THE birds have been going nuts (ha ha) on the bird feeders and I am struggling to keep them topped up. I have been really pleased to see such a variety and the other day there was a greater spotted woodpecker, a nuthatch, a chaffinch, a goldfinch, and long tailed, great, blue, coal and marsh tits in the space of an hour.

It’s remarkable how much food they get through, especially peanuts, but it’s nice to think we are helping them. The little birds are able to survive low temperatures by flocking together in the day, which gives more vigilance and allows more eating time.

At night, birds will roost together to preserve heat and fluff up their feathers to trap heat in. The outer feathers protect the soft fluffy inner feathers from any bad weather.

Small birds can lose five per cent of their body weight on a cold night before dawn. To preserve their weight, they have to eat virtually the equivalent of their own weight each day, which means they have to forage for about 85 per cent of their day. Of course, this means a source of food from a feeder is a literal lifeline.

Small birds can also use a method of semi-hibernation, when their body slows everything down to conserve energy. This involves slowing breathing and heart rate, so they are vulnerable to predators, so they use a communal roost to reduce the risk.

Of course, in winter they are in bed by 5pm and don’t get up till about 8am, compared to the long summer nights, when they are out and about past 9pm.

I can’t help thinking it must be a bit boring, freezing feet stuck on a branch while your neighbour keeps squeezing you. It can’t be a lot of fun.