Stormy Weather II

[oddoneout]

Watch out, BBM - I don't know about where you are, but the ants are swarming around here today - it must be their annual riot day. I've had to cancel the bike ride I'd been looking forward to.

Suddenly happened here about an hour ago. I went to make cup of tea and was surprised at the number of black headed gulls around, then realised the sky was full of them so there must have been ants in the air. All went over quite quickly, I wonder if there'll be another swarm tomorrow - it looks as if the weather not quite so good for it.
This I found good for explaining - the opening photograph is striking. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/when-...al-flight.html

[DracoM]

Strong, and beautiful summer day here. Pity the cricket is keeping me indoors!

[Serial_Apologist]

Strong, and beautiful summer day here. Pity the cricket is keeping me indoors!

Now crickets must be swarming too!!!

[Joseph K]

Yep, we've had loads of flying ants in the garden - I tried to persuade my mum against going out there with a kettle of boiling water though...

[Pulcinella]

Still outdoors in the sunshine (at long last!) here: two neighbours (different houses, but don't think we've broken bubble rules) round earlier.
About to eat!

[Serial_Apologist]

Yep, we've had loads of flying ants in the garden - I tried to persuade my mum against going out there with a kettle of boiling water though...

Apparently the phenomenon was pretty widespread today, and intense enough to actually register on weather radars as showers! One of the larger flying wood ants disappeared between pages of a file I was reading while outside sunbathing this afternoon, and when I paged turned to release it, it ran out, leaving its wings behind. I've seen film of them shedding their wings when back inside the nest, but never like this.

[BBMmk2]

Watch out, BBM - I don't know about where you are, but the ants are swarming around here today - it must be their annual riot day. I've had to cancel the bike ride I'd been looking forward to.

Thank you! I’m mid-way, roughly between Brighton and Crawley. My wife puts down talcum powder, which certainly does the trick!

[cloughie]

Apparently the phenomenon was pretty widespread today, and intense enough to actually register on weather radars as showers! One of the larger flying wood ants disappeared between pages of a file I was reading while outside sunbathing this afternoon, and when I paged turned to release it, it ran out, leaving its wings behind. I've seen film of them shedding their wings when back inside the nest, but never like this.

Interesting - we have also had an increase in ant activity - a few flyers but not swarm proportions - This seems earlier than previous years as early August has been a norm!

[DracoM]

Fells totally AWOL.

[eighthobstruction]

....swallows /swifts where as they??....,https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/natureuk...8-7bf72fa46bfc

[oddoneout]

....swallows /swifts where as they??....,https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/natureuk...8-7bf72fa46bfc

Swifts are still here, with this year's young, having arrived at the normal time and in the usual kind of(ie not very high) numbers.

[Flay]

....swallows /swifts where as they??....,https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/natureuk...8-7bf72fa46bfc

That was last year. Here's a swift update

https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/natureuk/entries/676695fa-eb4f-4a06-9d19-cc13ca054ec7

[BBMmk2]

Where a cousin of mine, who used to have a small holding, had swallows that used to nest in one of her out buildings every year.

Another warm day today.

[Petrushka]

Yep, we've had loads of flying ants in the garden - I tried to persuade my mum against going out there with a kettle of boiling water though...

Very many years ago, in early August, we had a swarm of flying ants indoors which completely covered the living room window, an astonishing sight. My mother made short work of them with the vacuum cleaner.

[LMcD]

We've had 5.7 mm of rain already today, which is some sort of deluge for these parts!