Winter took it's toll on the small birds...
I was just looking out of my window at a small tree nearby here in Bradley Stoke, festooned with a variety of bird feeders.
A few sparrows come-and-goÌýover 30 minutes, along with blackbirds, magpies and the odd dove. Very few tits, however, and no sign of any finches.
Thankfully, the feeders - installed by a neighbour -Ìýare beyond the grasp (if not gaze) of my cats. It's just as well, because the recent weather, let alone any feline intervention, has apparently caused a significant reduction in some species of birds.
undertaken by over halfÌýa million people across the country on the 30Ìýand 31 January. Their data indicates a considerable decline in some species, such as long-tailed tits, with theÌýreduction strongly correlated to the very cold winter conditions.
The study emphasises how our efforts to feed garden birds and other widlifeÌýduring harsh winters are genuinely important. There's another chilly snap underway into the middle of this week, but not sufficiently harsh to cover the feedersÌýon the tree opposite my house with snow and ice. Hopefully, in the fortnight thereafter, the leaves will be starting to appear and a chance of the birds - and us - enjoying a return to spring-like weather will be underway once again.
I'm Ian Fergusson, a ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Weather Presenter based in the West Country. From benign anticyclones to raging supercell storms, my blog discusses all manner of weather-related issues. I also provide updated race weekend forecasts tied to our ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ coverage of Formula One. You can follow me on , too.
Comment number 1.
At 4th Apr 2010, Jon in Urchfont wrote:It really has been a tricky couple of winters for the birds. I've recently put up a bird box designed for small birds like blue tits so hopefully they'll use it not only to nest but to also stay warm in any wintry weather.
The birds and insects could really do with the rest of spring being warm & sunny!
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