We can always count on Andy "always look on the bright side of life" Bissitt

Can someone top up his pint so he can't complain that his glass is half empty?

Is it really just the dark nights? I'm prepared to suggest that it goes a lot deeper than that. The way I see it is that the coming of dark nights so obviously mark the passage of time more than anything else. Here's where it gets really depressing (look away now if you don't need it!). It's about life slipping by isn't it? I try not to think about it too much, but if I'm honest, I realistically have only 15 or so more Springs in which to bird (of course it could be less, but I'm hoping it won't). That could be just fifteen more chances to see warblers, cuckoo, terns etc... and migration in general. I suppose it's no wonder people dash around like madmen (and women) trying to catch up with every last tick. So if you are feeling a bit 'blue', but you're only maybe 35 to 40 years old, try and cheer up. Time is, I hope, on your side.

Merry Christmas to all our readers.

I will also make some nest boxes ready for the Spring and a bat box, bug house etc.
Something practical.
Dave

The dark nights effect me too mate.
I am going to try and focus on what I can do rather than what i can't, i think I will joina local bat group for instance and try and do some walking in the dark to get fitter over the winter and maybe go swimming.

I don't know what will work for you but try looking at what you can do !
dave

Get through it by thinking that it's less than nine weeks until the shortest day...mind you it then takes a good while for those evenings to draw out again

Nick Isherwood wrote:

---

Dennis atherton wrote:

---

Dark nights. Here we go again

---

I knew there was a reason I felt miserable. :-/

---

And me wait until the clocks go back next week ,I will be crawling the walls at night, what a difference even a sit in the garden makes in daylight, and the next few weeks and months when its going to work in the dark,in the factory all day with no daylight, and back home at night in the dark, and watching all week what people have seen ,when you know you can't possibly get out it drives mi nuts

Dennis atherton wrote:

---

Dark nights. Here we go again

---

I knew there was a reason I felt miserable. :-/

Dark nights. Here we go again

Perfect day for Polar Skuas today - hopefully this is a blip today and we don't see things THIS bad - yesterday the same Gods who looked delivered the United title parade weather must have delivered yesterday's but today I walked out and BOOM! grim grim grim!

Although the weather is still a bit gloomy , noticed the birds starting to sing [ great tits in particular ] over the last few days. not long till spring.

JOHN TYMON wrote:

---

Dave Tennant wrote:

---

JOHN TYMON wrote:

---

Its Back-look at the penny thread ,Bittern showing well ,and im back to going to work in the dark,and home at night in the dark,some people don't know how lucky they really are-I hate winter roll on Saturday :(



-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Monday 29th of October 2012 01:21:15 PM

---

Think yourself lucky you get saturday off john, im off this week then its none stop 6 day weeks till xmas

---

don't worry I work sat mornings and sundays as well if required as im the only one who does my job in our factory,so no luck there Dave,I Did 15 years every Saturday at one point,so been there ,done that still wearing the T shirt.

---

looking on the bright side its only 7 weeks until it starts getting lighter.

Dave Tennant wrote:

---

JOHN TYMON wrote:

---

Its Back-look at the penny thread ,Bittern showing well ,and im back to going to work in the dark,and home at night in the dark,some people don't know how lucky they really are-I hate winter roll on Saturday :(



-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Monday 29th of October 2012 01:21:15 PM

---

Think yourself lucky you get saturday off john, im off this week then its none stop 6 day weeks till xmas

---

don't worry I work sat mornings and sundays as well if required as im the only one who does my job in our factory,so no luck there Dave,I Did 15 years every Saturday at one point,so been there ,done that still wearing the T shirt.

JOHN TYMON wrote:

---

Its Back-look at the penny thread ,Bittern showing well ,and im back to going to work in the dark,and home at night in the dark,some people don't know how lucky they really are-I hate winter roll on Saturday :(



-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Monday 29th of October 2012 01:21:15 PM

---

Think yourself lucky you get saturday off john, im off this week then its none stop 6 day weeks till xmas

Its Back-look at the penny thread ,Bittern showing well ,and im back to going to work in the dark,and home at night in the dark,some people don't know how lucky they really are-I hate winter roll on Saturday :(



-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Monday 29th of October 2012 01:21:15 PM

Dennis atherton wrote:

---

No complaints here. This recent weather is great. Hopefully a late summer. I think we all deserve it. lots of migrants passing through and a bit of sun too. Brilliant

---

You're not wrong there, having late dragonfly action is great!

No complaints here. This recent weather is great. Hopefully a late summer. I think we all deserve it. lots of migrants passing through and a bit of sun too. Brilliant

Andy, John, Dennis & all you other S.A.D. folk on the forum

Something to brighten up this (and next) autumn and winter. The BTO will be running an on-line Wintering Thrush Survey starting in September.

Details can be found in the latest BTO News, on the BTO website: http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/winter-thrushes
and, when I get a bit more info, in the surveys section of this wonderful website

Keep smiling Steve

Hey! A nice little debate opening up here. For anyone suffering from a depressive state of mind due to the weather, I sympathise. If I had not just had eight days in Bulgaria in almost total sunshine at 38 degrees, I think I would be feeling truly low. But it's not just the weather that could get me down if I let it. Virtually everything can irritate me if I've got a mood on. The lack of birding excitement in Greater Manchester is a constant source of bother (even though I just saw a hobby an hour ago over Romiley). The only way round it for me is to have a twisted sense of humour, and to try not to take things seriously. I will think about you all as I watch the buzzards and house martins from my office window tomorrow. But let me tell you this. I will be depressed, because every day I'm in work and not out in the open air (my natural environment) frustrates me greatly. Hope we all get a sunny end to the summer.

Im glad you are struggling to follow this Andy, this means you dont have this dissorder, im happy for you as it is not nice and is hard to deal with, i see what you mean about an NHS blog but i was more interested in how the disorder affects other birders, i know John feels the same way as me, we have spoke on many occasions about how short winters days when you only see daylihght at the weekends can make you slightly down, also when John took two weeks off work after working int factory as John calls it and only got 1 good day conducive to photography out of the 14, im interested in all opinions, all are valid to each person and because we dont all have the same ones thats just fine, i started this topic to see if anyother birders like myself on here are also affected by the weather, also i agree it may look like i have moaned about it but after all the recent rain for the last few months, personally after spending my hard earned money on expensive photo gear i do get frustrated when it rains all weekend and i cant go out and enjoy my hobby, my kit is not waterproof and is too expensive to risk damaging it,

Like Karen mentioned a little heavy rain while out in migration time is superb, it can and has on many occassins brought down the passing migrants so we can enjoy them, but we dont need rain all of the time, hot weather is not good for birding with birds sat in the shade but a bit of sun now and then does put a smile on my face,


Ps Andy, out of interest do you have a job where you see daylight in the day time? there have been studies done showing people like me and John who work in areas with little or no sunlight are most affected by this disorder, there are also now daylight lights you can buy that are suppossed to help with this too, i cant see it, I like that John calls it being stuck in a tin can, myself when im stuck inside all day and then in rains all night and im stuck inside all evening i call it Cabin Fever,

Andy Bissitt wrote:

---

I must admit, I'm struggling to follow the logic here. Are you saying that good weather is somehow conducive to good birdwatching, because I'm inclined to think that the opposite is true. For me, there is no worse weather for birdwatching than sunny weather with a stiff wind blowing. Absolutely hopeless. I have to say that unless the weather is poor, with at least the chance of showers, I rarely go to Audenshaw (although this is mainly in the hope that there will be fewer people and flies than on a sunny, still day. The flies are slightly less of an irritant). If the main reason for all the moaning and groaning on this topic is that you like to feel the sun on your back when birding, as it lifts the spirits, then perhaps the correct place for messages such as these is an N.H.S. blog for those suffering from depressive syndromes. I can tell you this though. If birders are feeling low about this summer, think what an insect hunter like myself is going through! I know. You don't care, and why should you? At least you have winter birds to look forward to - waxwings, scarce ducks, a firecrest to chase perhaps. I will have no butterflies, dragonflies and hardly any moths for four or five months - so cheer up for God's sake!!!

---

In my case and Dennis's who both work in Factorys with no windows,to expect at the weekend to get at least a bit of dry weather to do a bit of Birding and a bit of photography is not too much to ask in the Summer.This summer for anyone working has been horrendous,as it has with the birds ,Butterflies and Bees.For me now roll on Winter ,at least we may get a few dry days then.And yep I like the Sun on my back now and again. but for me I feel I earn that right after spending the week inside a Giant tin can :)

I must admit, I'm struggling to follow the logic here. Are you saying that good weather is somehow conducive to good birdwatching, because I'm inclined to think that the opposite is true. For me, there is no worse weather for birdwatching than sunny weather with a stiff wind blowing. Absolutely hopeless. I have to say that unless the weather is poor, with at least the chance of showers, I rarely go to Audenshaw (although this is mainly in the hope that there will be fewer people and flies than on a sunny, still day. The flies are slightly less of an irritant). If the main reason for all the moaning and groaning on this topic is that you like to feel the sun on your back when birding, as it lifts the spirits, then perhaps the correct place for messages such as these is an N.H.S. blog for those suffering from depressive syndromes. I can tell you this though. If birders are feeling low about this summer, think what an insect hunter like myself is going through! I know. You don't care, and why should you? At least you have winter birds to look forward to - waxwings, scarce ducks, a firecrest to chase perhaps. I will have no butterflies, dragonflies and hardly any moths for four or five months - so cheer up for God's sake!!!

Andy Bissitt wrote:

---

I must admit, I'm struggling to follow the logic here. Are you saying that good weather is somehow conducive to good birdwatching, because I'm inclined to think that the opposite is true. For me, there is no worse weather for birdwatching than sunny weather with a stiff wind blowing. Absolutely hopeless. I have to say that unless the weather is poor, with at least the chance of showers, I rarely go to Audenshaw (although this is mainly in the hope that there will be fewer people and flies than on a sunny, still day. The flies are slightly less of an irritant). If the main reason for all the moaning and groaning on this topic is that you like to feel the sun on your back when birding, as it lifts the spirits, then perhaps the correct place for messages such as these is an N.H.S. blog for those suffering from depressive syndromes. I can tell you this though. If birders are feeling low about this summer, think what an insect hunter like myself is going through! I know. You don't care, and why should you? At least you have winter birds to look forward to - waxwings, scarce ducks, a firecrest to chase perhaps. I will have no butterflies, dragonflies and hardly any moths for four or five months - so cheer up for God's sake!!!

---

I have to say that I think you are totally wrong there, Andy!

I have continued birdwatching in all weathers throughout the summer and seen some great birds. Do you not go out and try and prove birds are breeding?

Just think back to the evening of the brilliant Tern passage at Audenshaw in spring, oh I forgot you weren't there! There were plenty of other birders who made the effort despite the pouring rain though and a great reward was had.

Remember the day you saw the Spoonbill, I believe the weather cleared on that day just before the Spoonbill appeared.

So it just goes to show you, birds are around whatever the weather. As for insects, well the birds I have watched have been mainly insect eaters so, they must be finding them from somewhere.

Sorry Ian if I have gone a little off topic here, but the whole thread appears to have done!

-- Edited by Karen Foulkes on Tuesday 31st of July 2012 10:54:17 PM

I dident want to comment as i might jinx the good weather but that seems to have gone now

There's the cold and the grim weather again It lasted four days!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that's not summer!! It still won't halt me as I am marauding to a few sites today.

JOHN TYMON wrote:

---

John Doherty wrote:

---

Apparently, the jet-stream is moving course so we will get a little bit of summer after all

---

Yep next week when I am back at work

---

What did I say back at work-Crackin the flags

Actually, it's a bit too hot for me

Steve

Was just wondering if everyone was feeling better due to the good burst of weather??! I'm rearing to go, and shall make the best of it - I it continues through the weekend to supplement plans and for the guys working Monday-Friday,

Even the cuckoo's have had enough of our weather, 12 of the 13 cuckoo's tagged by the BT0 this year have already left the country earlier than usual, there is just 1 left in this country, 11 of them are moving through Europe now and 1 is already back in Africa, there definitely seems to be a case showing early migration due to the weather, i wouldent mind migrating to somewhere warmer myself

Gutted. JT.

John Doherty wrote:

---

Apparently, the jet-stream is moving course so we will get a little bit of summer after all

---

Yep next week when I am back at work

Apparently, the jet-stream is moving course so we will get a little bit of summer after all

Don't worry John, the sun will come out tomorrow. I've just had 2 weeks off work and have been on the mosses about 10 times and it has rained every time. The only birding that I managed to do without getting wet was at Leighton moss yesterday. I'm back in work tomorrow so the sun is bound to come out

I have finished work today for a week ,My first week off since Xmasso don't expect anything but torrential rain for the next 10 days

John I think your post was much needed - yes it's been a gloomy year
But it gives us hope that birds are still out there to be found and hard work and dedication to local patch watching can pay off.

