Actually, like us, birds are prone to fatty liver and if they get too many carbs it starts to affect them like it can affect us (hence foie gras). So a little bread with some meal worms and fat balls should be fine as that is a reasonable balance of protein and carbs and fat. It is the likes of the ducks in the parks that were getting an almost constant supply of bread from people and little to no protein, which were/are negatively impacted.Bread isn’t the best thing for birds. I know it’s what we always used to throw out for them but it’s now no longer advised.
Apparently it’s like crack for them!
And it was also blocking drainage from the lakes and ponds etc and attracting rats.Actually, like us, birds are prone to fatty liver and if they get too many carbs it starts to affect them like it can affect us (hence foie gras). So a little bread with some meal worms and fat balls should be fine as that is a reasonable balance of protein and carbs and fat. It is the likes of the ducks in the parks that were getting an almost constant supply of bread from people and little to no protein, which were/are negatively impacted.
I heard that the RSPB were saying that it was that people threw more bread that the birds were eating so it went rotten and when people stopped because they were told it was bad for the birds, then the swans in particular were underweight as people then didn't give them more suitable food like the grain and seeds because they would have had to buy it.Actually, like us, birds are prone to fatty liver and if they get too many carbs it starts to affect them like it can affect us (hence foie gras). So a little bread with some meal worms and fat balls should be fine as that is a reasonable balance of protein and carbs and fat. It is the likes of the ducks in the parks that were getting an almost constant supply of bread from people and little to no protein, which were/are negatively impacted.
I have to get them thawed out first! 🙄Or do the tennis balls floating in the water trick. Unless they freeze as well.
My dad usually says "I could hang corduroy coats from my nips" when it's very cold!I could take someone’s eye out with my nips!![]()
NOW, that’s the way to party! Let your hair down AND get a HS the next day! 😱😛😎View attachment 23259
5.2 this morning after my work night out. Had a lovely time too, was tempted into having a few "Baby Guinness" shots after we'd had prosecco and I had a gin and tonic...
Talking of the wild swimmers as I was earlier, on my way home past the river tonight, I could see a decent sized bow wave in the distance. I was sure it couldn't be a swimmer as there was no car parked and no one else around and just the one bow wave, so I kept thinking it must just be a large duck and my eyesight isn't what it used to be. I stood watching for several minutes as it gradually got closer and sure enough a lone swimmer! This was at 4pm just as it was getting dusk. I decided that I wanted to see them safely out of the water before I left and was really impressed to see it was a woman in a swimming costume (I really thought they would be using a wetsuit on a day like today). Not surprisingly her skin was glowing bright red when she got out!
I was a bit torn as to whether watching her might be intimidating as I was well wrapped up and she probably couldn't tell if I was male of female from that distance. She had clearly been in the water for a while to have swum up river and then take that length of time to return to the weir and boat house, which is the access point, so I just watched from a distance until she was safely out of the water. No idea how these people protect their gear whilst they are swimming and surely they don't go there without a phone in case they need assistance.
Anyway, really impressed. Maybe one day I will be inspired to give it a go! There are supposedly some amazing health benefits but obviously also some risks, not least being half a mile down stream from a sewerage treatment works, but on a really cold day like today, swimming alone seems even more risky.
With cold and exercise a hypo could be a real danger with increased chance of cramp especially if circulation has been affected by Big D!![]()
There seems to be a major rescue operation at a lake near Solihull where several people are in critical condition having been rescued from freezing water. I suspect they thought the ice was thick enough to walk on. Madness.My levels tend to go high with cold and particularly stress as I imagine the body will experience in cold water, so I very much doubt that a hypo would be an issue and circulation is good so no problems there, plus with wild swimming, particularly at this time of year, it is usually less that 5 mins in the water. I very much doubt I could hypo in that short a time.... but I am a long way off plucking up the courage to do it, so hypothetical at the moment!