Bird Table News

Water for birds in winter is important and can easily be forgotten about

A lot of birds need to drink fresh water at least a couple of times a day.

We take water for granted as all we have to do is turn on a tap. No so for wildlife they are at the mercy of the elements – and we can help them survive

When frost and snow appear their water disappears.

I have put together Readers Tips for giving birds water in winter

1.  Put a plastic liner in the water bowl before you put the water in.  When the water freezes all you have to do is pull the liner off.  No more scraping out an ice filled water dish.

2.  Buy a heated dog water bowl.  This keeps the water unfrozen all the time. 

3. Try and keep an area of a pond unfrozen.  this is hard, but if a piece of wood or a ball is kept in the water it can sometimes be taken out and a small amount of water is showing.

4.  Keep defrosting the water all during the day when it is really cold ( Impossible I know, but you know what I mean)

One water dish I sometimes use has a smooth base so I put some stones in for the birds to perch on.

Water for birds in winter

Shallow dish with stones in for birds to perch on

Please let me know if you have any tips for keeping water fresh and unfrozen for our garden birds.

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I like this photo.  I may print and frame it.

If you have any photos you would like to send me I would like to see them.

Trisha

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Click on the link below.  You will fly through the air with a bird and see just how amazing it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lswBDZuL-8w&hl=en

What a great Video that is.

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I have just found out that there has been a  war on Earth that has been going on for 300 million years.  Amazing

If you have time to watch the videos below I think you will find them really interesting. 

Don’t  be put off by the title  or by the front of the video – just take a look and find out what this 300 million year war is all about

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-royal-institution-christmas-lectures

There are five.  If you don’t have time to watch them all I would suggest you watch the last one.

Let me know what you think?

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• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-12-20 http://ff.im/-da1le #
• WHAT IS THIS FOR? http://ff.im/-da9tc #
• BUSY BIRD FEEDING http://ff.im/-dahqk #
• GUARDMAN’S NO MESS SEED MIX http://ff.im/-dbaHI #
• High Energy Bird Food http://ff.im/-dbb1N #
• Tip for freezing water in bird baths http://ff.im/-deaai #
• Heated Water Bowls for birds! http://ff.im/-deb47 #
• A reader has just written and said in summer he saw a hawk attack a crow! What a sight to see #
• @FarmrPhil Good luck. I'm looking forward to the time when we don't have cows calving. Don't calves take a lot of looking after in reply to FarmrPhil #
• @FarmrPhil At least it's not you who is stuck in the snow! In our village we've had people stranded in their cars – they stayed in the pub in reply to FarmrPhil #
• @FarmrPhil I'm hope the orders get there before Christmas – I bet they do in reply to FarmrPhil #
• @Bluefinch Well I think he is wrong in reply to Bluefinch #
• @GoGreenStudents WEL DONE! in reply to GoGreenStudents #
• @farmingfriends Don't you just love farming! in reply to farmingfriends #
• December 22nd 2009 a reader saw a Blackbird with a single white tail feather near Birmingham, GB. Have you seen one? #
• USA reader going to buy heated dog bowl to use for giving water to birds – stops water freezing – a tip from someone who reads my blog. #
• I nearly ran over a bird that was walking across the road this morning. Why do they do it? Why don't the stupid birds fly across the road! #
• http://birdtablenews.com/2009/04/bird-watching-in-yorkshire/ Reminder of a lovely walk. Mary has been reading this on birdtablenews #
• @FarmrPhil That is so true. Where better on a freezing cold night than a pub with a coal fire. I would hate to be stranded in reply to FarmrPhil #
• @urbanbirder Now it is snow and more snow! in reply to urbanbirder #
• @farmingfriends We have 4 hens and can't put them out because of a fox. We are in middle of fencing a small field that has a hen hut in reply to farmingfriends #
• @farmingfriends Do you think that putting up a large fence will keep foxes out? in reply to farmingfriends #

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I hope everyone had a Happy Christmas. 

I had a really nice time, inbetween putting bird food and fresh water  out 

I’m very popular with many, many sparrows, starling, bluetits and other tits, robins, rooks, blackbirds, thrushes.  A robin has been spending ages on the bird table pecking away.  It’s a wonder nothing has chased it away.

Night is drawing in. I have just brought all the bird feeders in.  At least they will be dry and ready for the morning

The other day I saw quite a few sparrows queing up and trying to get into a nest box to roost.  I just could not see them all getting in.  I hope they did – it really is freezing here.

Cherio for now

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In winter birds use a lot of energy searching for food as  natural bird food is scarce.  Putting food out does help birds survive.

Putting any left over Christmas food out is a good idea. 

Here is a list of food you can feed to birds

YOU CAN FEED

• Mild Cheese – grated or just crumbled and broken
• The fat from the cooking can be used. I soak bread in water and then soak this bread in the melted fat before putting it out for birds.  The fat can also be used to mix with bird food.  This way there is double energy – bird food and fat in one meal. 
• Any left over cakes and buns
• Chopped up apples.
• Dried food that has been soaked. 
• Left over roast potatoes. 
• Christmas Cake and Christmas pudding.  These are a really good food for birds. 
• Unsalted nuts – and we have a lot of those at Christmas

Here is a list of food you should not feed to birds

YOU SHOULD NOT FEED

• Stuffing
• Chocolate
• Cooked vegetables
• crisps
• salted nuts
• cooked meat

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First thing in a morning birds are hungry
After surviving a cold night birds need energy to keep them going through the day. For this reason putting bird food out first thing in a morning is probably the best time

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I thought this was really interesting -

Mountain of left over soil from roadworks in London  is creating a new bird island at sea

Click this link below to read all about it

http://ow.ly/Q8Em

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The snow is still here.  It is still freezing cold and not thawing yet.

The blackbirds are the bravest, or most starving birds, as they stay close by as I put the bird food out.

One blackbird was sat on the fence at eye level with me.  I walked up to.  It stayed still until I got very close to it then it hopped a branch away.  If I had stretched out my hand I could have touched it.  It seemed to be looking me in the eye for part of the time.   

Thinking of wildlife on Christmas Day seems a good thing to do really. 

The sun is shining through and the snow looks deceptively lovely.  I’m glad there is blue sky shining through today and that the blizzards and snow seems to have stopped.

The pond where a lot of wild birds gather is still frozen.  I see a variety of birds walking on the ice looking for water.  For some reason they look funny.

 I’ve put an upturned black dustbin lid there filled with water and sparrows, blackbirds plus others I can’t make out are using this water – so that is a good job done.

I filled three feeders up this morning and already one is empty!  These wild birds certainly bring life to this corner of my garden. 

They make me turn out on a morning.  I see them frantically pecking at empty feeders and hear blackbirds singing / shouting. 

 Got to go now.  It’s present time.

 May the spirit of Christmas stay in our hearts and souls all year round. Merry Christmas!!

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