The mild Winter

[FUDGEY]

Probably one for the experienced people out there, but I was wondering how much this mild Winter will have helped our birds in the UK? Is there any evidence that our birds had good breeding years in the past after previous mild Winters. I was thinking that birds like Treecreepers, Goldcrests, LT Tits, Stonechats etc will surely have faired well this year and would think we could be in for a good breeding year. I have even noticed a significant rise in Kestrel numbers over the last few months and was wondering if this was down to last years juvenilles fairing well and having a low mortality rate? Id be especially interested to hear our resident experts views on this and ofcourse the many other posters who use this forums opinions

[AfternoonLemon]

Don't xexexexe your chickens, is what I'd say! Winter has only just passed the halfway mark, and there could be a harsh cold spell on the way. What's more, I'd wager that more birds perish in the late winter than the early winter, as natural food sources lessen.

However, I read somewhere that after last year's harsh winter, populations increased dramatically with a busy breeding season. I'm not sure if the reverse is true - ie. a less productive breeding season follows a mild winter?

[FUDGEY]

Very true AfternoonLemon , I did hear Feb was going to be a cold one. It surely wont affect them as badly this year though as the last 2 years totally crippled many species in my parts. Kingfishers were almost wiped out. Be interesting to hear others thoughts and see what actually happens.

[~T~]

I've noticed that birds don't seem so desperate for food round my feeders. Fatballs last year were demolished in hours but now sit for days. Though strangely enough when I put fatballs out in summer they were quick too.

[htcdude]

Mild winter!?! My fingers nearly dropped off cycling in to work this morning!!


So far the winter hasn't been anywhere near as bad as the last couple, which is good...so far.

However I wonder if it stays like this much longer things like ladybirds and early spring risers will appear too early and get hit by a cold snap towards the end of the month/February.

Nige

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by FUDGEY

Probably one for the experienced people out there, but I was wondering how much this mild Winter will have helped our birds in the UK?

Yes mild winters do help bird populations in a number of ways which are predominantly linked to food supply. In cold winters birds need to eat more to stay warm as they use more fat reserve up doing this. This is usually when they are roosting, something like a blue tit will use 10-15% of its entire body weight just keeping warm on a winters night. A bird which is wet or unwell and is unable to preen and retain functioning feathers may lose even more weight.

Cold weather also has an impact on prey and the birds ability to get to prey. Cold weather often causes an increase in mortality in certain invertebrates and makes them less active in winter, it also increases the mortality of small mammals (which also need to eat more to survive) meaning less food for certain bird species. Prolonged snow cover limits actually getting to the food source for birds like little owls and reed buntings. Frozen ground makes feeding very difficult for birds like snipe. Frozen ponds makes feeding hard for water birds. Cold weather means berry bearing bushes etc are stripped much more quickly and dont last as long into the winter.

Originally Posted by FUDGEY

Is there any evidence that our birds had good breeding years in the past after previous mild Winters. I was thinking that birds like Treecreepers, Goldcrests, LT Tits, Stonechats etc will surely have faired well this year and would think we could be in for a good breeding year.

As you would expect more prey/food survives mild winters (although it is more complex than just this and some species actually struggle in mild winters). So birds which feed their young on insects and small mammals may have a bit of extra food. So in theory you would expect a better breeding season after a mild winter. However the actual weather during the breeding season in many ways is more significant than the previous winters weather. Small insectivorous species feed on groups which often reproduce rapidly (like aphids) so the winter has little bearing either way in this respect. Extremely wet or dry weather during the breeding season often influences breeding productivity for most species. A mild winter may result in more birds surviving to breed but conditions may be poor during breeding so less offspring are produced in comparison to a good breeding season after a hard winter. With species which feed on small mammals/birds mild winters definitely seem to help breeding success, but prey cycles also are important factors and again bad weather during breeding increase failures.

On top of all this factors such as habitat change/management etc can all further influence breeding success. A field flooded through river management for large periods during a particularly wet winter may cause declines in earthworm densities important for breeding little owls. A wet spring/summer may be good for lapwing and song thrush but improved drainage of a given area resulting in dry ground would reduce nesting success in tat area. Removing cattle from a particular field and sowing it with rape seed may mean swallows have a reduced rate of nestling survival as less invertebrate prey is available but linnets have increased survival of nestlings. Probably random examples and not particularly linked to winter but show different factors influence the productivity of a breeding season.

Treecreeper, long tailed tit, goldcrest and other tits like blue tit (small woodland birds in general) seem to have had a poor breeding season around here this year. There was a very wet week in the late stage of nestling development when a few of the boxes I look at, lost broods/parts of broods (although clearly this cant be the whole reason). I have also found reduced numbers of 1st winter birds in comparison to last year, however it may be compensated for as more older birds may survive.

Birds like barn owl, kestrel and open country birds like stonechat seem to have had good breeding seasons this year. I think with the predatory species this is due to a good field vole breeding season (despite last winter which increased the morality of this species). Although I can only speak for the birds/mammals I study, as other areas may be different.

Originally Posted by FUDGEY

I have even noticed a significant rise in Kestrel numbers over the last few months and was wondering if this was down to last years juveniles fairing well and having a low mortality rate?

In short yes. This is largely why we are seeing lots of kestrels, the lack of snow and cold weather has resulted in more surviving and also a (probable) good national small mammal breeding season and more small mammals surviving the mild winter means there is more food for them.

Sorry its quite a large subject, and part of this may be a bit vague or irrelivant/off topic. If anything is unclear just say and I will try to explain .

[Janec]

Originally Posted by FUDGEY

I did hear Feb was going to be a cold one. .

Please please tell me it's not so. Please tell me this is just what a man down the pub told you

[FUDGEY]

Originally Posted by Janec

Please please tell me it's not so. Please tell me this is just what a man down the pub told you

I wouldnt read too much into it, they struggle to predict the following days weather most of the time

[FUDGEY]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

If anything is unclear just say and I will try to explain .

I think you have covered it and a whole lot more. You really are a true gent taking the time to go into such great detail. Once again I take my hat of to you and thank you, very very interesting

[Wendy Woo]

Can I say thank you too, that was very informative and I learnt from it. I too have noticed an increase in both Kestrels and Buzzards. Also I have seen Green Woodys more than this time last year.