BirdWatch Ireland is advising people who really are for the birds that now is the time that our feathered friends really need us.
And, with the forecast warning of plunging temperatures, it really is time to get the bird feeders out and active.
The organisation also advises that a diversity of foods will allow us to help a variety of species. “High calorie foods like fat-balls, suet blocks, peanuts and sunflower seeds are all great. Put the food in multiple locations – in different feeders, but also some on the ground – or roof or on top of a wall to keep is away from cats / rats – for species that don’t like hanging from feeders.
“One of the most important things during cold weather is to put out fresh water. The icy conditions mean natural water sources might be frozen over, so your birds will need somewhere to drink and wash themselves.
“Keep an eye throughout the day to make sure the water you put out hasn’t frozen over and top it up with fresh water each day.”
For more advice from BirdWatch Ireland you can click on the link here: https://birdwatchireland.ie/faq/
Met Éireann Forecast
The Met Éireann Forecast for the rest of this week and beyond is all about really cold weather:
“A cold start today, Wednesday with frost, icy stretches and some fog patches. Many areas will have a dry day with spells of crisp winter sunshine. However, there will be a few showers in northern and northwestern coastal counties, some of hail or sleet. Highest temperatures of just 2 to 5 degrees in light or moderate northerly breezes.
Wednesday Night: There will be a widespread sharp frost with lows of -3 to +1 degrees with ice on untreated surfaces. Wintry showers will move southwards over the northern half of the country overnight and temperatures will rise marginally with falls of rain, sleet and snow, in some areas, that may lead to some very icy conditions.
Thursday: Very cold with temperatures only nudging above freezing in some areas with high of between +1 and +4 degrees generally in light northerly breezes. Scattered outbreaks of rain, sleet, and possibly some snow over higher ground, will gradually push down over the south of the country. Sunny spells and some scattered wintry showers will follow. They will become confined to coastal parts through the afternoon.
Thursday night: Another bitterly cold night with a widespread sharp to severe frost and some icy patches. Minimum temperatures of -4 to -1 degrees in light northwest to west breezes. Most areas will be dry and clear, but there will be a few wintry showers at times, mostly near northern coasts.
Friday: Staying very cold with temperatures once again struggling to get to +1 to +4 degrees in light westerly breezes. Most of the country will remain dry and quite sunny, but wintry showers will persist near coasts, especially in the west.
Friday night: Another widespread frost is expected with a mix of cloud and clear spells as lowest temperatures dip to between -3 and -1 degrees generally. Wintry coastal showers will continue near western coasts. While a rogue wintry shower or two can’t be ruled out elsewhere, it will mostly be a dry night. Fog, or freezing fog will develop as the night goes on, becoming quite dense through the midlands by morning.
Saturday: Very cold on Saturday with some parts of the midlands not expected to rise above zero as fog persists. Elsewhere generally only getting to +1 to +3 degrees. Apart from the chance of coastal showers in the north and west, it will be a dry day with sunny spells. These becoming confined as the fog is expected to become more widespread through the afternoon and evening.
Further Outlook:Little change expected for Sunday and the early days of next week, while it will be mostly dry it will be raw with fog persisting in some areas, possibly up to the middle of the week.
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