Freezing conditions for birds.

[paulinemiller10]

I have a small town garden, Ive been feeding the birds three times a day, the ground is frozen, there is nothing for them to eat, I had thrushes here 15 years ago, but hav'nt seen any until the last two years, I now have quite a few, they come everyday with the blackbirds, its hard feeding them as the starlings push them away and eat all the food, I ve been throwing it under the shrubs, and they are learning how to find it.

I have a large flock of starlings visiting, they eat huge amounts of food, I've been pouring boiling water over a pan of porridge every night, adding fat,sultanas,peanuts and any kitchen scraps, I find its a cheap way of filling them up, the thrushes and blackbirds love it too, I soak sultanas for them over night to throw under the shrubs.

One blackbird taps my window in the morning, they don't fly off when I go out to feed them, they are so hungry, unless people are feeding these birds they don't stand much chance of surviving the night in these freezing conditions.
I found the thrushes,blackbirds and robins are first up in the morning, and last to go to bed, the starlings leave to roost around 4.30pm, so I can throw some food out for these three garden birds, they have about 20minutes left before it gets dark, my cam turns to infrared in the dark, and I see these birds still feeding when its almost dark, posting a pic of a thrush still eating when its almost dark. Pauline.

[Deb London]

Very interesting Pauline. You are doing a great job by the sounds of things.

[Littlesparrow]

The temperatures in Cheshire have been terrible for a couple of months now and down to minus 15c the other day. I' m finding the blackbirds waiting for me in the morning closely followed by the robins.
All the berries have been eaten off the bushes, so I think the same as you, while the ground is frozen, the birds need a bit of human help.

[twitchyt]

Simular story in our freezing area, blackbirds 4-8 perch in the willow before full daylight waiting, mostly females, tits, robin and solitary wren arrive later,
very few starlings in our area, largest flock about 20-30 so never see the wondrous swirls of many. Beyond the garden rook,jackdaw,magpie, wood pigeon, doves and gulls, all desperately looking for food, as are the town pigeons.
Like pauline l provide variety, seed,nuts,fat balls, sultana,apple, sometime oats-muesli, biscuit crumbs, pasta, whatever sustains them, odd how the gulls love chips swooping over fish and chip shops, and schools, they all know how to find their best source of food, def seems to me that my local birds let me know they want food, even the town pigeons swoop down when they see me whilst ignoring others, smart, they also have a tough time, fewer people dropping food, not to help them, just careless eaters, along with bad foot probs. Too many people dont care, never give a thought to starving birds,
Its good to read about others who do, be a sad world without birds-wild animals.

[nightshade]

You cannot beat porridge Pauline, the feed sounds good enough to eat, all I would need would be a good Rioja

[actionfinch]

As i have said many times the only birds that wait for me is the wood pigeons.. they get all the ground feed before anyone else...

when im home i like the other day i feed they 2 in the day....

I see blackbird at my apples the other morning , it was still dark about 7am i think it was.
but tomorrow will be a birding day for me.....shame the missus wont let me have my xmas pressy early..

[paulinemiller10]

Thanks Deb london, they do need all the help they can get in freezing conditions.

All the berries have been taken off my tree at the start of the freeze Little sparrow, and it was full of berries.

Yes, a lot of people don't even think of the wildlife starving in these freezing conditions twitchyt, and through Christmas its too much work, I too feel for the poor town pigeons with their foot problems, it must be so painful for them to live like that, I drop a bit of food as I pass if I see them, but they are very clever, one big fat pigeon followed people through a small walk through a park, just walked along side them, and the soft ones would give it something.

I ve found porridge is a life saver for all birds nightshade, if you have huge amounts turning up, it fills them up, I fill a pan half full of porridge, add boiling water,add fat, 19p in tesco, and any other scraps and leave til morning.

To make sure blackbirds and thrushes have a meal actionfinch, leave soaked sultanas and porridge out on the garden at night, they are first up in the morning and will eat as soon as they get up, and you can leave the same around 4 pm, when most birds have gone to roost.

Phew the thaw has set in now, most of the starlings have gone off to the fields, but I must have had most of the towns thrushes feeding in my garden, and they are still around with the blackbirds, I m surprised how different the markings are on the thrushes, I get to know them, and if one has nt showed up, I wonder if its made it through the night, but then it will land on the table, lovely birds.
Its been very hard work feeding my family at Christmas and the birds three times a day, but it has been worth it to save these birds. Pauline.