Photos of rare Nacreous clouds in the UK have been appearing in the news and on social media over the last couple of days and yesterday in the late afternoon we saw some from the garden.
The clouds are also known as Mother of Pearl clouds and form at temperatures of -78 degrees centigrade in the lower stratosphere (around 10 to 20 miles up whereas common clouds are around 5 - 6 miles above the surface of the Earth).
Beautiful they may be but they can be destructive - it is believed that they may speed up depletion of the ozone layers as the ice crystals in the cloud act as catalysts encouraging chemical reactions with the CFC gases released into the atmosphere which break down ozone.
A beautiful display and I am so glad you managed to see them. I remember we had a similar display in the mid-90's and I thought they looked like oil on water back then. I unfortunately missed them though I have been enjoying all the pics on blogs and on twitter :-)
ReplyDeleteInteresting to read about their potential destructive side-effects.
Thanks so much David - they were very pretty. None around today though. Love your description of oil on water - very apt!
DeleteThe Met Office on their website didn't mention possible side-effects but it was mentioned on other sites and in a book on clouds I have by the Cloud Appreciation Society.
How lovely to see, had not realised they could mean the sky is damaged !
ReplyDeleteDid you manage to get some photos of the Woodpeckers?
Amanda xx
Thanks Amanda. Not really the nacreous clouds fault as damage to ozone layer due to man's activities - CFC's released in past from things like hair sprays, deodorants and fridges:( Luckily the problems were realised and actions taken to limit further damage.
DeleteSadly, no woodpecker photos. I must clean kitchen window and start using the bridge camera!! I do have a few pics from the past taken with dslr and the zoom lens.
Look forward to hearing more about your visit to the park if you do a blog post on the trip.
I know how you like a good second-hand book, well..
Deletedo you ever go on Instagram ? i have just started using it and have come across many wonderful people. Go to Instagram and put in dawienettlebee, this lady uses many old nature books in her photography. If you clik on the photo with a book in it will come up with the notes about the books and who they are by. I'm on Amazon (far to much !) most of the books can be found very cheep (+ posting) just got "The Shell Country Book" and "The Seasons" by Roy Strong.. who by the way has a book called "A little history of a English country church". There are many more to be had but I had to stop my self..till next month. Take a look..
Amanda xx
lol Amanda - you know me too well :) Sadly, not on instagram (I think you have to have a mobile that takes decent photos to join??). Will see if I can get on there without being a member ..... if not I think my daughter is on there so may be able to access that way. It all sounds so interesting and irresistible !!!! :) I've heard of the Shell Country Book and somewhere I have A little history of an English country church (or churchyard)? - Off upstairs in a minute to have a look.Its one of the many books I don't have room for on my new bookcases set up. Know what you mean about Amazon - I have a HUGE wish list but I do have one awful problem. OH regularly checks the recent purchase list on there and hits the roof if I have bought anything!!! :( There again there is always Abebooks! :) I visit Waterstones a lot more than I used to!
DeleteThanks so much for telling me about the lady - off now to see if I can get on Instagram.
I just googled it and got straight on there. Am in seventh heaven - still perusing it but just had to say thank you again. What gorgeous collagey type photos of such beautiful items :) Am busy making a list of books as I look through :) The Observer's Books are delightful - still have the ones I had as a child but can't believe I got rid of all my Ladybird books including the nature ones :( I also bought a copy of the Mammals Tracks and Signs from a second hand bookshop somewhere or other and its a brilliant book!
DeleteI love the old book on there with a butterfly on the cover but couldn't seem to find a title!
Another series of old nature books worth looking for are the Wayside and Woodland books - I've been collecting them for years although the first editions can be expensive but you can get later issues which are cheaper. They really are charming - especially love the ones by Edward Step.
Thanks so much again Amanda - back off to the site again now to drool! :)
Have a great weekend and try and keep off Amazon :)
So glad you got on, have a play round and you can get to see who she follows, with similar ideas.
DeleteWould love to collect the Ladybird books, going to have a go at taking some photos like she does.
