frost

[Minky]

Is it just me but did the frost come early this year and also I haven't seen as many bird this year is it just where i live

[Walt D]

I dont think its early it has just lasted longer, in Manchester we have had two weeks of frost now we have snow as well.

[lizzie]

Hi all

We've had frost for a bout a fortnight here too and some snow yesterday. I don't think it's any earlier it's just been more prolonged than we're used to. We need a really cold winter to kill off all the nasties in the soil and to kill the germs in the air.

Right, going to put another vest on now, and snuggle up with a nice big steaming mug of hot chocolate.

[Minky]

we had ten minutes of snow and it was gone in alf an hour I was well disapointed and it's been freezing here too I nearly broke the thermastat thing tring to turn the heating up

Bye
Minky

[jane E]

snow here in rural leics yesterday but just a sprinkling - the city barely had any. I don't think the frost came early, but it has been persistant. We've had field fares in the hedgerows and yesterday they were pinching holly berries so fast that i thought they'd clear the bush.Does anyone get sparrows? We have a few here but in the city of Leics there were none.My father in law seems to get them in Birmingham. Something has made their numbers drop. Does anyone know what? Jane

[sue-the-recycler]

Think all your birds are here! I seem to have thousands of them - and only 1 cat! Everything from Buzzards to wrens on my holding. The chickens are going scatty diving for cover everytime the buzzards flightpath takes it across us and then dashing out to chase the robin and blackbirds away from their food hopper (the wild birds cant actually get it anyway as I've netted the run but then chickens arent the brightest of birds) The pheasants and partridges have worked out that when the shooting party on my neighbours estate start out each morning that if they hand out at my place they dont get shot and the crows and pigeons are just hungry and watching for any gaps in the fleece and cloches. Even got Jays digging more holes than the bloody squirels to hide their winter stash.
Cant complain realy and I have to say its a nice sound track to wake up to in the morning.

[jane E]

Sounds nice - just like here in forgotten Leics! We have lots of birds of different sorts - just few sparrows.

[peterf]

you lucky buggers weve had hard frost for 3 weeks solid.(consett co durham)

[arthur e]

The snow finally cleared from here last night , it was here for a week.
As for birds we've had about 5000 grey lag/pink foot geese and a flock of 70plus whooper swans in the fields around my house , what a noise when they all take off at once, farmers hate them on their grassland because they puddle the ground into mud and they eat a lot of grass that they want for their sheep. I've a resident flock of sparrows in my roof, they act like a Mcdonalds for the local sparrow hawk.
I think the worry about starlings dissapearing in england can be explained by the big increase up here, to see thousands swirling around being chased by a Falcon just before roosting is a sight to behold.
Bird flue seems to have gone off the tv now does that mean my chickens are safe