Northernlights

Finally the bundle we have been looking for 2023 hay season at last finished. Still very warm in late evening.Looking forward to the cooler weather.

27c here too this afternoon. Very humid caught up with hay carting so siesta at 1.00pm just too hot outside

September hay currently 27c here very hot Seasons getting mixed up. 20230905_131716.mp4 20230905_131716.mp4 0

And thats the reason we are still making hay in September.

A good dy week should see most of cereals finished in this area. Some early sown winter rape emerging well. Just one major local estate mini tiling now for many decades totally reliant on Roundup to control weeds nearly every month of the year. Majority in this area with our glacial soils winter plough to allow frost weathering if it happens and control weeds. Fascinating to see wheat ripe before spring barley. Hot June suited it. Spring barley very short for same reason with little straw.

Fabulous day for haymaking in September strong SW wind blowing rows of hay about maximum of 22c and unbroken sunshine in the afternoon. If this week stays dry we will have caught up with the summer jobs. Harvest and hay together, a bit exhausting.

Last of swifts gone here too We had 4 probably from a late brood up to 4 days ago. Autumnal start to day with sun and cool fresh breeze but heat and humidity built up in late morning bringing a few sharp showers in mid afternoon. The skinning damage to spring barley is proving to almost the worst ever across Scotland caused by the June drought and the frequent dry /wet cycles of July. It seems a large percentage will not make malting for whisky resulting in an almost halving in the price to the farmer if sold for cattle feed and not malting . Little sign of malsters yet altering specification. They will be a4waiting to see if later sown/cut barley is better.

It's a contractors combine.

Fabulous day yesterday strong South wind 24c maximum and low humidity . 12 hours with two combines and barley all cut first time we cut it all in a day. Nice low moistures Lots of dust. Forgot to post on Friday as at hay baling again to make use of another dry day Very humid this morning after some rain overnight but sunny and breezy. A shower to lay the dust overnight after 2 days of frenetic activity. Thursday was a fabulous day sun strong wind and low humidity . Managed to cut all the spring barley in one day (first time ever) with two combines. Very dry little drying needed but a hiccup on Friday as we exceeded skinning parameters, Countrywide problem with constant drying and wetting in July .Probable they will increase tolerance levels next week otherwise little grain will be used from this years harvest for malting. Baled hay as well yesterday and took in half in and evening and put covers over rest in field.

Some very impressive clouds yesterday inland over the mountains while coast stayed mostly sunny. Odd heavy shower here as they grazed past us. Miserable today overcast and occasional drizzle at 16c

Still 20c at 2.15 in the morning. Not sleeping Back to the hot nights of June

Another bit of hay nearly there in hot sun and 24c this afternoon. Crops ripening rapidly too.

Back to hay making today with a fresh NW wind sunny intervals and blue skies to NE over Firth. Harvest getting ever closer

Probably the worst day of the summer here low cloud and fog with heavy drizzle all day accompanied by moderate NE wind and so dark lights in house were needed all day Top temperature of 13c

Remember leaving London to come to the farm permanantly in August 1961 as a kid in 90f heat and sun and arriving on the overnight sleeper in Aviemore to mist and about 50f a blissful contrast. Currently misty, drizzly and 13c

Fine evening as well. Have to report some good news the 4 pairs of swifts that turned up in May to our registered swift colony in the farmhouse eaves have been having a great time tonight screeching round the house with around 24 offspring . The aerobatics are spectacular. A real mid summer sound and sight. They will be off to Africa in 2 weeks and for me autumn has arrived at that point.

A fine day with just the odd heavy shower moving around us not what was forecast for us at all this weekend So good in fact I am managing to weed the garden a bit after all the unwanted growth this month although veg have managed to shade out a lot of weeds. .

Fine day here too after a cloudy mid morning. Sunny breezy afternoon allowed some nice hayledge to be baled and wrapped in great order only cut two days ago. To round off the day we were treated to a sunset to the north capped by a show of noctilucent cloud. Camera does not do it justice as glow lit up inside of house where no curtains drawn.

Went to listen to this lady in 2013 at a Royal Meteorological Lecture in Edinburgh just after the 2009/2010 winters. I still have a belief the suns activity can influence our weather.

Cool start at 7c with blue skies and sunshine although there was some local valley fog. A fabulous display of aerobatics put on on by our resident house swifts along with their new offspring this morning. Lots of screeching and very fast flying right up under the eaves. A great midsummer display

One of the big issues in the contrasting weather we have had this summer is now showing up in spring barley crops on sandy or gravelly soils in this area as ripening crops have large patches of fresh green crop emerging .This is what is known as second growth as plants put up secondary tillers when moisture levels in soil return to normal as the drought from June eases. This is going to cause some very poor samples this harvest. Not unusual but have never seen it on this scale before perhaps 20% of a field Original post: https://community.netweather.tv/topic/99056-model-output-discussion-mid-summer-onwards/?do=findComment&comment=4894329

One of the big issues in the contrasting weather we have had this summer is now showing up in spring barley crops on sandy or gravelly soils in this area as ripening crops have large patches of fresh green crop emerging .This is what is known as second growth as plants put up secondary tillers when moisture levels in soil return to normal as the drought from June eases. This is going to cause some very poor samples this harvest. Not unusual but have never seen it on this scale before perhaps 20% of a field

Cool start at 9c currently 14c with a fresh NE wind off thr Firth Real winter synoptic Cleat blue skies to North cloudy to South

Family all home with some really nice food supplied by offspring Finally reached the point when they treat us. Had a great day yesterday

Thought it was a bit cool last night as we lit the wood burner better day today with a fresh east wind sunshine and currently 18c