Let Them Eat Ice -- "Siberian Freeze" Putting New Strain on Water Birds

Willow, the little female wood duck hanging in there as a ringed-billed gull flies over her. Even the gulls are desperate now and searching.

Gulls, geese and frantic mallards.

Trying to follow me home. "Don't you have any more?"

It seems lately this blog is mostly about weather reports.

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Unfortunately, today is no different.

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Yesterday, New Yorkers and the birds got a bit of reprieve. Temperatures soared to freezing!

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But, if I didn't know anything from professional weather forecasters, I would know that things were about to go south again just by the behavior of the geese and ducks at the Reservoir last night.

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I would know by their near-panicked, desperation for food.

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Last night, the geese attempted to climb on the snowy embankment even though they invariably slip and slide down the ice-covered rocks. Still, a few managed to hang on -- at least long enough to grab some morsels of food and gain slight advantage over those still crowded and scrambling on the ice.

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A number of the mallards have already learned this trick -- and then some. As noted, the really brazen ducks fly on to the running path where they are first to grab loosely falling seeds, corn and cat food. Though I attempt to hand feed some of the mallards scrambling at my feet, they are so desperate, they almost take my fingers with them!

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But, no matter how much I bring, it is never enough.

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Indeed, the hardest part of trying to keep our water bird losses to a minimum (by feeding) during what is now termed, the "Siberian freeze," in New York is finally running out of food and having to turn and leave.

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Both, the geese and ducks follow me on ice and on the snowy running path as if praying and beseeching more. It takes all my will to walk briskly away and not look back.

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Seeing the frantic behavior in spades last night, I knew today was going to be a rough one -- and it only gets worse tomorrow.

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By morning, New York City is predicted to hit 3 degrees with wind chills 20 below zero. Virtually, the entire region is forecast to hit record lows.

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It seems almost an insurmountable task to try and get sufficient nourishment to the roughly 40 geese and 50 ducks still at the one watercourse in Central Park with actual moving water. (Though at this point, very little.)

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But, what if the whole Reservoir freezes over -- even with the fountain of spaying water at the south west end? (Considering that other fountains and even a waterfall in New York have turned to ice, such is not a far fetched thought.)

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Well then, I don't know.

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Presently, tug boats and ice breakers are working virtually non-stop to break up ice floes on the Hudson and East Rivers.

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Still, I am amazed at the people met each night at the Reservoir who delight in taking photos of the impoverished and desperate birds but who never think to bring as much as a cracker for them. What do they think water birds are eating when there is no water and grounds are covered in ice and snow?

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"Survival of the fittest" they say or perhaps, "let them eat ice."

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So easy to say these things when you've got a nice, warm home to go to and plenty of food on the table.  -- PCA

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