Hard Times

These are hard times for the bird population and they do not have the food distribution services we have ! It crossed my mind the other day when watching the TV chaos unfold around the country due to the wintery conditions. As a species how dependent we are on shops etc for our food, never mind everything else like heating and other utilities. Can you imagine what would ensue if the shops were empty and the heating was non existent and water was frozen solid ? I suspect we wouldn't last long in this weather. Those envious and mean minded people who voiced their "concern" about me feeding the swans and ducks and making them "dependent" - would be first to shout blue murder if the shops were empty and the utilities shut down. The truth is, as a species we are all dependent one way or another on the state and the distribution systems we have created. The swans ducks and other birds merely make use of what we are willing to provide in hard times - at least they have the intelligence to do so.

Today I took a snap of a small bird about the size of a wren, but Looking at the pics I think it's a Firecrest or Goldcrest ? The swans and ducks are looking good and we now have about 12 tufted ducks on the lower river along with mergansers and goosanders.