Tag Archives: ice

Aug 29 2013
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Daily Post, Landscape

Ice rainbow

Thursday 29th August 2013, 6.30pm (day 735)

Ice rainbow 29/8/13

I’ve only ever seen this a couple of times before — a rainbow, or at least a spectrum, high in the air, nowhere near the ground and with no rain in sight. I guess it must be caused by light refracting through ice crystals in the upper atmosphere. Bad weather on the way perhaps. Let’s hope not: I intend to spend next weekend walking in Norway.

POSTSCRIPT: Have discovered this is something called a ‘circumzenithal arc’. They are not rare as such, but apparently only appear when the sun is at exactly the right angle to ice crystals in high-level clouds, and thus can be seen only in very restricted locations on the ground. So if you do see one, feel privileged – it may well only be visible in a space a few metres around you.

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Dec 02 2012
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna

Frosty morning

Sunday 2nd December 2012, 11.30am (day 465)

Frosty morning, 2/12/12

Stayed below freezing all day today, the coldest day since Moscow back in March. Beautiful weather however, a glorious winter’s day. These brambles have made a break for freedom above a stone wall up the road from our house.

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Feb 04 2012
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna Gallery

Turned cold again

Saturday 4th February 2012, 4.10pm (day 163)

Muscovy duck in snow, 4/2/12

The forecasts have been promising a snowy turn to the weather for a while and today it duly arrived – although it was hardly The Day After Tomorrow. This did not, of course, prevent most of Britain’s infrastructure clogging up as we all fretted about the place, and councils and national government blamed each other for there not being enough gritters. But it’s the same every year.

This bird is apparently a Muscovy duck: not indigenous to the UK (a fuller shot of it is here). Either it’s stopped over for a busman’s holiday, or it’s an escaped pet. I have been told the eggs are very tasty. They’d keep well if laid outside in this weather, too.

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