Forgot to mention I also bought three packs of nature playing cards as well.hid them before hubby came home :)
Amanda xx
Yes, I've bookmarked the site :) Spoke to my daughter she seems to think you don't have to have a mobile to post photos so will look into joining too :)
DeleteFound the churchyard book of mine its a different one - In a Country Churchyard by Ronald Fletcher - so will check the Roy Strong one :)
Another book to look out for is The Frampton Flora by Richard Mabey - stuffed full of charming wild flower paintings done in Victorian times by several sisters. A total delight :)
lol re: the playing cards! I have even more of a problem now OH has taken early retirement - he's here when the postman comes :(
I need help! Been round the shops today looking for books to (cut up), they all ended up been to nice, so I have five' ish new books on the shelf...
DeleteThe other thing I have looked at this week is old stamp. Had some in the atic I brought down, found some lovely bird and flower stamps on Amazon (sent for them) then found a large bag in Oxfam..which I just had to buy.. If the sun came out I wouldn't have time to shop.
(Now I have confessed to some one I feel better)
Have a lovely week.
Amanda xx
Ha ha Amanda - if you need help then so do I :) I couldn't cut up books either - sounds as though you have made some great purchases :) Was only thinking the other day I must sort out some old fiction books to take to my favourite second hand bookshop - reason being that I then have an excuse to browse their books and buy!!! :) There used to be an art dealer at antiques fairs I used to attend and he made a fortune from cutting up really old books and then selling the illustrations - David my son bought some insect ones - somehow I resisted the butterfly ones (which I've regretted ever since!!).
DeleteWill let you into a secret I used to collect bird, animal and flower stamps!! I only now buy occasionally like the bee stamps that came out last year BUT and I really shouldn't be telling you this!! :) one of the Channel Islands (may be Guernsey) do an awful lot of natural history stamps!!
When I was sorting out books recently I came across to albums of teabag woodland birds and another one of really old cigarette wild flower cards. I then started googling thinking I really would like some more of these. So far have resisted temptation to start collecting something else!!
Glad you feel a bit better - I always have to hide my purchases so its nice to be able to share with a virtual friend :)
Have a lovely week too - and keep away from the shops, Amazon, Ebay et al.....! :)
ps Amanda - what books did you buy? :)
DeleteHope to get a post up soon on one of the books I got, if you look for me on Instagram under thequietwalker there is a photo :) My stamps came to day..birds and flowers, think I'm in love! Will do some photos of these to.
DeleteAmanda xx
Thanks Amanda - returning to Instagram as soon as I have typed this :) Glad you are pleased with the stamps and can't wait to see photos :) I put my bee and butterfly stamp sets in a special storage box today - I am not sure where all the earlier ones are - I suspect in a storage box somewhere or in my son's room with all his first day covers!!
DeleteSorted out some old fiction paperbacks today to take to charity bookshop asap! Will have a good browse when there!!
Back again - found your Instagram page - have now bookmarked it. Gorgeous photos Amanda - they really are beautifully creative. Had a sneaky look at the stamps - wonderful :) The Seasons looks a really lovely book - will keep an eye open for that (trying to resist temptation to shoot off to Amazon/Abebooks!) :) You really have made some lovely purchases :)
DeleteDo you know by the way if you have to have a mobile to post on Instagram or can you join and post digital camera photos?
For Christmas I got a nexus 9 tablet, so have joined Instagram through using this, can up load photo's I've taken on my camera with the nexus. Have noticed on the computer you can look at peoples photos and follow, but that's about it.Does that help?
