Helping the most beautiful!

[ExposingTheWild]

Hi all thank you for your replies. You all make very good points, I run past the area every morning and at the moment the ice is thickening by the day...possibly by the 45mins, who knows.

So in retrospect I will heed the advice and enjoy the lack of commitment for the time being. This won't stop me though. WildWomen do you have suggestions for ensuring the area is as pollution free as possible. Short of getting in and dredging the old bikes and shopping carts out, that is for when the thaw occurs ;-).

Anything else you can suggest?

I will give you a run down of the area, photos will follow! Basically it is a long canal stretching from the major lake in Hamburg, the Alster. The point I am at is the very end. The canal can be walked down either side and there is a road at the end. It is in a nice area of town, deliberate vandalism and pollution is (imho) rare.

Regards

S @ ETW

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by ExposingTheWild

Hi all thank you for your replies. You all make very good points, I run past the area every morning and at the moment the ice is thickening by the day...possibly by the 45mins, who knows.

So in retrospect I will heed the advice and enjoy the lack of commitment for the time being. This won't stop me though. WildWomen do you have suggestions for ensuring the area is as pollution free as possible. Short of getting in and dredging the old bikes and shopping carts out, that is for when the thaw occurs ;-).

Anything else you can suggest?

I will give you a run down of the area, photos will follow! Basically it is a long canal stretching from the major lake in Hamburg, the Alster. The point I am at is the very end. The canal can be walked down either side and there is a road at the end. It is in a nice area of town, deliberate vandalism and pollution is (imho) rare.

Regards

S @ ETW

Just by being a good guardian of it.Inform authorities if you see litter and anything that's going to harm it. Report dead fish and oily surfaces. Then perhaps in the spring, with the authorities permission and help, organise a bank clean up and dredge (with the right people and equipment of course).
Keep an eye out for invasive plants that might choke it up and generally be aware of changes in the area that may effect the water eg run off from a building site.

[ExposingTheWild]

I'm on it. Thanks again for all the replies. I will keep you all posted as and when the time comes.

Kind Regards

S @ ETW

[Brocakat]

Originally Posted by rossy

i can understand your worries, but as posted most move , as they have to , to survive, which is obvious, but you reckon you will put a hole in the ice, its going to have to be of some considerable size, as not for the kingfishers to become trapped underneath, sounds a bit dodgy to me, for you also as you could end up in there, be careful rossy.

Pointless to telll anyone this if it's a long way from a heat source - but the easiest way to make a decent-sized hole in the ice is to place a bucket of hot-water on top of the ice, replacing it as necessary , 'til you get through.

Tie a rope around the handle - with the other end to a branch, to assist with retrieval .

A lot safer than chipping away ( we aren't talking inuit/fishing situations ) .

And -YES - DO take extra care & if poss. go with someone else .

[rossy]

Originally Posted by Brocakat

Pointless to telll anyone this if it's a long way from a heat source - but the easiest way to make a decent-sized hole in the ice is to place a bucket of hot-water on top of the ice, replacing it as necessary , 'til you get through.

Tie a rope around the handle - with the other end to a branch, to assist with retrieval .

A lot safer than chipping away ( we aren't talking inuit/fishing situations ) .

And -YES - DO take extra care & if poss. go with someone else .

yes but in this weather it will freeze over in no time, lakes , rivers, canals are all froze , but making a hole with a bucket , im sorry a bucket size hole would not be adeqate, rossy.

[Brocakat]

I'm wondering what sized hole are you contemplating?
The base diameter of a typical metal bucket is approx 200mm / 20cm / 8in.


Of course we all appreciate the smaller dia. hole the quicker it would refreeze - but eventually they would all refreeze. You may have return to reform the holes twice a day.

What sized hole(s) were you considering?


The main danger of making a hole with a heavy ( blunt?) object would be the cracks that may be inadvertantly made.

Cutting a hole with a 'conventional' / ordinary' saw ? Probably, a bow-saw , Hard work, and doing a perfect circle could be tricky.


You could try a Chainsaw, IF you know how to handle one - and that's not a good place to learn, if you don't. and the Chainy would have to be roped, too.