Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:185136

Yes it's off-topic .... sort of!
I've just spent a lovely day having a picnic on Three Cliffs Bay (Gower)
under clear blue skies.
While the rest of Britain shivered and shovelled snow, our little bit of
South Wales was toasty-warm out of the breeze.

On the way to the beach I saw a couple of kingfishers - and then did a
double-take. There was an Egret fishing in the stream!

A quick 'phone call destroyed the wonder of the moment - apparantly the
Egrets are getting to be common in these parts because of climate change.
Over 3000 in the area this year - the biggest colony near Loughor being 135
strong. It seems that the birds have also noticed that the growing/feeding
season is getting longer and the winters shorter and milder.

I've just spent a lovely day having a picnic on Three Cliffs Bay (Gower)
under clear blue skies.
While the rest of Britain shivered and shovelled snow, our little bit of
South Wales was toasty-warm out of the breeze.

I am sooooo jealous. Three Cliffs Bay on a sunny day is paradise on Earth,
as far as I am concerned. I can feel it tugging me in its direction just
writing this!


On the way to the beach I saw a couple of kingfishers - and then did a
double-take. There was an Egret fishing in the stream!

A quick 'phone call destroyed the wonder of the moment - apparantly the
Egrets are getting to be common in these parts because of climate change.
Over 3000 in the area this year - the biggest colony near Loughor being
135
strong. It seems that the birds have also noticed that the
growing/feeding
season is getting longer and the winters shorter and milder.

Yes, climate change is very much a reality that's with us. We are lucky,
because we will live through probably the more pleasant part of it, in many
ways. We're going to see more storms though, and more extreme weather, as
well as improved summers. We're going to see a global rise in temperatures
of around 3 degrees C by 2050. To put this in perspective, a global rise in
temperatures of 5 degrees C ended the last ice age.

Have a great time on the Gower . . . say 'hello' to it from me (sniff!). I'm
miles away in Lancashire now . . .

Cymru am byth!

Andrew