I have been working in the south west and on Wednesday they had the heaviest air frost I have ever seen when I got to my car in the morning there was no ice on windows but all the plants and trees looked like those silver artificial christmas trees of old. They had crystal spikes over an inch(25mm!!) long. I went for a walk at lunchtime with the land owners agent into a small copse took my camera to photograph the sloe and rosehips on the bushes they were like jewels. There was a flock of long tailed tits and although foggy and dark could not resist a few shots.
Later when I looked at the images I saw that the poor little buggers were covered in frost they must have bee double their weight and the flight between trees seem laboured. The agent said they had had birds that day fly straight into the shed wall where they have their brews in and they have feeders hung, like they could not stop and unfortunately 3 lay there dead, although the blackbird I examined seemed to be in perfect order but defosted after being taken into the shed.
One of the people on site has an Armenian friend who says it is not cold until the sparrows start to fallout of the trees and the trees start exploding. I thought that a bit rich till I saw the Long tails. Any Thoughts anyone?
ps when I got home to Manchester a Willow had split from its base and just missed my wife's car she said it had not been over windy just verycold!