5th February 2019

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Tuesday 5th 38-41F, breezy, heavy cloud clearing to sunny periods. The permafrosted drive has turned to mush with the increased temperatures. The sky was very mixed on my walk to the lanes in light traffic. From blinding sunshine out of a clear blue sky to leaden overcast.

I like the subtle shadows thrown by the low sun on the prairie leading up to the woods. This is only the eastern half of one field. A similarly large field lies on the much steeper eastern side of the same hill. Both fields are nearly 1000 yards by 800 and are managed by very large agricultural machines. Even the sprayers and muck spreaders are based on combine harvesters.  The mixed forest extends for some miles in a more or less, connected patchwork beyond the visible skyline.

I watched as a common gull surfed over the village church from across the fields as I walked on a tangent. The gull had caught the light, as they often do, against a blackened sky beyond. For ten minutes, or more, it soared back and forth at the same altitude above the surrounding trees. Do birds enjoy flying? What drives their behavior?

Wednesday 6th 36-38F grey, wet and windy so far. I left my walk until after morning coffee and still managed to get wet despite the lull which had teased me out. The speeding traffic didn't care if they sprayed me. So I took to the verges as usual. A horribly wet day completely devoid of the promised sunny periods.

Thursday 7th 39F, dark grey and breezy. A repeat of yesterday's forecast. Will it be a repeat of yesterday's weather? 2018 has been recognized as the fourth warmest year on record. It was a year of death and disaster with record temperatures, drought and huge forest fires.

Denmark's farmers and nature organizations are in agreement over taking wet, low land out of farming production. The land will will be returned to nature or grassed. The Danish government is promising funding. It is too late for Denmark's water sources from deep wells. The water table feeding many of these boreholes is already contaminated by pesticides. Another wet and windy day without any of the promised sunshine. It dried up in the afternoon. Heavy shopping in the car.

Friday 8th 40F, dark grey, quite mild and quite windy. Dry so far. Walked to the village. Then off along the marsh to the woods. Up through the forest by the steep fire breaks. Only a heron and a cormorant left the lake in a hurry. No ducks visible at all. Which is a first. Though this may have been be due to the lake being iced over until the last few days. Back down along the edges of the fields feeling much too warm again. It  is difficult to judge how much clothing one needs based only on wind and temperature. An hour and half climbing up and down firebreaks, steep fields and banks is apt to warm one far more than a walk along the road to the village.

Saturday 9th 42F, dark grey, windy and potentially wet. The forecast is showers or rain or sunshine depending which service one trusts. Gusts to 50mph promised by both. The promise was not broken.

Sunday 10th 41F, dark grey and damp. More of the same but with less wind. The few spots of rain steadily increased until it was raining on the last leg of my 40 minute walk. I spotted a couple of smart Northern Lapwings [or peewits] out on a field. Sadly they departed as soon as I paused to raise my binoculars. After hearing their plaintive calls regularly, in previous years, they seemed to be absent last year. Perhaps the crop rotation didn't suit their nesting habits? The various drainage schemes for the fields seem to be working. There is much less flooding despite the recent rain. The beck was flowing strongly again after a complete and unexpected lull only a week or two ago. It rained all afternoon.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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