Winter Solstice today (21 December)
- Thread starter Sharpie
- Start date
Freeforester
Well-Known Member
Technically, no. Or, not according to ms Zharkova, but then again, she’s not where you are. Btw, here sunrise: 0851 today, ss 1527, tomorrow sr 0852, ss1528 Somewhat like the proclaiming of the ‘vaccine’, you may again be a little ‘premature’.
Old Scots proverb: As the day lengthens, the cauld strengthens - then again, the South coast isn’t Scotland. Daylight - more like 6hrs here, while up in Shetland - not so much!
Old Scots proverb: As the day lengthens, the cauld strengthens - then again, the South coast isn’t Scotland. Daylight - more like 6hrs here, while up in Shetland - not so much!
Sun rises here in Shetland at 09.09 and sets at 14.57. If there’s heavy cloud, it can feel as though it never really gets light. Conversely, at midsummer, it never really gets dark, 11 in the evening, can feel like 3 in the afternoon.
Len the dog
Well-Known Member
Interesting place is Shetland, fauna wise. I’ve worked at SVT a number of times and a couple of those I had help from a local lad from Hillswick with whom I was discussing the unique nature of the Islands’ ecology.
The prevalence of Ravens and hooded crows was noticeable but the thing that most surprised me was that there are no foxes on the islands.
Plenty of geese to be had though.
The prevalence of Ravens and hooded crows was noticeable but the thing that most surprised me was that there are no foxes on the islands.
Plenty of geese to be had though.
I was informed the same applies to Arran when I visited years ago.
Ronin
Distinguished Member
Shorter nights in the caravan back of the forest. (Hopefully Andy 
)
)Haven't looked at that vid, (not enough hours in the day ...) But this year today, 21 Dec. is indeed the Winter Solstice in the Northern hemisphere. Irrespective of latitude.
The exact date varies according to the Gregorian calendar, 365 days/year, but 366 every fourth (leap) year. Rather than the actual 365.242199 days or so that it takes the Earth to orbit the sun.
December Solstice: the Shortest (and Longest) Day
The December solstice can be on December 20, 21, 22, or 23.
December 21 or 22 solstices happen more often than December 20 and 23 solstices. The last December 23 solstice was in 1903 and the next one is in 2303. A December 20 solstice is also rare, with the next one in the year 2080.
As to the timing of sunrise and sunset, that is subject to the movements of the Equation of Time, largely because the Earth's orbit is slightly elliptical rather than circular: Equation of Time
FWIW, Today at my location I have 7hrs 56'12'' of daylight. Yesterday was six seconds longer. Tomorrow will be one second longer. June 21 (Summer Solstice) will be the longest day. 16 hrs 31 minutes 13 seconds.
FWIW 6 June 1944 was not actually "the longest day". But near enough.
Last edited:
The late father of one of my oldest friends was a far north of Scotland GP and grew up on a croft near Helmsdale in Sutherland. He once told me that as a boy (pre-war) he had one of the old fixed aperture / shutter speed 120 roll-film 'Box Brownie' cameras, and that on a bright sunny mid winter's day you had at most two hours to take a photo outdoors, ie roughly an hour either side of midday. If it was a dull day, forget it!
Our eyes and brain compensate a great deal for changing light levels, so when it seems dull at midday, it really is. (When I got into photography with my first 35mm SLR camera back in the days of using a light meter then setting the camera to suit, I was often really surprised how what seemed like 'normal' light to me was actually very low-light on the meter and needed a couple of extra 'stops' on the lens or shutter speed settings.)
This is a useful facility which you set to your location:
Sunrise and sunset times in York
......... and for us in North Yorkshire we now already have a full extra two minutes of daylight in the afternoon than over the earliest sunset days, no doubt rounded a bit. Since I care more about this end of the day than sunrise, it's a case of Hooray!!
Sunrise and sunset times in York
......... and for us in North Yorkshire we now already have a full extra two minutes of daylight in the afternoon than over the earliest sunset days, no doubt rounded a bit. Since I care more about this end of the day than sunrise, it's a case of Hooray!!
What about mink? Big problem with them on Harris and Lewis.
One of the things I most like about hedge laying, especially when it's a big farm job that lasts all season, is because you're going to the same place at daybreak week in, month out, you can see the day lengthening and by the middle of February you can see spring starting to stir in the bottom of the hedge. And the birds and animals start to change their behaviour.I always feel like a corner has been turned after the solstice….
Don't know if it'll be the same up in Durham, but down south I always felt we'd broke the back of winter when flocks of long-tailed tits started working the hedge ahead of me.
Ronin
Distinguished Member
I've always heard it down here as well.
Freeforester
Well-Known Member
Stoatally, also on Orkney. Cause of some strife twixt the wannabe (that charidee) land managers and those who do…
Yes timeanddate.com is what I use But also get it on my wrist from my Casio Protrek PRG 240 module watch when I have entered my lat. and long. to within a degree. Living at 51 degrees, my other Northumberland home is at 55 degrees. Which makes a significant difference (and is further North than some bits of Scotland,) Currently the watch is showing sunrise 08:00, sunset 15:50. Near enough. Shoot an hour earlier or an hour later at this time of year ? Well, leave that to the feeble discussions about "what's the best low light 'scope" etc. At this time of year it's a bit different Sure, come Summer it might matter, but honestly in the cold midwinter , up here, theoretical considerations about "which low light scope is best, do I need a mighty 56mm objective with all the downsides, and premium glass with super-coatings that can pass nearly every percent going through them ? I'm not totally convinced about that. There again I do not own one. But my eyes, remarkably for my age, are still quite good. Others maybe less so and need all the help possible.
Indeed, Greylag numbers are increasing year on year and can be shot on croftland at any time, no close season. I mind when they were mainly winter visitors, now it’s hard to walk across the hills without coming across a nest.
No real ground predators, except possibly otter. All mammals were introduced, polecat ferrets and stoat, thankfully no mink, in an attempt to control a huge rabbit population and hedgehog to eat garden slugs, all now impacting ground nesting birds. No foxes, though occasionally a joker will bring a roadkill fox and leave it on a busy roadside, once I believe this was done with an arctic fox.
As for the ravens and hoodies, with sparrowhawks colonising quickly and regular sightings of sea eagles during the summer months, their dominance may be challenged.
Similar threads
- Article
