Snow Watch: Your questions answered
| 17:22 UK time, Thursday, 21 January 2010
We've had our most amazing response from you yet for Snow Watch with over 800 members and 2,000 items in the Flickr group, and over 700 comments and questions, all in just six days!
With such a rapid turnaround for the programme we had our work cut out to fit as much of your contributions as we'd have liked to. So we wanted to answer some of your questions and discuss some of your fascinating stories right here.
Feeder bullies
Competition for food sources is intensified by the arrival of snow as foraging is made even more difficult. We've had lots of questions about how to deter particularly aggressive feeder-hogging birds. Stephen Moss tells us that mistle thrushes and fieldfares are particularly good at doing this and will often persistently guard one tree. Unfortunately this is just the way nature is, but there are things you can do to help smaller birds get a look in at your feeders.
In true Autumnwatch/Springwatch/Snow Watch fashion a solution has come from some of you: EnglishFolkFan reported that to deter a blackcap bully she repositioned her feeders so that no single bird could guard all of them.
Have managed to put feeders where he can't see from his fav spot so others getting a look in. EnglishFolkFan (Twitter)Fiona Sharp also had success with feuding couples of neighbouring robins when she separated food sources in her garden so that they didn't have to fight for access.
If you are experiencing similar situations in your garden try to supply food in a few different areas at more than a few feet apart. You could also place feeders at different heights as some birds prefer ground feeders where others prefer loftier tables.
Winter bird feeds
We've had a few questions on cooking fat and whether it should be used in feeders. The RSPB says that cooking fat is bad for birds. It sticks to their feathers and provides a breeding ground for bacteria causing them all kinds of problems. Polyunsaturated margarines or vegetable oils are also unsuitable. Lard and beef suet however can be used as they re-solidify after warming and are not suitable for bacteria to breed on.
The RSPB also advise that where fresh coconut is ok, you should never use desiccated coconut as it may swell once inside a bird killing it. Thank you Tony for your question prompting us to highlight this!
Read all the RSPB's advice on their What food to provide birds page.
Unusual visitors
Loads of you have been seeing unusual visitors to your gardens and we've had some wonderful pictures in the Snow Watch Flickr group.
There have been an overwhelming number of reports of fieldfare and redwing gracing gardens around the country and your pictures have reflected as much.
You've also been spotting waders such as lapwing and woodcock. The cold weather freezes their usual foraging grounds forcing them to enter your gardens to find food. In terms of supplementing their feeding, the RSPB has advised us that there is really very little you can do for waders in your garden as they are not partial to the usual birdfeed but if you can ensure there is an area of your lawn free of snow this will allow them to attempt to pull worms and forage for insects on the ground.
Winter roosts
We've also had reports of mixed and larger than normal roosts with Bridgette Bradely reporting 7-8 wrens in one nest, Elizabeth Emmerson counting up to 15 disappearing into one roost and Gill Jarman insisting she's seen 18!
Thanks again for all your questions and photos and do keep them coming in.
© 2012
Comments
2000 items in 6 days - proof of how valuable a resource all the Autumn/Snow/Spring Watch team are! You give the public the opportunity to share, learn and enjoy nature.
I quite like that Mallard shot.
Thanks also regarding the cooking oil advice - very helpful.
[Still wish pictures outside the Uk could be posted :(]
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What an splendid innovative way to use the Autumn watch blog - superb images of wildlife and great tips to help our feathered friends during the freeze. Now its all gone we can see early signs of spring flowers breaking through ready to give reasons to be cheerful.
I'm still flummoxed why the birdies didn't scoff my seed mix when it was snow and icey - the irritating thing is that I now see pigeons greedily gobbling what I put out.
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...Can the best of the Snow Watch videos sent in; be put on the either of the programme's website, please?
a.k.a Wildlife Filmer Adam
;-)
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Stoat in Ermine!
Hi all,
I just had to share this with you as it is a first for me and I'm really excited!
I was driving along the Oxfordshire/Gloucestershire border yesterday morning and saw my first ever stoat in ermine (flecky head, pure white body and legs with black tail tip)! The head end obviously means it was changing from brown to white or back to brown from white!
I was amazed to see this, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the snow has now gone, leaving this stoat very conspicuous in white livery, as it jumped along the roadside verge. Also, I know that further north it may be normal to see this happen in the winter, but in southern counties? It is obviously triggered by the recent snowy event, but I would dearly love to know how many other sitings (in the south) like mine have been seen. Please advise.
As stated, I was driving, so no chance for photo, sorry.
Kind regards,
Paul
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I bought 2 Moors for my pond in summer but after reading up about them found out they didn't overwinter well and that they should be taken indoors for winter, which I did in November. I needn't have worried about them as they were trying to mate within 48 hours and 2 weeks ago about 50 fry emerged which are doing well so far. However, this morning I found that a blue tailed damsel fly had emerged, obviously from larvae that was on some of the pond plant that I put in with the fish. It was pale green at first but as the day wore on the colour has become pronounced probably due to the temperature and light from the UV tube. I don't want to put it outside as it will die but I don't think it will survive in the tank as there are no flies to eat!! I love nature with a passion so open to any ideas from anyone on how to keep it alive.
