Wildlife December 2010

[mark smyth]

I've just been down to have a look at the frozen Lough Neagh. The ice is as far as I can see and even further with binoculars. I spoke to someone who could see the lake from their house and they said all they could see was white (snow) as far as they could see. They river through the town is higher than normal and it's crazy to see lumps over ice coming down from up stream. Out in Lough Neagh lumps of ice are collecting like a beach strandline.

Because Lough Neagh is so badly frozen water is going to rationed. We get our water from it.

[mark smyth]

Here is the line where the river has dumped ice on top of ice. What looks like water is ice covered with water

[mark smyth]

Masses of hungry mallard and swans at Antrim marina recorded by me this afternoon

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmFmL_5sdBE[/youtube]

[Paddy Tobin]

Mark,

Even the idea of L. Neagh being frozen is such an affront to our expectations. Did we ever imagine we would see a frozen river or lake in Ireland?

The collection of swans and ducks is amazing. Obviously, somebody is feeding them for them to be there in such numbers.

I was in Limerick for Christmas and saw large numbers of redwind and fieldfare in the city, feeding on hawthorn and rowan.

Paddy

[Paddy Tobin]

Mark,

An article from the Irish Independent re ice threatening a bridge in Co. Donegal:

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/alert-as-glacierlike-ice-flow-threatens-bridge-2475710.html

[mark smyth]

My father told me that in the 60s people drove across Lough Neagh and Lough Beg.

One more video from today
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctUIjWLghfM[/youtube]

[mark smyth]

That's bad Paddy. I just checked Youtube for videos but no one has posted any

[Hoy]

Because Lough Neagh is so badly frozen water is going to rationed. We get our water from it.

Our water is taken from a frozen lake (2700daa) too - from 60m under the surface. It's not necessary to ration the water here!

[mark smyth]

I've just been told by family friends that someone drove a quad 1.5 miles / 2.4km on to the ice on Lough Neagh. Lough Neagh is about 10 miles 15km across

[Paddy Tobin]

I am obviously getting older and even more grumpy but the thought of someone driving a quad out onto a frozen lake, or people walking onto frozen lakes/rivers, strikes me as the perfect example of idiocy, total lunacy. How often do we see the rescue services being called out to deal with the results of this foolishness and people putting their lives at risk in order to rescue them.

Paddy

[mark smyth]

Very true Paddy.

A friend who went down to Antrim marina yesterday estimated ice to be 6-9 inches deep

[ranunculus]

Nothing worse than a dirty duck

A grubby goose?   

[mark smyth]

maybe a dirty drake muscovey

[Hoy]

Very true Paddy.

A friend who went down to Antrim marina yesterday estimated ice to be 6-9 inches deep

Twice when I have lived here the fjord has frozen over. Both times people drive cars on to the ice. 6 - 9 inches won't break for a car!

[Paddy Tobin]

Hoy,

It is a very new experience for us and 6 - 9 inches of ice is simply something I have never experienced. In the last few years we have had colder weather and some thick ice and have had people getting into difficulties by going out onto the ice. I suppose, I treat it with a certain caution.

Paddy