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Post by NellyDee on Jan 17, 2016 12:54:45 GMT
I am surprised that birds can find insects now. Caught this blackbird with an insect in it's mouth, and the great and blue tits keep tapping around the windows - presumably looking for spiders. Why I am surprised is the temperature when photo taken was -6c and heavy snow, so what insects would they be finding in this weather? DSCF2675 by Helen Skelton, on Flickr
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Post by Cotham Marble on Jan 17, 2016 13:32:39 GMT
The invertebrate resource is very much under-recognised but dormant invertebrates are a key food source for many smaller birds. Woody plants are covered in overwintering invertebrates though most are near microscopic, spiders as you observe use crevice refuges in wood and stone, while millipedes, centipedes, insects both larvae and imagos along with molluscs use dead vegetation or burrows into soil as refuges. The burrowers are out of reach for most of the smaller birds, they simply lack bill length but the Thrushes of course have these as a focus. Invertebrate winter survival strategies - this Wikipedia page isn't too bad as precis - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_winter_ecology Anyway winter invertebrate habit - shrubs, hedges, trees and untidy areas with lots of leaves and dead plant stems (as long as there's cat free forgaging opportunities !) is probably as important as full feeders for UK birds.
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Post by NellyDee on Jan 17, 2016 16:14:47 GMT
Thanks CM for info and the link, very grateful! - Well here there is lots of areas for them to forage, the weather has been so bad did not get out to clear all the fallen leaves from the autumn. a Blackbird has spent the day clearing away the snow round a couple of planters, and the great and blue tits keep popping around the area she has cleared as well as pecking around the windows. My Japanese quince seems also to be a focus for the small birds - I though they were just pecking at the now dry fruit to get at the seeds but tis more than likely there is a lot of larvae there too. I doubt having got under the snow and leaves they will b able to dig into the ground - it is frozen solid.
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Post by htcdude on Jan 19, 2016 15:31:01 GMT
Someone at work found an Ichneumon wasp the other day, and there's always winter gnats and things around, especially with the mild temperatures we've had! Won't be long til it's spring anyway Nige
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