How do birds survive in extreme cold?

This morning at 5AM our thermometer registered -32C, even colder than the predicted low of -28. According to the Farmzone website yesterday's low for Madoc was -38! Who knows if we're in a "balmy" part of the borough or if the temperature had risen from an overnight low of -38 to -32 predawn. Bottom line - it was cold!

We arrived here Saturday around noon. Once we had unpacked and gotten the home fires burning Christopher went out to fill the bird feeders. Within minutes there were chickadees at the platform feeder. They are always the boldest and therefore the first. But shortly after they were joined by sparrows, finches and house finches and later blue jays.  It always takes a little longer for the juvenile finches to gather at the nyjer seed feeder Alex gave us for Christmas a few years ago.

Juvenile finches at the nyjer feeder. At this age both sexes are an olive green.

And other juvenile finches feeding on the spillover from the feeder above

I had gotten new skis and boots and, notwithstanding the temperature of -24C,  I was bound and determined to try them out. I was out for two and a half hours and got frost bite on my left ear lobe. That made me curious how those little birds could survive 24/7 in such brutal temperatures and arctic winds.

Trying the new gear in front of the bird feeder

Well it seems not all of them do. For some breeds about 75% of mature birds survive the winter vs 40% of the younger ones. Older birds are dominant socially and younger birds keep their distance from their belligerent elders. The safest and therefore preferred place to eat is the top of the trees - safest from  predators. The older birds get first dibs on this spot and the younger birds are forced to settle into the lower branches.

Simply put birds congregate in groups, eat - fatty foods if possible, fluff up their feathers at rest and hope for a cosy small cavity in which to overnight.

Notwithstanding selfish seniors, it is still true that birds of a feather really do flock together.
Generally there is safety in numbers - more eyes to be on the lookout for predators and better chances of finding the richest food sources. For wild birds eating at feeders the fattiest foods are best; black sunflower seeds, suet, peanuts. Even though squirrels are not predators birds give them a wide berth. When a red squirrel parks itself at our feeder some birds keep a vigilant eye from the safety of a nearby tree while others take the chance and eat the spilled seed on the ground below the feeder.

The red squirrel eyes the feeder from a nearby willow

Once the squirrel is nestled into the feeder the bolder birds gather below to eat spilled seed

Spots of yellow indicate an oriole and finch eyeing the feeder wistfully 

Like us, a big meal slows birds down making them more vulnerable to predators. If they've gotten their fill they take a rest and puff up their down feathers which help trap warm air in air pockets next to their bodies. Despite their misleading name, Downy (and all) woodpeckers don't have down feathers.

Finches at rest all puffed up while they "feather fluff"

Downy woodpecker at the suet feeder

Birds are also extremely susceptible to small changes in wind so they tend to congregate on the side of the tree away from the wind. If that side is also in the sun so much the better.

A blue jay preparing for a landing

Blue Jays also sample the suet while an oriole looks on

And finally, a roosting cavity just slightly larger than themselves helps the bird warm the surrounding air overnight. Other birds crowd together in a roosting cavity to share body heat. And others still can enter into a torpor-like state by lowering their metabolism to conserve energy and require less heat.

From year to year we have some loyal visitors like the mourning doves, chickadees and juncoes. Other birds are more discriminating I guess - trying us out but never to return for a second visit. This is the case with orioles - stunning citrus yellow birds bigger and brighter than the yellow and olive juvenile finches.

Orioles gather to eat seeds on the ground on Jan. 1, 2013

Birds also benefit from seed heads on perennials and homemade goodies like peanut butter pine cones. While this winter hasn't had the sustained cold and heavy snow of the last two years this weekend's deep freeze is only beaten by the record low set in 1899. Whatever the weather, birds can use all the help we can give them. And in return they reward us with colour and industrious activity in what can seem otherwise a monotone and lifeless winter landscape.