DeleteAmanda xx
Thanks again Amanda. I do have a Kindle Fire (I wonder if that would work?) I know OH uploads photos (not sure how!) onto his from computer. Will have to do some experimenting! I did try to follow you but it asked me to log in! Will see if Kindle supports their app and then I could go ahead. Really don't understand this stuff too technical for me and, although my ancient mobile does take photos, quality is dire :( Can't justify smart/iphone :( Will let you know how I get on but if I appear as one of your followers I have cracked it!! :)
DeleteNo Kindle Fire doesn't work (grrr) as it's not a proper Android device. I have one, I know! If you can borrow someone's smartphone, you can join, but again you can only post a photo from a smartphone or Android tablet or iPad. However you can look and comment and like from a desktop or Kindle. And you can post a photo taken with a camera using the smartphone, but you have got to get it onto the smartphone somehow. I am using Microsoft OneDrive. It's not easy, in fact it's all a bit of a faff. And you can't zoom in on any IG photos when you are on a phone so they all look rather small - probably better to browse wih a larger tablet or desktop!
DeleteI'm beginnning to think that Twitter is better, as I am following the kind of natural history/nature stuff as you mentioned (I do too on facebook, but get so engrossed in chatting with friends that I forget to look at those posts unless they appear in my stream).
I am not sure there is any 'perfect' social media, but I do like fb because I can post or look at photos, or talk to friends about either important or inconsquential things, and follow things like Wildlife Trusts etc, all in one place, and you can enlarge the photos!
Thanks so much for all the info Mandy. What a pain re: Kindle :( Daughter has an apple phone but the chances of me using it are negligible - its always glued to her ear! I am not really so worried about posting photos myself but if I can look and comment that would be enough. Will check it all out later (real life has got in way like cleaning cookers and food shopping :( ).
DeleteI did once open a facebook account - heavens only knows what the password is as it was years and years ago but kept away from the whole thing as my daughter had bullying problems on there when she was at school :( Looking a OH's fb account its all people waffling on about what socks they are wearing and how many pints they poured down themselves the night before!!
I did consider rejoining or reactivating fb account last year as Warks moths are on there and I planned to use it just to follow natural history type stuff but I never really got round to it. Lack of time really as I already spend more time than I should on Twitter and Blogger. One day I will look into it!
Twitter not so easy to chat to people although you can send direct messages - I like the 140(?) character word limit as it keeps me under control from suffering verbal "diarrhoea" !! But there have been rumours of them extending it and I gather changes are possibly afoot re: how the timeline works which people are up in arms about :(
Thanks again Mandy :)
ps to Mandy and Amanda - saw my first moth of the year last night on garage window - a Dotted Border I think :) So far unable to get photo as it has its wings over its back like a perishing pug!!!
DeleteHow wonderful to see a moth, I do check the street light most night and have seen the odd one flutter by.
DeleteNot sure if I mention I am hoping to record my books after finding out I have ordered the same one I've all ready got! So I can check I am going to put them and other photos on one of my old blogs, re- naming it No 13 cottage corner, you can find it on the top bar of my normal blog.you can look without commenting, its just a place to put some photos really.
Amanda xx
Finally managed to get a few poor photos of moth - will post tomorrow.
DeleteThat can be a hazard with books!! When I was bringing mine down to new bookcases I found several I had 2 copies of! That is a good idea of yours and thanks for letting me know where you are putting them - will be taking a look!! :) Years ago I used to have all mine listed in a book but then when children arrived I got out of the habit. I really had ought to list them all - I did take photos of all the shelves so have a sort of record (if you use a magnifying glass on photos!).
Horrors OH is now muttering that all the books that won't go in new bookcases should be got rid of! :( Slight nightmare as there are a lot of books I still want to keep but have no room for them downstairs. I tried to suggest I should retain one of the upstairs bookcases but that did not go down well :(
I can see me hiding them in the car boot and driving round for years with a boot full of books!!
Wow they are pretty.. great photos :o)
ReplyDeleteThanks Julia. Had problems with the camera's autofocus due to the paleness of the sky so was chuffed to eventually get some sort of picture :)
DeleteI've never heard of these clouds before - they are beautiful! (and I'm googling Amanda on Instagram but haven't found her ..... to be honest I prefer facebook as you can chat on it whereas IG is all about photos). :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Mandy - they were rather lovely. I'm not on facebook but do spend far too much time on Twitter!! Find it a good way to find out what is happening in the natural history and conservation worlds! Haven't had chance yet to discover more about instagram, apart from checking out the link Amanda sent.
Delete