Stormy Weather

[Serial_Apologist]

Do any of the ornithologists know why sparrows are scarce? Only blue tits seem as capable of a good scrap,
sparrows have always been here and I'm glad they still are. They take all the peanuts from the hanging cage and the greedy pigeons wait below for the bits that drop. As it should be IMO.
I've missed the fieldfares and redwings in the last year or so though.

It was being said on Today this morning that the UK Starling population has diminished by 75% in the last 25 years due to inimical farming methods. They used to be as ubiquitous as sparrows, and one misses their squeaks, squeals and wolf whistles that made many a pretty head turn, though they do still congregate around the Sainsbury's car park in Sydenham, where I saw a small child ask her mother, "What are them birds called, Mummy?" To which she replied, "They're witches, dear"

[eighthobstruction]

>>>>'Do any of the ornithologists know why sparrows are scarce? '<<<<

....do you think it can have anything to do with the malevolent chavfinch [sic]

[Anna]

I have masses of sparrows here, and noisy they are, but haven't seen a starling for some years (I think they are attractive birds with their plumage) But where I am, basically, it's grazing for cattle and sheep, so no farming methods have changed, I miss them. To keep ontopic, 20 degrees today

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

ice scream summertime weather in the middle kingdom today .... not too many birds tho ....

[Serial_Apologist]

>>>>'Do any of the ornithologists know why sparrows are scarce? '<<<<

....do you think it can have anything to do with the malevolent chavfinch [sic]

Yehbutnobutyehbutnobutyehbutnobutyeh

[Serial_Apologist]

I have masses of sparrows here, and noisy they are, but haven't seen a starling for some years (I think they are attractive birds with their plumage) But where I am, basically, it's grazing for cattle and sheep, so no farming methods have changed, I miss them. To keep ontopic, 20 degrees today

I know what happened! All them cockney sparrers made a lotta dosh in the 80s and went and bought country cottages in Wales!

[salymap]

Ithought my sparrows had funny accents, they must have returned to their nut cage from Wales.

Very sunny when indoors, sharp cold wind when walking to shops. Last fine day for a bit though.

[Serial_Apologist]

Ithought my sparrows had funny accents, they must have returned to their nut cage from Wales.

Very sunny when indoors, sharp cold wind when walking to shops. Last fine day for a bit though.

No no sal - still remaining fine, but much cooler over the weekend, with the chance of a shower on Monday, and frost thereafter predicted, I'm afraid.

With the drought high retreating south west it'll be interesting to see if the weather circulation will re-pattern back to more normal next week. Boy oh boy, we really need some proper rain here! Over on t'other side, marthe looks likely to get a lot of wind and rain on Monday into Tuesday from a northward-moving developing low off the eastern seaboard.

[Anna]

Rather nippy this morning (8) when I left home and grey and dull, sun only broke through at lunchtime and it's climbed to 14.7 now. We're having thick frosts every morning except today and I looked at some pansies in the market (thinking of putting them in window box) but wondered about them being frosted? Are they fully hardy? Our main river is so low you can see all the pebbles at the bottom and the rapids have gone completely, the local small river here is fast disappearing and becoming a stream. I hope S_A can conjure up some rain!

[Serial_Apologist]

Rather nippy this morning (8) when I left home and grey and dull, sun only broke through at lunchtime and it's climbed to 14.7 now. We're having thick frosts every morning except today and I looked at some pansies in the market (thinking of putting them in window box) but wondered about them being frosted? Are they fully hardy? Our main river is so low you can see all the pebbles at the bottom and the rapids have gone completely, the local small river here is fast disappearing and becoming a stream. I hope S_A can conjure up some rain!

Pansies are pretty tough. I'll see if can cast a few magic spels, and then do a rain dance, Anna.

[Mahlerei]

The front page of today's Daily Express promises an arctic freeze over Easter :(

[marthe]

Such a glorious day today that it was quite a surprise to go outside and see a cloudy night sky. We're supposed to have rain and cloud on and off over the weekend. S-A's forecast extends that into Monday and Tuesday as well. Can't complain about the rain as it waters in my transplants. April Fools on Sunday so anything goes. The ides of April is tax day for us when both the federal and state tax are due. We'll be owing tax this year. Time was when we would get a refund but those days are long gone.

[salymap]

The false summer has gone and my front garden is full of pink blossom, blown from a pretty tree [that I can't name } across the road in a little 'park'. Autumn seems to be back with a vengeance.

[BBMmk2]

If we do have this expectant Artic freeze, all the new born birds won't have a chance to survivie it?

Rather cooler today! Still sunny but we are going to get rain, at some point in the next week?

[amateur51]

Nice sunny morning here in NW2, a tad more cloud than on Friday which I spent in St James' Park, marvelling at Nature in general and at how park planting has come on in particular

Definitely nippy out there tho' - no sitting by the patio door for me today