Frank Meyer and the Meyer Lemon

A seasonal treat, but not local for us in Toronto, is the Meyer Lemon. They hailed from China originally and are thought to be a cross between Mandarin oranges and lemons. Meyer lemons are smaller and more round than regular lemons. Their flesh often has a "peachy" tint and is less acidic than the common Lisbon or Eureka lemon with a skin that is thinner.

Meyer Lemons

Discovered in 1908 by Frank Meyer, an agricultural explorer, they bear his name. Like John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, he preferred work in the field to life at a desk. But unlike John Muir his name is virtually unknown today. Yet examples of his legacy are found in virtually every garden in North America today.

Frank Meyer was the first agricultural explorer charged with searching for economically useful, rather than ornamental, plants. He was employed by the Foreign Plant Introduction program of the USDA and sent to China initially. Later travels took him to Korea and Siberia. Over four expeditions to Asia he discovered and sent back cuttings, seeds and clippings of hundred of plants that have changed the botanical landscape of North America. His discoveries include grasses that are now used for lawns, scions and rootstock for fruit tree breeding, soybean and alfalfa and innumerable other ornamental and agricultural plants.

He was an indefatigable explorer walking through mountain ranges, across deserts and wading through icy streams in climatic extremes ranging from snowstorms to tropical heat and humidity. He was assaulted by robbers and thieves, bedbugs and scorpions, and often walked 25 to 40 miles a day. On his third expedition on one single day, November 9, 1914, he and his party crossed four mountain passes at elevations above 11.000 feet. On another expedition from Korea to Siberia he and his group lived on nothing but boiled oats for the last two weeks. He camped in tents when it was so cold the tea froze in the cup before it could be drunk. His return to the US from England was on the Mauretania in March 1912, following one day behind the ill-fated Titanic. His death is a mystery. On June 1, 1918 he boarded a steamer bound for Shanghai. Later that evening he could not be found. His body was eventually recovered from the Yangtze River. It was never determined whether his death was a suicide or the result of foul play.

Frank Meyer and his collecting party at 4.000 feet near Yin Tau Ko, China

A biography of Frank Meyer was written by Isabel Shipley Cunningham, Plant Hunter in Asia. There is an excellent article by her with photographs at http://arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu/pdf/articles/1984-44-3-frank-meyer-agricultural-explorer.pdf

One of the best uses for Meyer lemons is Meyer Lemon Marmalade. There are many ways to make marmalade; preparation can take two days or just a couple of hours, texture can be thick cut or fine. I prefer the method which involves pre-soaking cut rind overnight and results in a somewhat robust texture.

The first step is to halve the lemons and remove and save the seeds which are a big source of pectin, necessarily for gelling but allowing the marmalade to be made without the use of commercial gelatine.

Halved lemon reveals seeds  to be removed

The seeds, high in pectin, are set aside

After the seeds are removed each half is cut into quarters and then those quarters are sliced thinly.

Meyer lemons waiting to be cut, the lemons sliced and put into a non-reactive pot

The sliced lemons, any juice accumulated, water and the seeds, gathered into a cheesecloth bag, are put into a non-reactive bowl, covered and left to stand overnight.

The seeds are gathered into a cheesecloth bag

Sliced, lemons, seeds and water rest overnight on the counter

The next day the mixture is brought to a boil over medium heat. I add the sugar at that point and then it is kept on a medium boil/simmer until the gelling point is reached. Once the gelling point is reached the bubbles become small and cover the entire surface. I also test by putting half a spoonful on a plate in the freezer for a couple minutes. When it is removed from the freezer the marmalade has gelled if the cold sample wrinkles when pushed with a finger. When sure the gelling point has been reached the bag of seeds is removed and the marmalade can be ladled into sterilized mason jars.

I like to process the marmalade in a hot water bath. This is not necessary because of the high sugar content but I like to take this step because I can find out in five minutes, rather than five hours, whether the jars have sealed.

Canned and processed Meyer Lemon Marmalade 

Once cooled the marmalade can be stored for a year for a little taste of sunshine all year long.

I have a somewhat pathetic Meyer Lemon plant which is fun but only bears one or two little fruits a year.

The finished product in front of the raw material!