January brought us many sparkling frosty mornings but only a few light snow flurries and not enough to create a magical winter wonderland.
We may enjoy snow when it first falls but for wildlife it causes many problems.
For example, earthworms play a major role in the diet of many animals and birds but in icy conditions with frozen topsoil as was the case last month, worms dive deep thus restricting access to them.
On normal wet nights foxes and badgers hoover up large quantities of worms but not in frozen conditions.
Blackbirds and thrushes suffer too and the smaller the bird the faster heat disperses so tiny species like wrens and goldcrests are at risk.
Sometimes up to a dozen wrens have been found huddled together in nest boxes to conserve heat.
Frozen water bodies create difficulties for wildfowl while herons and kingfishers are hard pressed to find food.
In free-flowing streams and rivers fish move to deep holes and become less active. As a result, kingfishers may even migrate to the coast and fish in salt water pools on beaches.
So, in cold weather, other food sources come into their own.Thrushes, redwings, fieldfares and blackbirds turn their attention to 'berried treasure' as I call it, abundant on holly, hawthorn, pyracantha and other bushes. Usually, birds leave berries until later in winter but this year several trees I know of have already been stripped bare and there is still plenty of winter ahead.
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