"Baby, it's Cold Outside" (1 Viewer)

Larry Lade · Dec 12, 2003

We got a couple of inches of snow three days ago. And the temperature has been dropping day by day. This morning, December 12, it is -9.4 C (15 F) in Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA. I am hoping that the lowering temperatures will bring down some of the winter finches from the North Country. I still have not seen Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pine Siskin, Purple Finch or Common Redpoll. Of course, I can always hope for Bohemian Waxwing or Evening Grosbeak! I have seen a flock of about 300 Lapland Longspurs and one juvenile Northern Goshawk, though. I hope it warms up a little bit for our Christmas Bird Count (CBC) which will be December 20 here in Saint Joseph. I am also doing the CBC at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, a half hours drive north of Saint Joseph, on the 14th of December.

If you want some wintery weather, come to Saint Joseph.

(Ted, bring your "long johns" and a warm, heavy coat when you come out!)

Edward · Dec 12, 2003

Hi Larry, it's wintry here too but not as cold as with you. We've had a light covering of snow but it's all melted overnight. The real sign of winter is the darkness, sunrise at 11.10 this morning and sunset at 15.30 and as its overcast and drizzling then even now (at 1.00) the light poor, enough to distinguish between Whooper Swans and Ravens though!

Hope that your winter birds turn up soon, Larry!

E

Tammie · Dec 12, 2003

Sheesh, you call that 'wintry'?? It's -29°C here this morning and we just got a foot of snow night before last! My front door is almost completely white with frost.

It's great for birds on the feeders though, for me anyway. I had more pine grosbeaks yesterday than I have for the whole season. Their numbers are growing every week. Still a few evening grosbeaks but not too many... only seeing about 5 at a time. More redpolls are arriving though which is wonderful.
And Edward,
I don't mind so much that it gets dark earlier at this time of year but your area is a little too extreme even for me! Here, it's dayling around 8:30am and dark again at 4:45pm. That's bad enough!

Happy Holidays!!

saw43dust · Dec 12, 2003

Hey, I'm just a tad futher south than you, here in the state capitol, Jeff City. I am still waiting on the real winter birds to arrive also. All I've got so far are the waxwings, white throats and Juncos. I'm sure some of the flocks of robins and house finces are northern birds but cannot tell them from the summer birds. lol.

It will warm up here early, we'll get that blast of warm air from the thunder dome, when the legislature comes back into session in early January.

saw

Beverlybaynes · Dec 13, 2003

I can't stand the thought of all the darkness! We've had a gloomy week, until today, when the sun came out brightly from sunrise on! What a difference in the attitude.

It was cold -- about 17F this morning as I left for work around 8, and got into the upper 20s. But no wind, so with the sun, it was quite bearable.

I'm still waiting for my winter birds, too. I think I need a birding day out soon, but it doesn't look like I'll get one til Christmas morning at Muscatatuck.

Strix · Dec 13, 2003

Hopefully the CBCs will locate something good for you to track down, although I agree with Tammie that you have a ways to go to approach true winteriness. At the moment it's 2 F (-17 C) and it's a nice clear night so it will probably be dropping soon.

Tammie, what do you have in your feeder that the Pine Grosbeaks like so much? I'd love to get some to come to my yard.

Michael Frankis · Dec 13, 2003

Nice an mild here (11°) but a strong west wind to go with it, so it doesn't feel quite so mild!

Michael

Tammie · Dec 13, 2003

Michael, you poor thing... +11°.... you must be freezing! It's a downright wintery -34°C here this morning but looks like it's going to be bright and sunny again. Might hit -20°C this afternoon!

I must have been a scary vision this morning for the neighbors.... stepped out in a flannel nightgown and duckie shoes to fill the platform feeder at the front door! Good thing it's only a few feet away!

Strix, I use black oil sunflower seeds in the feeders and striped sunflower seeds on the platform feeders. Oddly enough, I've noticed that the pine grosbeaks seem to prefer the striped. Either that or they just prefer the platform feeders. Either way, I have to feed them on the platforms 3 or 4 times a day in these temps. (Just peeked out and spotted 3 evening grosbeaks on the platform as well). I sure hope my poor little lost sparrow will handle this weather alright!

Michael Frankis · Dec 13, 2003

Hi Tammie,

Isn't it a strange world - you're 5½° latitude (= 380 miles) further south than I am, and 45° colder!

Oh, and the neighbours have got a palm tree in their garden . . .
Such are the delights of the Gulf Stream!

Michael

Strix · Dec 13, 2003

-34 is getting down there. Any colder than that and you might need more than duckie slippers.

