in deep snow and
worse than we have. It's terrible to think of what some people are
struggling through, so I can't complain at the very little we have to
put up with here. As long as the plants survive and we all do, too,
we're doing well!

Hope there weren't any fish in the ponds. Smashing ice on a pond can cause
serious damage to the fish due to the shock waves and at the least
frighten them at the time of year when they should be almost dormant.
Better to warm up a pan of water and then simply place the pan on the ice
and it will melt a nice round hole. Don't leave it there too long or it
will get iced in. :-)
Just looked out and our pond seems to be free of ice today but we get very
few birds drinking in it anyway.
Was going to do some digging on the allotment but don't think I'll bother
now, we'll marzipan the cake instead.

On the ponds there was enough thin ice to be able to get through it
pretty easily, just at the edges. The trough which is smaller and
shallower was just solid. He tried boiling water on it but had no
success at all, so had to give it up as a bad job. Now, we are living
in a near tropical 5 or 6C and there isn't a sign of ice or snow
anywhere. But it's all grey and gloomy. ;-(

Actually went down to the site to spread some Lime on next years cabbage
patch and Agricultural Gypsum over one half of our plot, did the other half
last year. It has thawed on top of a thin layer of still frozen soil so
rather muddy and a bit slippery, still, another job done.
Weather is glorious today, clear blue sky, hope it clouds up before dark.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden