For those a bit further away it has been snowing here. Last week we got 62 at Flanders and at the beginning of this week we got another 6+inches and then incredibly cold temperatures ( a couple of nights going as low as -16 C). As you can guess this makes doing anything a bit of a struggle and so I haven't been getting out as much as usual. But earlier this week I made it down to Flanders to see how much snow was there and whether the work parties that we had planned were going to be possible. The first hurdle was 1 ft of snow in the car park. The farmer hadn't even been down in his tractor so it made the landrover grunt a bit and I had to do a bit of digging to get it turned round. Once out of the vehicle the cold took your breath away. I got the strange feeling when your nostril hairs freeze and photography was limited as you could only take you gloves for a few seconds at a time. Wading up the path to the viewing tower was hard work but worth it as the view from the tower was magic. Banks of freezing fog were rolling through leaving parts bathed in sunlight and parts disappeared in grey wool. I can't help but wonder how the wildlife manages to survive in the brutal conditions. As with last year it will only become apparent in the spring.
A bit of a thaw has started today so the snow will start to disappear but it will be a while before it is easy for a car to make it down to the car park but in the meantime enjoy the pictures from the warmth of your home. We will keep you posted.
We were out on the boardwalk today, and saw LOTS (dozens, and that's just the ones near & on the path) of caterpillars. Drinker Moth I think, grey with a yellow stripe along either side and a tuft at each end. They were all out on / in the snow. We picked the first one up and put it in the grass, thinking that he'd freeze otherwise, but when we saw so many we wondered if they were coming out onto the snow for a reason? It was the end of the afternoon, in the setting sun. Can anyone shed any light on this?
ReplyDeleteHi Karin, apologies for being so slow to get back to you. I have done a bit of research about your caterpillers but couldn't find an answer about why they were out in the snow but I also noticed caterpillers of other species marching across the snow. These seem to be species that over winter as caterpillers and all I can think is that the warmth of the sun has brought them out of their hibernation temporarily. Hope they still last the winter. All the best DP
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