Stormy Weather

[amateur51]

All the blackbirds in this particular 'hood are hot on their Messiaen!

In fact you can hear S_A shout "Oh stop Messiaen about, big show-off!" some days

[BBMmk2]

I was wondering where that noise was coming from! now I know!

[Serial_Apologist]

In fact you can hear S_A shout "Oh stop Messiaen about, big show-off!" some days

... in best Kenneth Williams high camp style eh??

The last frontal system expected to cross the area later this afternoon raises some interesting prospects. Officially, one or two showers are forecast, possibly interrupting play at Wimbledon; but weakening cold fronts have often been known to dramatically rejuvenate as they traverse heated land surfaces, cutting into warm humid air, and I remember at least one instance when huge thunderstorms resulted, flooding spectator sections of the then-unroofed Centre Court. We'll see...........

[cloughie]

What sort of bird feeders do you have cloughie? You should be able to find ones that are proof against squirrels and large birds here - our rooks are reduced to the few crumbs that fall to the ground. The CK Wildlife Guardian models have been tested by our squirrels and not found wanting. A large initial investment but saves on the food in the long run.

It's only become a problem recently - maybe I need to revise the feeding station!

[Serial_Apologist]

It's only become a problem recently - maybe I need to revise the feeding station!

It takes a while for more dominant species to suss a situation re plentiful supplies, cloughie, and then it's all a matter of trial and errol, as my Bristolian friends are apt to say.

[BBMmk2]

I do miss my parents' place, out in Cowfold(on nthe Horsham road), right out in the sticks, it was,and the different birds we had out there, was really good, including a kestrel as well, plus woodpeckers, etc.

[EdgeleyRob]

Lovely summer evening here,nice breeze too,perfect for a long walk.

[salymap]

I do miss my parents' place, out in Cowfold(on nthe Horsham road), right out in the sticks, it was,and the different birds we had out there, was really good, including a kestrel as well, plus woodpeckers, etc.

Congratulations on your 5000 posts Bbm. Was/is Cowfold anywhere near Southwater ? I had some good holidays there ages ago,

[Anna]

Barometer has shot up here to 1030, absolutely no wind (hurrah!), thick mist first thing, I was able to sally forth in just one thin layer, become very hazy at the moment and so far 20.7° For the foreseeable future it's salads (but with romaine lettuce for a change!)

(I hadn't intended to visit the market plant stall this morning but - bought two large Impatiens New Guineas for just £1 each, one blush pink and one pale lilac, and as a treat a big Canna for indoors, not sure that I'll risk it outside for fear of slugs and snails)

Isn't it Starlings who are the big mimics and regularly sing classical music and used to fool people by imitating ringtones? We used to have loads of them here but I never see them now, shame, very attractive plumage.

[Nick Armstrong]

become very hazy at the moment

Perhaps you should drink a strong coffee?

[Serial_Apologist]

Barometer has shot up here to 1030, absolutely no wind (hurrah!), thick mist first thing, I was able to sally forth in just one thin layer, become very hazy at the moment and so far 20.7° For the foreseeable future it's salads (but with romaine lettuce for a change!)

(I hadn't intended to visit the market plant stall this morning but - bought two large Impatiens New Guineas for just £1 each, one blush pink and one pale lilac, and as a treat a big Canna for indoors, not sure that I'll risk it outside for fear of slugs and snails)

Isn't it Starlings who are the big mimics and regularly sing classical music and used to fool people by imitating ringtones? We used to have loads of them here but I never see them now, shame, very attractive plumage.

Hello Anna and everyone.

No need to panic this time, because should you blink there's no chance of missing this lovely spell of anticyclonic weather, unless of course you're abroad. 22 C at noon here, none too hazy as yet - I can still see details on Hampstead Heath with the aid of binoculars - because it takes a few days for pollution levels to build up under inversions associated with highs. That's the one drawback of settled weather: inversions (descending air to a certain altitude, probably around 4000 feet today judging by the flattening out cumulus) prevent clouds building up to shower levels, but they trap any dust and pollution particles. At the moment temperatures in this neck of the woods look like peaking at around 28 C on Sunday, after which the centre of greatest heat will shift more in the direction of the W Midlands, N Wales, Lancashire/Cumberland, with the arrival of a fresh north-east breeze across the south bringing temperatures down to the low twenties.

Starling numbers nationwide have been decimated over the past decade - I only ever see a few nowadays, and that is down the big Sainsbury's car park in Sydenham; but they've rigged up a distressed bird alarm call to frighten them away. I miss their cheeky wolf whistles making outraged young women turn on their heels!

[mangerton]

[QUOTE=Serial_Apologist;309819]Hello Anna and everyone.

No need to panic this time, because should you blink there's no chance of missing this lovely spell of anticyclonic weather, unless of course you're abroad. 22 C at noon here, none too hazy as yet - I can still see details on Hampstead Heath with the aid of binoculars - because it takes a few days for pollution levels to build up under inversions associated with highs. That's the one drawback of settled weather: inversions (descending air to a certain altitude, probably around 4000 feet today judging by the flattening out cumulus) prevent clouds building up to shower levels, but they trap any dust and pollution particles. At the moment temperatures in this neck of the woods look like peaking at around 28 C on Sunday, after which the centre of greatest heat will shift more in the direction of the W Midlands, N Wales, Lancashire/Cumberland, with the arrival of a fresh north-east breeze across the south bringing temperatures down to the low twenties.
QUOTE]

I don't see Scotland featuring in your prognostications. Is this a bad sign? Sun's out at the moment, but the wind appears to be up.

[antongould]

Yet to see the sun 'midst the pit heaps, very cloudy still......not what last night's BBC Weather promised at all.

[Anna]

none too hazy as yet - I can still see details on Hampstead Heath with the aid of binoculars - because it takes a few days for pollution levels to build up under inversions associated with highs. That's the one drawback of settled weather: inversions (descending air to a certain altitude, probably around 4000 feet today judging by the flattening out cumulus) prevent clouds building up to shower levels, but they trap any dust and pollution particles.

But why are the Black Mountains almost continually hazy? i.e., when looking across to them they are very rarely clearly defined and standing out from the sky. It cannot be pollution can it? (And it's not my eyes, as sometimes they are outstandingly clear - but always when I don't have the camera with me)

I don't see Scotland featuring in your prognostications. Is this a bad sign? Sun's out at the moment, but the wind appears to be up.

I'm sure you'll be grateful, when we are all moaning about the heat, that you're a couple of degrees cooler!! However, I'm sure S_A will come up with a good forecast for you and anton.

[cloughie]

Starling numbers nationwide have been decimated over the past decade - I only ever see a few nowadays, and that is down the big Sainsbury's car park in Sydenham; but they've rigged up a distressed bird alarm call to frighten them away. I miss their cheeky wolf whistles making outraged young women turn on their heels!

Their mimicking of trimphones was impressive also - a veritable busy line.