Sunday, 22 May 2016

Birdwatching at the Beach



My family at the beach. Typically, they are not swimming or sunbathing, but birdwatching. That's my sister, aunt and mother on the left and my brother-in-law, father and uncle on the right.

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Quiz Update: PrédelaForge was the winner, gaining maximum points by correctly guessing that the plate contains mache, beetroot, faisselle and pig's ear. Thanks to all who participated.

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Loire Valley Nature: A new entry has been added for the digger wasp Argogorytes mystaceus, an important pollinator of Fly Orchids.
 
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Yesterday we were issued dire warning about a storm starting at about 5.00pm and containing rain, thunder, lightning, hail, Morley's ghost and the four horsemen of the apocalypse.


We knew it was serious because we had an orange weather
warning telling us to be very vigilant

Even la Nouvelle Republique got into the act

In fact, the weather yesterday was so benign that the three minute rain squall we had at 22h56 came as a surprise, as did the two minute shower just after midnight. For the sake of the wine makers I hope this was an across the board experience.

17 comments:

Le Pré de la Forge said...

The worst missed us, I think...but there's another tranche coming through in about an hour...heavier for longer!
I watched the lightning pass below I-et-L and across the Brenne... You could see it from here, too....flashing away over the horizon....but no sound!
The four horsemen came through here...and their friends....all the long grass in the meadow looks as if they've stayed a while, prancing about!!
We have recorded 16.2mm so far, but the river hasn't risen or gone cloudy....so some of that rain actually might be wind....our analogue rainguage has lost its "plast" and crumbled!!
Will replace that next week from the Outiror Lorry!
Rain looks like it IS going to be an all day event....the satellite view shows solid cloud and the live rain shows tranche after tranche coming our way....but nothing electrical!!
So far!!!

Le Pré de la Forge said...

I hate seawatching...
the Leeds RSPB used to do it an awful lot....
probably because they were so far from the oceans!!

Susan said...

Great, and I've got a botany outing this arvo, on a site that requires scrambling up and down...

Susan said...

I'm not a huge fan either. I only do it when accompanied by people who can point stuff out to me.

Colin and Elizabeth said...

Nothing here either but very wet today I think...

potty said...

Filled the waterbutt so some good has come from it.

Ken Broadhurst said...

We got 11 mm of rain in the gauge overnight, and it's raining now. No lightning or thunder that we noticed, however.

Susan said...

I got saturated going to the boulangerie already. I'll have to change my coat and trousers for the outing this afternoon.

Le Pré de la Forge said...

Murat?

Susan said...

Our neighbour was putting the best possible spin on it this morning too -- great weather for collecting snails even if it is out of season (and gathering the big Burgundy snails is forbidden).

Le Pré de la Forge said...

I spy with my little eye something beginning with A
What, Auk...no Alabatross....?
No...Anotherwave!!
That sums up seawatching to me....
Watching paint dry is more fun!!

Le Pré de la Forge said...

I was watching it on the satellite view, Ken....
Passed well below all of us....fortunately!!
We are now reading 18millipedes....

Susan said...

Our neighbour tells me we've had 22mm to about 10am.

Susan said...

Nope. The motocross course at Rilly sur Vienne!

Le Pré de la Forge said...

Well, that tallies...
it has often been the darker blue passing beneath us...
the bulk of it passed through after Midnight.... including some red patches...
hope Rilly s. V., being a motocross course, wasn't too muddy!!

Susan said...

In the end the motocross course was deemed too difficult in the rain and we visited a different limestone ridge opposite the cemetery. 12 species of orchid.

Ken Broadhurst said...

We've had rain all day, continuing this evening. So gld we did the tilling and mowing yesterday.

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