Steve Suttill wrote:

---

Mr Rayner seems quite smug about all his Stockport sightings (though I'm sure he's only trying to wind us up ) but how many of his waders are failed breeders whose nests have been washed out?

---

Hi Steve,

Honestly, no wind up and definitely not smug about these records - they are hard earned and, possibly, never to be repeated. The last time there was anything approaching this at Church Lane was during the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak when the footpath running past the flood was closed.

Of course I regret that birdnests are washed away, same as I feel sorry for the people flooded out of their homes, but I can do nothing about either.

On reflection my post was a tad upbeat on an otherwise gloomy thread but I was just trying to point out that every cloud (literally) has a silver lining

Cheers, John

Dennis atherton wrote:

---

i did feel for you today John T, i knew you had been at work as usual all week and look forward to your friday afternoon penny mooch when it is quiet and i noticed all afternoon it was raining, no wonder you gave it a miss, its hard cause as we all know the rain can bring down the migrants while passing though when it rains all day thats not condusive to owt, lets all do a anti rain dance,

we had a trip planned to do wykenham to see the honey buzzards but even though they are heardy flyers and still fly in strong winds there aint much action going on in the rain, so it got cancelled, gutted, its worth the trip to also see the turtle doves, but in the rain is no fun, officially it has been the second dullest june since 1929

---

Suns just come out in warrington at 9.30pm,what that all about=rains all day then stops at 9.30pm and the sun comes out just as its going datk

i did feel for you today John T, i knew you had been at work as usual all week and look forward to your friday afternoon penny mooch when it is quiet and i noticed all afternoon it was raining, no wonder you gave it a miss, its hard cause as we all know the rain can bring down the migrants while passing though when it rains all day thats not condusive to owt, lets all do a anti rain dance,

we had a trip planned to do wykenham to see the honey buzzards but even though they are heardy flyers and still fly in strong winds there aint much action going on in the rain, so it got cancelled, gutted, its worth the trip to also see the turtle doves, but in the rain is no fun, officially it has been the second dullest june since 1929

Sorry John T, I think it's all my fault I had so much unused holiday left from last year that I decided to start working a four day week to use up all the time I was owed. I have been taking Fridays off and I think if you check the Met Office records for the last month or so you'll find that the wettest days have generally been Fridays

Today I walked to Uppermill and back for a meeting at the RSPB office. There seemed to be almost as much water on the towpath as there was in the canal My new anorak and waterproof trousers seemed to work OK, but I don't know when my boots will dry out!

Biggest disaster was to find my rucksack full of water and my new county report wrinkled and soggy at the bottom of it

Mr Rayner seems quite smug about all his Stockport sightings (though I'm sure he's only trying to wind us up ) but how many of his waders are failed breeders whose nests have been washed out?

Don't let it get you down - the sun will shine again one day soon


Steve

John Doherty wrote:

---

I quote John's experiences this 'summer' to anyone who asks me how the hobby is going for me - i.e people with over 30 years experience lament this being a bad year.

---

Well its swings and roundabouts John.

I've been hammering Stockport Borough again this year and it's set to be a record year. The constant rain has kept a casual stand of water at Church Lane, Woodford unusually full. This year Church Lane has recorded Redshank, Greenshank, Dunlin, Little-ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper and Black-tailed Godwit (and these days wader sightings like this are rare indeed in the Borough).

Other rarities here this year include Little Egret, Mediterranean Gull and Shelduck whilst Little Grebe, Great-crested Grebe, Hobby and good numbers of Curlew, Wigeon and Teal are also noteable. Even a single Coot here made it onto the local grapevine.

We are not blessed with habitat such as is found in Wigan, Bolton or Bury Boroughs so these make for exciting sightings.

So, for me, it can rain a little longer whilst return wader passage is underway. (But stop for the week after next when I'm on holiday )

Cheers, John

Weather will be alright tomorrow (read: sunshine and drizzle not torrential downpour!) so I've got the flask and buttybox ready - you never know your luck in a big city!

I am afraid to tell those not in the know that unfortunately this bleak outlook is here until end of July so more than but we're a hardened bunch here and we know the birds are out there somewhere.