I've got black oil sunflower out too. I bet you get more pine grosbeaks than we've got around here. I only see them occasionally. I've had about a dozen evening grosbeaks visit at once, but they won't stay very long.

Elizabeth Bigg · Dec 13, 2003

Michael Frankis said:
Hi Tammie,

Isn't it a strange world - you're 5½° latitude (= 380 miles) further south than I am, and 45° colder!

Oh, and the neighbours have got a palm tree in their garden . . .
Such are the delights of the Gulf Stream!

Michael

Michael, 5ºN would put Tammie in South America! :eek!: I don't know whereabouts in Northern Ontario Tammie is, but she could be around 55º - about the same as Newcastle-on-Tyne!!!!

Michael Frankis · Dec 13, 2003

Hi Elizabeth,
Tammie said a while back she's near Geraldton (just north of Lake Superior, which is about 49½°N - about the same latitude as Le Havre in France.
That still counts as northern Ontario - the south (Windsor, Niagara) is around 42-43°N (same as Santiago de Compostela in Spain . . . )

Oh, and Larry Lade's at about the same latitude as Valencia or Naples!

Michael

Elizabeth Bigg · Dec 13, 2003

Michael - you said 5½º!!!

Michael Frankis · Dec 13, 2003

Yep - I'm at 55°N, = 49½° + 5½°!

Elizabeth Bigg · Dec 13, 2003

OK Michael - I'll try to read more carefully next time, I obviously saw an at before the 5½º.

(PS - what about the new moon and the tides re: Snettisham)?

Michael Frankis · Dec 13, 2003

Elizabeth Bigg said:
(PS - what about the new moon and the tides re: Snettisham)?

Yep - my turn for an error there - I'd noticed the moon as being about full on 7th so thought the new would be a couple of days earlier, roundabout 21st, which would put 27th well down towards neaps; but with it being 23rd, the 27th will still be fairly close to springs (with 25th probably the 'springiest', there's usually a 2 day lag between the moon phase and the associated tide).

Michael

Tammie · Dec 13, 2003

Strix said:
-34 is getting down there. Any colder than that and you might need more than duckie slippers.

I've got black oil sunflower out too. I bet you get more pine grosbeaks than we've got around here. I only see them occasionally. I've had about a dozen evening grosbeaks visit at once, but they won't stay very long.

Hi Strix,
Yeah, the duckie shoes don't take me much further than just out the front door these days. It's zoomed up to a balmy -10°C right now and has started snowing. I think we're supposed to be back up to about +1 by next weekend!
I see pine grosbeaks here every day (high count so far this season is 20) in the winter, only from October to about early or mid April. The evening grosbeaks are here year round but I had more over the summer than I do now. Early last spring, I had close to 50 at a time here every morning. What a racket that was but wonderful too! I do miss their chatter when they're not here.

Tammie · Dec 13, 2003

Michael Frankis said:
Hi Tammie,

Isn't it a strange world - you're 5½° latitude (= 380 miles) further south than I am, and 45° colder!

Oh, and the neighbours have got a palm tree in their garden . . .
Such are the delights of the Gulf Stream!

Michael

Michael, you just love to tease people don't you?? This talk of palm trees is downright cruel!

Tammie · Dec 13, 2003

Michael Frankis said:
Hi Elizabeth,
Tammie said a while back she's near Geraldton (just north of Lake Superior, which is about 49½°N - about the same latitude as Le Havre in France.
That still counts as northern Ontario - the south (Windsor, Niagara) is around 42-43°N (same as Santiago de Compostela in Spain . . . )

Oh, and Larry Lade's at about the same latitude as Valencia or Naples!

Michael

Yes, I am near Geraldton... a two hour drive on our lovely dirt roads. Up here, we guage distance by time to drive instead of actual mileage!

I actually live in a little village called Hillsport, population around 15 frozen people. We have more animals than people here! It's an hour from the nearest town which would be Manitouwadge, where I grew up. The nearest city is Thunder Bay, about 450 KM west of here.
We are most definitely classed as Northern Ontario as southern Ontario is easily 1200 km to our south! And it's a whole different world down there that they can keep!

rb_stern · Dec 17, 2003

Hi,

I once lived in Labrador for a while, and one night it was both extremely cold and very windy - the radio said that the wind chill was -100 C., and people shouldn't go outside because flesh would freeze. So being an adventurous sort I wrapped up really well and walked up the street just to say I'd done it. Nothing froze, although I admit that when I felt I needed to pee, I hurried home rather than risk exposing anything vital in the bushes!

"Baby, it's Cold Outside" (1 Viewer)

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