It has been exceptionally cold here in the UK for the last few days. Most winters the little pond at the end of our garden freezes over for a day or two when winter is at it's coldest. Usually it is just a very thin layer of ice, it's in a sheltered spot.
This year not so much. I like to put a hole or two in the ice to let the birds drink, and so the expansion of the ice doesn't damage the pond liner. Usually, it is just a case of poking holes with a stick. This time, I needed to use a hatchet !
Once it was done, I saw the little crustaceans in the pond rush to the open spot. As soon as I moved away, all the local blackbirds came down one after the other to have a drink. I didn't realise we had so many.
The photo above is the hole I made in the ice, and below you can see how thick it is. More than 5 centimetres thick - it would probably take my weight if I was daft enough to stand on it !
I'll be glad when things start growing again and the garden looks a bit less scruffy. But at least the cold weather means we should have a good crop of strawberries later in the year 馃榾