We'll find them in the moors, and we'll find them in the beauty spots and we'll find them in the parks and gardens!



-- Edited by John Doherty on Friday 6th of July 2012 06:10:23 PM

JOHN TYMON wrote:

---

Dennis atherton wrote:

---

well the seasons dont seem to be helping, whats going on?

i might as well change the title here to Weather Affected Dissorder, or should i say British S.A.D i have seen the sun about 3 times this year, very very briefly, we better get a good autumn, i think we all deserve it to make up for this year, a couple of good days here and there, Global warming my ****, Pardon the french, another birding trip this weekend cancelled because of crappy weather

---

Your Not wrong,I have had 2 of my 4 weeks holiday from work this year and never had a dry day yet,and its been the poorest birding year I can remember

---

I was supposed to be on holiday next week,Looked at my full in tray at work and hundreds of problems to sort,decided cancel the holiday for the 3rd time this year ,id rather be working,which is a sad day for me when id rather be working than birding,planned trips to Anglesay cancelled,how them bloomin seabirds are surviving and the terns at cemlyn I don't know.
I haven't even been on my normal friday pm visit after work,as I couldn't be bothered wasting the 20 mile round trips worth of petrol,The rain has officially got me down


-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 6th of July 2012 05:01:13 PM

Dennis atherton wrote:

---

well the seasons dont seem to be helping, whats going on?

i might as well change the title here to Weather Affected Dissorder, or should i say British S.A.D i have seen the sun about 3 times this year, very very briefly, we better get a good autumn, i think we all deserve it to make up for this year, a couple of good days here and there, Global warming my ****, Pardon the french, another birding trip this weekend cancelled because of crappy weather

---

Your Not wrong,I have had 2 of my 4 weeks holiday from work this year and never had a dry day yet,and its been the poorest birding year I can remember

I'll add my twopence into the ring and say that I generally cannot be fussed going out (on foot by default as I don't drive) when it's rained nearly every single day since May 1st.
A decent birdwatching summer I hoped for to salvage a pretty dire set of circumstances but what do you know?!!!!! Not even that!

Knowing how 'seasoned' John Tymon is in the birdwatching hobby I quote John's experiences this 'summer' to anyone who asks me how the hobby is going for me - i.e people with over 30 years experience lament this being a bad year.

Not only do I think my very-early-May jaunt (in great company!) on Astley Moss was a pinnacle of the birdwatching summer of mine ( Peregrine and Cuckoo and Hobby ticks) time has told that to be a rare outing!!!!


I hope to 'avenge' things if I travel to Croatia, as planned and get some good sightings there.
Plus there's always September when things should start to 'heat-up' in terms of Winter bringing the good birds :P



-- Edited by John Doherty on Friday 6th of July 2012 02:27:21 PM

well the seasons dont seem to be helping, whats going on?

i might as well change the title here to Weather Affected Dissorder, or should i say British S.A.D i have seen the sun about 3 times this year, very very briefly, we better get a good autumn, i think we all deserve it to make up for this year, a couple of good days here and there, Global warming my ****, Pardon the french, another birding trip this weekend cancelled because of crappy weather

Nick Isherwood wrote:

---

JOHN TYMON wrote:

---

had sad bad this week-10 days off work at xmas,using holidays that i wouldn't by choice and rained almost constantly since leaving work a week ago,tried birdin,but theres no joy in getting soaked every time you go out and pics almost none existant-roll on spring

---

Yeah, roll on spring when it'll rain some more!

---

roll on summer then ,or should i say that week in july when it doasn't rain or blow your head off wit wind

I was going to post agreeing, but 2 Jays in my garden on the Peanuts currently, so its not all bad!

JOHN TYMON wrote:

---

had sad bad this week-10 days off work at xmas,using holidays that i wouldn't by choice and rained almost constantly since leaving work a week ago,tried birdin,but theres no joy in getting soaked every time you go out and pics almost none existant-roll on spring

---

Yeah, roll on spring when it'll rain some more!

had sad bad this week-10 days off work at xmas,using holidays that i wouldn't by choice and rained almost constantly since leaving work a week ago,tried birdin,but theres no joy in getting soaked every time you go out and pics almost none existant-roll on spring

Despite the bleak mid winter weather today , 2 great tits calling while it snowed. not only us counting the days till it starts getting lighter