Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Day Dreaming...

Rumours of a big freeze have set me thinking.

Today, in the dark at 7.30am I heard Song Thrush, 2 or 3 Redwings, 1 Skylark over and saw 2 Blackbirds in torchlight near the coast path when I was out with Bunty. Are these just tardy migrants or are they the start of a hard weather movement ahead of the cold front?

Ipin has suggested that the temperature could drop to -15 degrees in the next few days. I think weather forecasters exaggerate a bit with bad weather just to cover their backs. If the forecast is right though, it should move some birds across the north sea from the more north easterly reaches of Europe. More Thrushes and Larks are likely with maybe things like Shorelarks and Lap Buntings, Wildfowl from the Baltic might carry a few Smew and Grebes and there could be Woodcock on the coast.

You never know, 2009 might be the year of another Tengmalms Owl, Hawk Owl, White winged Lark, Dusky Thrush or mainland Pine Grosbeak. The real jackpot would be one of those eastern Accentors that turn up rarely in Scandinavian countries, Siberian or Black throated...

A more likely scenario is that the forecast is about +15 degrees out and we get two days of frozen windscreens...

Oh well...'when I snap my fingers you'll be back in the room'...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Food for thought there, Stewart.
I`ve set my sights a little lower and put an order in for either or both a Goldeneye/Smew.
Quite meagre offerings compared to your forecast ;-)

Warren Baker said...

Heh, Heh. You think as I do about the weather Stewart.
The snow that was forcast for us today was sleety rain, and that was just a few showers. It may well snow overnight here, but by monday it will be all back to the drab SW rubbish!

PS I hope you get it cold up there as everything will move down to my patch!!

Stewart said...

Dean - Fingers crossed.

Warren - Up here we get upland birds moving to the coast to join incoming birds. In some hard weather spells the fields immediately in from the coast get loads of Lapwings, Golden Plovers, Starlings, Skylarks, Woodcock, Snipe, Thrushes, Pigeons and some finch flocks. Things like Meadow Pipits and Pied Wags have already gone. The ponds get Long tailed Duck, Smew, Grebes in single figures...If the weather is only a blip then chances are wwe will get very little...

Jack Ashton-Booth said...

Thanks ever so much for the kind words Stewart, i will definatly put a link to your blog when i work out how to work this blog properly.Your artworks fantastic, that Eastern-Crowned is a lovely piece of work. Keep in touch. Thanks Once Again. Jack

Ghost of Stringer said...

Nowt wrong with daydreaming ! Most of the time I'm wandering around the patch I am in full daydream mode... reminiscing past birds, trying to predict future birds...

Just imagine that siberian accentor grubbing about under your birdtable !! If I saw that I think the shock would kill me...

White winged lark on the Long Nanny would make me happy !!