Minus two this morning...and apparently set to get colder. We certainly have been lulled into a false sense of security by the mild winter so far. Yesterday evening I visited Wilstone Reservoir to view the gull roost and as usual several thousand mainly black-headed and common gulls had congregated to sleep on the water. How do they do it?!!! It was SOOOO cold and very still - beautiful in many respects - but to sit in that water for an entire night is an incredible feat. Feathers do indeed offer fantastic insulation and waterproofing, and the blood flow to the legs is restricted to reduce heat loss but even so. Roosting on the water does provide protection from predators such as foxes (unless of course it freezes!).
In this sort of weather I always put fresh water out regularly - breaking the ice on the bird bath to do so - and the birds are straight down not only to drink it but to bathe on it. Despite the eye-watering cold they need to keep their feathers in good condition. I have seen blackbirds eat snow but thirst can be a real problem during prolonged freezing spells. We are fortunate to have a stream opposite the house so not such an issue for our local birds. However, if we get some snow, the birdtable is likely to get busy, but that's for another post......
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