Sunday 18 November 2007

Is it raining cats and dogs?

Why, no - it's snowing a heron! Well, that's what it looked like, anyway...


I'd better explain: we've just driven home from Lancashire, and it was snowing/sleeting for quite a bit of the way. Somewhere near Birmingham, when the snow/sleet was at its heaviest, a heron suddenly swooped across the carriageway and landed on the hard shoulder! I was so excited (trust me, you would've been, too, given how monotonous motorways tend to be otherwise. Especially in the dark.) Sadly, I have no photographic evidence as it all happened too fast.... :o(


I do wonder if this is a common phenomenon. I'm intrigued, in fact. So, if you have ever experienced any freak weather incidents involving wildlife, do please share. Has a gust of wind ever brought you a salmon? Have you ever seen a gibbon swinging on a sunbeam? I'd love to know :o)


Sorry for the short, pictureless post - hopefully tomorrow's will be a bit longer, AND have photos for your perusal. But probably no snow-herons; and really, what more could you want?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, it might not be as symbol-ridden, but here's my story:

My Mom, DH and meself went to Amrum (island on/in North Sea) for a weekend in May, hoping to find the Spring weather conditions we usually find there at this time of year. Instead, it was Gale-o-rama, but we decided to take a walk anyway. The wind blew full throttle, some birds were struggling against it though ( and looked VERY determined, I hasten to add.)
All of a sudden, a wee starling just drifted right by my Mom's face. Sideways (the drifting. not the birdie). I cannot decide who sported the more surprised facial expression, but I tend to say it was the starling who, sans doubt, was thinking something along the lines of "Waaah!".
See..told you it wasn't spectacular. Except for the starling, I guess. He might be entertaining his young with this adventure every year since...

Tracy x said...

on a windy rainy day when i was quite a bit younger i got hit in the face not only by the wind and rain but also by a large chunk of frog.....
not a whole frog - just a head,half a body and a leg
i kid ye not

thankfully i was a curious young adult and wrapped it in my nose tissue in order to show Stephen evidence of this amazing event
however.......
it had somehow lost its wonder when i only remembered to show him the following year(!!!!!!!) when the winter coat was fetched out of storage for a wash......

the worst part being that i found the remains after it had been through the full cycle

have a great week
tracy x

Patti said...

to tracy

eeuuwww!

Mrs Moog said...

I just had such a mental picture of a wind blown salmon and thought 'Yeah right VC, as if!' until that is -Oh my word Tracy nooooo!
I would have been just as excited about the heron even if it hadn't been a)snowing or b) on the hard shoulder. Sad, that's what comes of having birders for parents ;)
Lesley xxx

lauren bergold said...

first to tracy: i'd like to echo patti's "eeeeeew"...but in a kind & sympathetic way, obviously...

as to your extraordinary aviary encounter: are you sure it was a heron and not a SNOWY EGRET??!??!!! (the latter sounds *much* more likely...dontcha think...?!) :)

Monkee Maker said...

No wait ..... how did I miss TWO posts??

I have no tales of being hit in the face with a wet fish, sadly, but after seeing Tracey's I may nick that. Do you think she'll mind?