Wildlife

[Bunnylump]

Our stupid white camelia was flowering too (until it got buried in snow), as was our perennial fuschia!! I think they thought it was spring or summer. Big shock.

[kathlyn]

Don't forget when feeding the birds in your gardens that they need water as well. I've just poured boiling water into the birdbath to thaw the ice but it's so cold out there it will freeze again in no time so I'll be doing it again later today.

[Wulfruna]

I've just poured boiling water into the birdbath to thaw the ice but it's so cold out there it will freeze again in no time so I'll be doing it again later today.

I'm told(by scientists) that it is more effective to use just normal cold water to pour on top of the ice, as it will not freeze again so quickly as if you use boiling water. However, I have to say that practical experience did not bear this out!!!

[eirian]

it's certainly true that you should only use warmish water to defrost car windscreens for that reason, and I must admit that the hotter the water, the quicker it seems to refreeze.

[gill216]

Back on topic, the wildlife are hungry. I've had queues- all patiently waiting their turn in the pecking order- for the peanuts and fat balls today.

[SparkOut]

it's certainly true that you should only use warmish water to defrost car windscreens for that reason, and I must admit that the hotter the water, the quicker it seems to refreeze.

I thought that the reason for not using water that's too hot to defrost a car windscreen is so that it doesn't crack due to differing expansion rates because of the temperature difference.

And from a chemistry lesson a million years ago, I seem to remember something to do with "specific latent heat" (maybe) and the fact that "rate of temperature loss is proportional to the temperature differential from ambient". In other words, the boiling water cools down from 100 to 40 degrees much quicker than from 40 to 20, and that is much quicker than 20 to 10 degrees, etc. etc. I think as the temperature approaches freezing it's probably about the same. But I've done no testing!

[evilkeen]

I think it's because the boiling water evaporates much more quickly than the colder water, and the process of turning from liquid to gas uses up energy which it gets from the water, making it get cold very quickly.

[clvrlad]

can i disagree slightly?

you should be using water youve boiled that is now only warm

if anyone can work out my logic for me id be grateful (i know why i think that but i want your answers )

[Laura]

I have no idea about the logic for all that, except to say that all our birds seem to be quite happily drinking the snow, and it only seems to be a problem when it's really solid ice.

[Bunnylump]

We have a green woodpecker eating dabble grish off the top of the dalek!

(Not every day you find yourself saying a sentence like that is it?)

[Scurra]

(Not every day you find yourself saying a sentence like that is it?)

It is for you.

[Bunnylump]

Are you implying that I talk nonsense?

OK fair point.

[Cenwulf]

I've got a dalek (composting bin), but no green woodpecker.
What the heck is dabble grish?

[Laura]

What the heck is dabble grish?

A question I've been wanting to ask, but suspecting it was something I should already know.

[gill216]

Hands up from me too

[clvrlad]

i dont know for definite but i was assuming left overs left out for the birds

[Bunnylump]

Dabble Grish is sort of cake made for birds out of left over fat, flour, fruit, seeds, and berries then baked. The funny part was that while it was cooling in the tray in the kitchen, my son went and ate some. He came in and said
"what is that cake in the kitchen?"

Fortunately for him I hadn't added cotoneaster berries like I sometimes do, and had used left over fruit from making Christmas cakes instead. BUT it didn't have any sugar in it, AND I had used some cookeen which was out of date!! Serves the silly sod right. Mind you, he said it was quite nice!!

[clvrlad]

well since no one's mentioned it ill tell you why i think pre boiled water freezes slower than tap water

simply put there are less pollutants in it
when trying to grow crystals you remove as many as possible boilling removes some of the distilled gasses
impurities are where the crystals start to form basically at the physics it needs less of an energy change to crystallise whith something to attach to
with out impurities the crystallisation takes place spread around the water but with impuraties the crystals in a small area will form around the impurity first since several are there and water expands when freezing (thus increasing in volume) it does work which requires energy (pushing the universe out the way ) and so helps freeze the rest of the water

btw please note its the direct opposite of what is logical mostly because water expands as it freezes
for most substances becoming solid includes a reduction in volume which means that work is being done on it and thus it gains energy as it shrinks (gets warmer)
dont look at me daft you add heat to melt something why shouldnt it get rid of heat to solidify

[Bunnylump]

Now look at that. Two perfectly informative and educational posts consecutively. One about crystalisation, and expansion and contraction of solids, and one about dabble grish.

[clvrlad]

well if you want bunnylump
i can give you and the other children an experiment to do

first off the stuff you'd need

1 a heat proof container able to hold a cup of water and bounces if dropped
2 a very cold out doors bit near the kitchen your parents dont mind being covered in ice
3 an adult to supervise (Very important for bunny)

first run some cold water from the tap into the cup and go and use it to throw the water in an arc over the ground
the idea is to make the water go every where we want it to be spread about and in the form of droplets if possible
(a good chuck should work)

now boil water once its been firmly boiled poor some in the cup step out side and chuck the water over the same area as the cold water went

what happened?

now explain why