I will be watching the skies tonight!!...
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to see the Aurora Borealis!! Despite living in Scotland for the past 20 years, I have never been lucky enough to see it. About 4 years ago I registered with a website called AuroraWatch as they send you an alert e-mail if the conditions are right in your area.My first e-mail alert from them was back in February, but the sky here was completely covered in thick cloud so despite wandering around my very dark garden, tripping over bird baths and flowerpots, I didn't see anything.
However!!.... have had an alert e-mail from them for 3 days running now, so will be out again tonight with my gaze turned to the heavens. Went out the past couple of nights and managed to not trip over anything other than walking into the wheelie bin, but didn't see anything, as again, the sky was thick with cloud. Am getting a bit excieted now, as it is quite a nice day today and the wind is blowing the clouds around, so I may be in with a chance of seeing this amazing spectacle!
Comments (9)
Thanks for all your comments. And "yes" Baltus, I think it would be a great thing for you to put in your profile!! There couldn't be anything more romantic than being cuddled up to someone watching the Aurora!!
Found some wonderful photos of the aurora taken from Shetland over March and April this year. I did go to Shetland in 2009, but unfortunately went in the middle of the summer!
Well.... Unfortunately, I didn't see the aurora. I decided to drive down the road to the big field where you can get panoramic views of the sky. Began my watch at 11.20pm and sat there on my owneo for 40 minutes in the dark gazing longingly up at the night sky, but saw nothing.
I got out of the car a few times and just listened. I always love that...it is so silent at night that you can hear all the wildlife really clearly. Heard the local tawny owl, some geese somewhere out in the darkness, and on the road the frantic calling of a mama Oystercatcher and her two chicks. I saw them in the road, on the way out and they were my first sighting of fledglings this season. On the way back the oystercatchers were still there in the middle of the road, except there was only one baby. I turned off the car engine and just watched them in the headlights for a few minutes. I was tempted to shoo the baby out of the road, and out of harm's way, but you shouldn't really interfere with wildlife at this time of the year, when they have young. The mum was obviously very concerned about her other chick and was calling it and running up and down the road. I am sure they would have found one another eventually.