21 replies to this topic

[hugogo]

I know for a fact that in France in such cold spells as february 1956 and 1963, nature suffered quitea lot of damage:
In 1956, most olive trees and palm trees in south of france froze and died. Vines were also affected, and many birds were found dead in the woods as temperatures reached -20s several nights in the NE. Wolves were even seen in Central Europe, as very cold weather in Estern Europe forced them to move westwards from Russia (moscow recorded something like -36 that year).
In 1963, the frozen coastline caused damage to fish. Indeed, in northern France, congers froze to death, and some species were amsomst eradicated (octupuss for example, not found anymore in Britanny).
Other great winters like1789 or 1709 saw temperature so low that tree trunks exploded under the effest of the cold, and wolves attacked villages in the country side. 1709 was also the year where no vines survived in north east france, and even the south ouest of France saw massive lost in itsusually protected vineyards. Temps that year reached -23 in Paris, -20 in Bordeaux and -17 in Montpellier. Berlin reported beginning of january a min of -29 and a max of -19 the same day!

[Drew]

River Avon frozen in Evesham at christmas - saw swans walking from one bank to another so must be a reasonable thickness as a swan is heavy for a bird.. Apparently also frozen in Stratford..

River Evenlode also frozen over along much of its length - small river that runs from Moreton in Marsh to Oxford.

I've had pheasants coming in and feeding from my chicken feeders in the yard, I think the rarest sighting I've had though is a bullfinch - just the one.