16 Sunday Feb 2020
Storm Dennis has dumped a huge amount of rain across Wales this weekend, on to ground already saturated by the rain from Storm Ciara and, sadly, this has led to severe flooding in some south Wales communities. I am fortunate to live in a town which, although by the sea, is mostly built upon the clifftops, between 30 and 70 metres above sea level, so we have escaped with just a little surface flooding. And that, as you can see, can provide some very attractive reflections.
12 Wednesday Feb 2020
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Before you think you’re reading the wrong blog, this is not a weather report!
It’s just that I was surprised during today’s woodland walk (in sunshine, though with a very chilly breeze blowing) to see that smatterings of yesterday’s hail were still lying amongst the vegetation in more sheltered areas.
And, not only that, but there were also two small drifts, a couple of feet across, of the snow that must have fallen on Monday night while I was sleeping. I noticed traces of it on some shady rooftops yesterday but thought it would all have melted away by now.
The fact that both hail and snow have survived is certainly proof, which today’s numb fingertips can confirm, that the temperatures have been much cooler this week.
19 Sunday Jan 2020
We had another very frosty morning, crisper underfoot than yesterday, and I was delighted to find these fungi, covered in beautiful ice crystals.
18 Saturday Jan 2020
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It was minus 2°C this morning, the first time we’ve seen frost this year – indeed, for many weeks – so, of course, I went looking for signs of the touch of Jack Frost’s crisp finger on the vegetation. Here’s what I found …
30 Monday Dec 2019
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The fog was so thick this morning that I could hear the fog horns blasting out their warnings to shipping using the Bristol Channel. So, I figured I’d go for a local wander and see what photos opportunities I could find. Trees in fog it was.
14 Thursday Nov 2019
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birding, birdwatching, British birds, English idioms, Mallard, rain, reflections in water, wet weather
I always thought the expression ‘It’s good weather for ducks’ referred to wet weather: persistent rain leading to the formation of large pools of water that a duck might enjoy swimming in. Turns out I may have been wrong, and it may well have come from comments by the shooters of waterfowl, who find wet weather better for their hunting.
I certainly hope this gorgeous female Mallard doesn’t meet that fate. How could anyone shoot such a beautiful bottom … er, creature?
11 Friday Oct 2019
It’s been a week of almost constant rain and, despite my rain wear, I’ve had several drenchings. Fortunately, one of my cameras is waterproof so I can still take photos in the wet. Today it was the leaves that caught my eye and the incredible spectrum of browns.
20 Saturday Jul 2019
Posted in 365DaysWildin2019, nature, weather
Yesterday it rained, it poured, it bucketed down and, after several weeks with scarcely a drop of rain, it was life-giving, cleansing, greening, quenching, reviving, freshening …
03 Sunday Mar 2019
Posted in 365DaysWildin2019, nature, weather
With Storm Freya blasting us today, I only managed an hour’s stomp between rain bands but even that was difficult, trying to walk back up the hill from the marina into a 25mph head wind. My head was down, which was probably how I spotted these lovely bands of moss on top of a brick wall. It was interesting how the moss was only growing in strips where the mortar butted up against the terracotta bricks, not on the mortar or the bricks themselves. It sure looked pretty covered in rain drops.
01 Friday Feb 2019
It was wonderful to wake up to a white landscape this morning but, with the wind chill taking the temperature down to -5°C and the pavements and roads very slippery in places, I didn’t linger long outdoors, just did a circuit of local streets and spent some time in the tree-filled Victoria Square that surrounds the Church of All Saints. This square is filled with an excellent variety of trees – very grand old oaks, a selection of tall conifers, smaller birch and cherry plum. The square looked like a magical winter wonderland today so I thought I’d share some snowy tree photos.
