Urban Birds Take a Lie-in

According to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) our urban birds tend to arrive at garden feeders somewhat later than their countryside counterparts. The rationale is that in urban areas the amount of heat loss from the average home is such as to keep the surrounding environment somewhat warmer than country areas. Urban birds then take a 'lie-in' as they have not expended so much energy to keep warm through the night unlike birds in more rural areas.

I am up most weekdays at 6:30am and I notice that my garden birds are at our feeders soon after first light. No lie-in for them it appears. Greedy little so-and-sos!