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Here's a lovely photo showing a wild robin eating out of someone's hand while they were out walking in the countryside.
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I have a pair (male and female)black caps feeding in my garden every day.I thought that these birds are one of the earliest migrants (late August)They have been feeding all Winter ,including struggling through 12ins of snow.Can you advise me on what types of food will be beneficial.
Kind Regards
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Well the Fieldfares and Redwings seem to have gone for the time being with the advent of the warmer temperatures. Whether this will continue who knows especially that we are still in January _ February still to arrive.
Sunday 24th January saw a new arrival to the garden. First it was difficult to tell, but its blackcap was a tell tale sign. Yes, a Blackcap has arrived in the garden quite happily feeding on the fat snax, before disappearing into the Honeysuckle.
Monday 25th January the Blackcap was still about, for quite a large part of the day _ still enjoying the fat snax.
A little detective work and I found a reason suggested for the wintering Blackcap as follows _
Spanish and UK-wintering groups of blackcaps could be on their way to becoming two different species, and the reason? People in the UK putting out plenty of bird food have made spending the winter here a viable option for blackcaps(RSPB Website, 2010)
I have got to say the Blackcap makes a welcome new visitor to the garden and it just goes to show maintaining a plentiful supply of food in the garden who knows what birds will be attracted!!
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i have had stock doves in the garden ,mistle thrusuhes. song thrush . longtailed tits but have not seen redwings or fieldfares for ages. during the re4cent snowy spell most of our tiny birds like chaffinches and robins disappeqared and opnly the magpies and woodpigeon stayed but they are cpming back now . from sue webster springwatch tracker.
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During the later summer months we regularly saw a male Hen Harrier quartering pasture close by us. When we were going out one day during the severe weather I said to Alister that I wondered how the Hen Harrier had coped with the snow cover, not being able to feed.
While we were coming back in to the house not an hour later, Alister said there's your answer, and sure enough, there he was slowly quartering the same pasture before flying off down the glen.
Then low and behold yesterday, I was shaking my duster out of the bedroom window, and there he was not 100 yards from the house flying over closer pasture.
The tenacity and resolve of our birdlife has amazed me, just how many little birds have survived our temperatures of down to -15. The blackbirds and fieldfares have eaten me out of house and home! but they will repay me in the summer eating all the bugs that I don't want in my garden! The little birds are all back, there doesn't appear to be a big drop in numbers at all.
Glasvaar, Argyll
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During the freezing conditions we kept our bird bath free of ice, but I wondered if birds ate snow if water was unavailable. Only once have I seen a blackbird eat snow.
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Hi,
I’m really puzzled by the fact that there have been no birds at our feeders since the weather warmed up, we saw redwings, long tailed tit and lots of other mixed flocks; prior to the cold snap the feeders where being well used (a feeding frenzy in fact) so it seem so strange not to see a thing!
I’ve looked at the other bird feeders in the local gardens and there’re all full. I’m worried that the cold snap has decimated the smaller birds as predicted.
I live next to the Airfield at Woodford North Cheshire where they record the second lowest nighttime temperature in England -18.6 C, Could they have gone south in desperation?
On my way to work I’ve been seeing loads of Magpies and Crows so they seem to be doing well at the moment.
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Hi - we have 2 ponds each about 2 metres in diameter and about 1 metre deep at deepest point and the upper one runs into the other when pump is on. Each froze to a depth of about 5 - 10 cm and we occasionally melted a small space with boiling water altho not every day. Once the ice started to melt as temperature went up 10 days ago we were appalled to find at least a dozen dead frogs - some in each pond. Some had their nose/mouth frozen into the ice. Some obviously female. I had assumed that frogs in ponds would stay in the deepest part while the pond was frozen over. Incidently all our goldfish - some 20 odd spread between the two ponds have come through unscathed. Have others had this problem? Many thanks. Jeanat17
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Really enjoy the program and all of the wonderful resources you put together online. I have a random ethical question, completely unrelated to the above blog, but don't know where else to post it...
What are the views on keeping outdoor aviaries? I've been particularly interested in having some hand-reared North American birds such as cardinals, indigo buntings, and golf-finches-- maybe a pair of each kept separately in roughly (at a guess) 4'x 5' x 7' enclosures. Nearby neighbors have an aviary of budgies and cockatiels, but I'm so used to thinking of the birds from my homeland as wild, that I feel a bit conflicted.
Any thoughts?
