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Wasperton > Wildlife |
ARCHIVE
January |
ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH, WASPERTON Updated February 2025 If Candlemas Day be gay and bright, Candlemas Day is the 2nd of February. The most prolific day of the year for weather lore.By about the mid- 5th century the day was celebrated with lighted candles to commemorate Simion's comment about the baby Jesus as "a light to lighten the gentiles". Also on this day old candles were thrown away to show the end of Christmas. The saying above is probably the most famous and important of the Candlemas proverbs. It gives a 57% chance of success if cloud and rain appear on the 2nd of February for this wet weather continuing 'til the end of the month. We shall see. But remember old Hilarius saying, "when winter begins early, it ends early". Also "when ducks do slide at Hollantide at Christmas they will swim". Do you remember? We may be OK and the worst may have gone. The average weather pattern for February is early storms, 24th January until the 1st of February, then a quiet anticyclonic spell about the 8th to the 16th of the month. Cold frosty and foggy. Then another cold period 21st to the 25th. Finally a stormy end say 26th until the 9th March. (In like a lion). Let us hope that Hilarius changes all this. Here in the Churchyard we are seeing the first signs of Spring enough to say "yes it won't be long now". Snowdrops of course, and the yellow in the first buds on the winter aconites. The birds are singing more, only the robin has been tuneful through the dark days. Too soon for the small mammals yet . I was a bit concerned that the frosty weather in January may have set things back a bit, but no, nature seems to know what to do about it. Do walk through the Churchyard if you can, on a dry day, it is always good to see you. This time of the year I think, is probably the tidiest time in our wildlife area and certainly the easiest for us workers. Such is life in the wild. Thanks for your continued support, we do appreciate you. Mike Porter
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