Fierce Nor'easter and bird watch

[CT Tobaccoman]

Hi Guys,

Been busy-got my crop cured and taken down. Will update elsewhere. Computer trouble, new hard drive.

Today, on Outer Cape Cod, there is blowing a terrible Nor'easter storm. No sunlight-twilight at noon. I stand with the entire North American land mass at my back, as far east as one can be. Surf 20 feet plus. NE winds sustained at 40mph, gusts to 60+. Branches breaking and blocking roads, and a deluge of rain like the day Noah closed up his ark. I love it. So far, thank God and NSTAR Electric, we still have power. Annoying to be stuck inside (where the evil landlady doesn't let me smoke.)

Storms like this blow migrating arctic birds into our harbors and bays. When it lets up, I'll be out looking for arctic ducks, sheerwaters, jaeggers, petrels and alcids-which are auks, like murres, razorbills and dovekies (penguins of the Arctic.) If real lucky, an Atlantic Puffin. Lots of Gannets here already.

Need seeds, and will give final results on Crop 2014 elsewhere. Hope all is well with all of you.

CT

 

[bonehead]

thats a nice place to be. the cape is so different in the off season.

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

Oh yeah, I love the winter here. No traffic, no crowds. You start recognizing people everywhere again. Warmer than Connecticut, less snow. 80 miles from nearest Interstate hiway.

I'm into bird watching and you can see birds here you can't see anywhere else near land. Expensive, though. Property values and rents through the roof. I rent year round in Wellfleet with a roommate to share the rent, and I have a town owned senior apartment in East Hartford, CT where rent is based on income--it's a pretty good setup.

 

[bonehead]

i have cousins that have a house near the barnstable flats in one of the private neighborhoods. there are also relatives near the national sea shore that can walk to the beach. thats the spot i would like to be. i would wear out a few surf casters if i was there. did you ever fish any of the kettle ponds? i used to fish one in the north truro area. i never saw such clean,clear fresh water before or ever again.

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

Well, I never was much of a fisherman, especially now in my 60s, I don't like to get wet and cold too much. But there is excellent fishing, depending on the season. Right now there are thousands of sea turtles stranding on Cape Cod Bay beaches. A team of volunteers rescue them, warm them up, and eventually fly them to Florida. 80% live. The theory is that they get confused and can't get out of the bay on their journey south, and get too sluggish from the cold.

So, you know all about Cape Cod, brother. I am in Wellfleet, one of the Nat. Seashore towns--must be close to your relatives. My backyard abuts the Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary. My dirt road starts just behind the drive-in movie screen.

It's noon, drizzling, and the wind has greatly diminished, so I'm off to Ptown harbor, where most of the Arctic birds take refuge. I'll let you know if I find anything interesting.

CT

 

[webmost]

They can drop a couple of turtles off here in Dull-Aware and save the gas, if they want. I run a sanctuary called the Soup Pot. They'll be plenty warm, I guarantee.

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

OK webmost. You're near the sea there in Delaware. I will mention it to the Audubon people here. They ARE having a problem finding places to accept all those sea turtles.
Thank you

CT

 

[BarG]

**** yall/ heh heh, You guys are funny, I know what I like. , Burley and flue cured . who knows where. I know you do too

 

[Bex]

It has been incredibly windy and stormy on this side of the Atlantic as well, for at least the past week. The highest offshore waves on record were recorded within the past few days. The wind has been at a constant 50mph, without let up (and trashed my polytunnel while it was at it). Fortunately, the wind here has been coming from the northwest - the wrong direction to bring the tide in and flood the land and roads, where I live. That normally happens at the spring tide in January. I'm often stranded here for the better part of the week, until the floodwater soaks away.

 

[Markw]

They can drop a couple of turtles off here in Dull-Aware and save the gas, if they want. I run a sanctuary called the Soup Pot. They'll be plenty warm, I guarantee.

You guys crack me up Lol

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

**** yall/ heh heh, You guys are funny, I know what I like. , Burley and flue cured . who knows where. I know you do too

Got that right, Bar G

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

It has been incredibly windy and stormy on this side of the Atlantic as well, for at least the past week. The highest offshore waves on record were recorded within the past few days. The wind has been at a constant 50mph, without let up (and trashed my polytunnel while it was at it). Fortunately, the wind here has been coming from the northwest - the wrong direction to bring the tide in and flood the land and roads, where I live. That normally happens at the spring tide in January. I'm often stranded here for the better part of the week, until the floodwater away.

So, you are on the Irish Sea, then, Bex?

As I understand Transatlantic weather, the Gulf Stream turns Eiast toward you about 200-300 miles south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where I am, at the extreme easternmost edge, facing across to Portugal, at this latitude. Cape Cod, on its north and east sides, is fed by the Labrador Current wile the south shore of New England is influenced by warmer Gulf Stream waters. The benchmark of 40 lat/70 long is approx where these currents meet, the colder Labrador current going under the warmer Gulf Stream. The GS then heads toward the UK, which is why your climate is actually warmer than New England, even tho you are much further north than we.

Our Nor,easters come up the east coast of the US, usually passing near that 40-70 benchmark and then spin NE toward Nova Scotia. So, since storm winds go counter clockwise, they approach us with south and SE winds, hit hard from the East and often stall offshore, pumping in NE winds up to 60mph. Eventually, they dissipate after brushing Newfoundland.

I'd be interested to know how the Gulf Stream effects your stormy winter pattern, since I doubt that our "Nor'easters" get across to you. There must be cold water currents coming to you from the Baltic--or maybe the North Atlantic/Arctic? I don't get why storms come at u with NW winds. NW winds here are the first sign that the storm is leaving us to the north, and west winds are fair weather. Even storms that reach the US east coast having traveled east across the continent there are seldom NW winds blowing during the storm. In the case of non-coastal storms the wind is usually SW to SE.

Anyway, I do more enjoy these powerful winter storms than not. Often on Cape Cod we get rain while 50 miles west the rest of New England and the Midwest get snow. Cape Cod is warmed by ocean water until January, when the ocean temp finally dips below the surface air temp. Then, Cape Cod might be the only place east of the Mississippi where it is snowing.

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

You guys crack me up Lol

Soup Pot? I get it, finally. Not what these tree huggers have in mind. Me, I like turtle soup, but around here they might shoot you on sight if they catch you violating a critter's "civil rights." Sometimes the bass chase the squid right out onto the beach. Pick em up for Portuguese squid stew. Squids are less equal than turtles.

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

Anyway, no real cool birds seen this time. Maybe they were out there, but I don't much like getting out of the pickup to walk out jetties in 50mph wind blowing horizontal rain. Though these birds are rare and only seen from land here on Cape Cod, but I've already seen em all. Except that Atlantic Puffin, that almost never stops here. They like rocky shores, we have all sand dunes.

All my old fart hobbies like these get old fast. Except growing and curing tobacco. That's the one thing I never get bored with. Some of you guys probably have another activity you never get bored with (heh heh) but me, I am a TRUE old fart.