Ah yes, that mysterious white stuff, rumoured to be soft, fluffy, and often in such quantity it must breed like bunny rabbits. However, not associated with chocolate eggs, and rather bland-tasting itself, so perhaps not as useful (except, notably, in California and other places). However, sometimes associated with eggnogs and hot chocolate, albeit just like how it breeds, this is perhaps a connection best left unexplored in a family-friendly blog.
Locally it’s been warm and sunny, a light sweater is all that’s needed (in addition to other clothing!), and a few sandals have been spotted. In a sense, better than two weeks ago, when the rain apparently also did the bunny rabbit thing and fell all week. There were flood alerts locally…
AlexanderZsays
I don’t think there is anything sadder that a tiny bird in snow. Look at that woodpecker -- I have no idea how it survives the snowfall.
I don’t think there is anything sadder that a tiny bird in snow.
There is much pathos there. The best thing you can do is to provide copious quantities of food, and fresh water. They do surprisingly well over winter, most of the time. We have a large thicket in the back, made up of much fallen tree bits, it’s massive, and that’s where the sparrows hang over winter, along with the rabbits. The woodpeckers, like the sparrows, seek shelter in wood, not on it. They manage to stay out of the worst of the cold.
When serious cold hits though, we do have birds who freeze to death. Collared Doves, mostly, they don’t seek shelter, but just roost high in the trees.
AlexanderZsays
Caine
We usually don’t get snow here (sometimes a few flakes here and there) but the crow that I used to tell you about was frozen to death when her nest collapsed when a massive freak snowstorm hit the city in March(!!!). It suddenly came and the next day she was gone.
We have a large thicket in the back, made up of much fallen tree bits, it’s massive, and that’s where the sparrows hang over winter, along with the rabbits.
That’s great! Don’t the dogs and cats object to having birds over? And vice-versa?
blfsays
That’s great! Don’t the dogs and cats object to having birds over? And vice-versa?
An advantage to having forty-foot high killer rats stomping about the place is most of the other critters are too busy hiding in reinforced bunkers to bother eating each other.
The best thing you can do is to provide copious quantities of food, and fresh water. They do surprisingly well over winter, most of the time.
It’s one of the reasons I tell people not to make their horse barns so tight the birds can’t get and out. A barn with cows or horses is a haven for all manner of critters -- and they all mostly get along. I remember one winter when it was very cold, I went down to check up on P-nut and his back had a big line of birds down it, enjoying the great warm couch-like expanse of horse.
Crip Dyke, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaidensays
Snowing here, too, for the first time in a few years. I’m mostly enjoying it.
Thanks for the pics, Caine.
Ice Swimmersays
The icicles in the first photo are a bit like giant, clear bird legs.
The motion-blur bird on the suet is one of the best of its kind, with the wings making the the snowflakes fly in all directions.
Of course, the birds most vulnerable to cold weather will migrate. Still, the cold weather takes its toll especially if food is scarce (bad year for rowanberries, pine and spruce cones etc.).
[A]t a busy intersection on Côte du Beaver Hall [f]ootage shows a bus sliding out of control and hitting a group of cars.
Moments later, as light flurries of snow continue to fall, a pickup truck hits the back of the bus. Then a second bus, also out of control as it comes down the hill, bumps into the back of the pickup truck.
But the drama does not end there. A police car, sliding backwards down the hill, lights blazing, hits the bus. Finally a snow plough, presumably sent to the scene to clear the road, careens down the hill, hitting the police car fairly hard.
Amazingly, no one was injured in the pile up, which involved at least 10 vehicles.
Ah yes, that mysterious white stuff, rumoured to be soft, fluffy, and often in such quantity it must breed like bunny rabbits. However, not associated with chocolate eggs, and rather bland-tasting itself, so perhaps not as useful (except, notably, in California and other places). However, sometimes associated with eggnogs and hot chocolate, albeit just like how it breeds, this is perhaps a connection best left unexplored in a family-friendly blog.
Locally it’s been warm and sunny, a light sweater is all that’s needed (in addition to other clothing!), and a few sandals have been spotted. In a sense, better than two weeks ago, when the rain apparently also did the bunny rabbit thing and fell all week. There were flood alerts locally…
I don’t think there is anything sadder that a tiny bird in snow. Look at that woodpecker -- I have no idea how it survives the snowfall.
Alexander:
There is much pathos there. The best thing you can do is to provide copious quantities of food, and fresh water. They do surprisingly well over winter, most of the time. We have a large thicket in the back, made up of much fallen tree bits, it’s massive, and that’s where the sparrows hang over winter, along with the rabbits. The woodpeckers, like the sparrows, seek shelter in wood, not on it. They manage to stay out of the worst of the cold.
When serious cold hits though, we do have birds who freeze to death. Collared Doves, mostly, they don’t seek shelter, but just roost high in the trees.
Caine
We usually don’t get snow here (sometimes a few flakes here and there) but the crow that I used to tell you about was frozen to death when her nest collapsed when a massive freak snowstorm hit the city in March(!!!). It suddenly came and the next day she was gone.
That’s great! Don’t the dogs and cats object to having birds over? And vice-versa?
An advantage to having forty-foot high killer rats stomping about the place is most of the other critters are too busy hiding in reinforced bunkers to bother eating each other.
The best thing you can do is to provide copious quantities of food, and fresh water. They do surprisingly well over winter, most of the time.
It’s one of the reasons I tell people not to make their horse barns so tight the birds can’t get and out. A barn with cows or horses is a haven for all manner of critters -- and they all mostly get along. I remember one winter when it was very cold, I went down to check up on P-nut and his back had a big line of birds down it, enjoying the great warm couch-like expanse of horse.
Snowing here, too, for the first time in a few years. I’m mostly enjoying it.
Thanks for the pics, Caine.
The icicles in the first photo are a bit like giant, clear bird legs.
The motion-blur bird on the suet is one of the best of its kind, with the wings making the the snowflakes fly in all directions.
Of course, the birds most vulnerable to cold weather will migrate. Still, the cold weather takes its toll especially if food is scarce (bad year for rowanberries, pine and spruce cones etc.).
This odd white fluffy bunny stuffy has strucky again, Slippery slope: slo-mo snow mayhem in Montreal as buses, cars and trucks crash (with video):