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I was re-assured by the advice given out on snow watch regarding wildlife surviving in ponds that are completely frozen over and not trying to break the ice up. Our small ponds were completly frozen over. They are about 1M x2M and 1M deep. However once the ice started to melt on 16 Jan it was very distressing to see about 10 adult frogs and several newts dead below the ice layer. Much the same as the comment posted above (number 14). Is this advice given out correct? I feel that perhaps keeping the ice broken up so as the frogs could get to the surface may be the right action.
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When I watched 'Snow Watch' I remember one of the presenters saying that small animals will burrow beneath the snow in search of food. I live in Scotland, and the three feet of snow we had in our garden has now melted and we find that the surface of our lawn has been burrowed into by small animals. I have photographed these, and if you are interested I have posted one at www.playpitspark.wordpress.com
Does anyone know what made these? There are dozens of them, all starting at the lawn edge.
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I found a great use for my old and now well shrivelled Christmas Tree - it's turned out to be quite a successful birdfeeder!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ddod/4314110947/
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Not sure if anyone is interested, but I heard my first cuckoo of the year yesterday (Jan 30th)!! Not sure what could have brought him back so early, but I bet the temperature is abit of a shock for him! I know there was a cuckoo survey happening last year, so should I tell someone about this one?
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As always, superb photos. Looking forward to diary programme in a few minutes time...
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Hi,
Over the past couple of years while cycling home from work, at the rear of a church there are between 50 and 100 pairs of goldfinches.
They arrive around the end of January and are there for about 3 months. Are these migrant birds and is this an unusal occurence? the church is situated in a built up area but has a few trees which the goldfinches favour.
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hi
Regarding pond problems during the snow, we have a large pond.
We were able to keep our pump qoing, about three quarters of the pond froze the area near the pump stayed clear and the fish have all survived, have not seen the couple of frogs that are usually here yet, but it may be a bit early here in Kent.
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Glad to read about bully birds. I have a very unusual visitor-a pied wagtail. There is no water around here but he seems very happy to be eating ground feed in my oourtyard garden.He has been struting his stuff every day for the past week and is protecting his territory with daring and ferocity. He is facing up to my very aggresive resident robin and wins and is seeing off several blackbirds. The whole behaviour seems very odd to me. Has anyone else seen a lone wagtail behave like this?
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Hi everyone, There is a rather small wooded area across the road from where I live(in Plymouth), we walk the dog there everyday, and my husband and I spent loads of time there as children. There are wildlife boards up telling what you could be lucky enough to see, but Dear is not on that list, nor have we seen or heard of any dear near our area (Plymbridge, yeah not hear). But on the morning dog walk before school today my husband came across 10 lovely looking dear, I was just wondering if I need to let somebody know and if so, WHO?? Thankyou.....
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your local county wildlife recorder would be the best person to contact. They would also be able to let you know how many deer are in your area, and what kind.
Are you able to ID the deer? If not, then a description as detailed as possible
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Hi, Im so chuffed , i have a pair of robins nesting right out side my bedroom window, For the last few days they have been on the go go all day, bizzy little things , kev,
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can you help me i am really new to this! I have recently taken a photo of a clam which i found at goodrington sands, devon. It was the size of a large beefburger(double mac). It had a very large pointed foot which started out the size of a tounge. We cant identify it. Is there any way i can put the photo on the website for identification? Thanking you.
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I am very interesting in gardening issue, i just developed a website but i have some worry about that from where i will get more related information [Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]
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Hi everyone
Thanks for all your comments. Great to hear about your signs of spring!
There will likely be some content on gardening in the coming series Mushtaq.
@Al, you can send us photos by adding them to our Springwatch Flickr pool.
Please only add photos from Spring though!
If you've specifically got a question about your photo it may be best to post it in the discussion section of the Flickr group, and we'll do our best to respond quickly.
I hope this helps!
Sam
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Is this the right place to record a strange bird sighting?! I've just seen 2 grey partridges in my garden in Co.Down, N.Ireland (no photos unfortunately, never a camera at hand at the right moment).
They had a distinctive brown horseshoe marking on their chests and orange heads, although one was much paler than the other - the female perhaps?
Anyway, on further googling it looks like the grey partridge is a pretty rare visitor to N.Ireland, and it's certainly the first time to have appeared in my garden.
Would any group/organisation be interested in this sighting or would I need to have photographic evidence to go with it?
Thanks :)
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winnie_the_newt.....Thankyou for your helpful advise.....They have been spotted again....BY MEEEE this time, it was so wonderful to see them, I saw about 3 of them,I think one was a baby. I walked just into the woods - the street was no more than 2 meters away and I herd young lads playing near by and came to a stop....thats when I thought I saw 2 large dogs running towards my dog, I looked away to call back and lead my dog and as I looked up again I saw their little white tails, they had stopped heading towards us and headed into the woods and just started walking back to where they had been - only 6/7 meters from where I was stood, I backed away and left them to it....
They looked very heathly and wonderful :-))...
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