Frozen Splash Sculpture
Water sprayed by cars driving through a puddle has frozen in the layer of very cold air near the ground.
Category: Weather
Reasons for Pre-Ordering a Book
If you like the look of a book, please do consider pre-ordering. Here are some really good reasons to a pre-order my latest book: 1)…
Which Way Are We Looking?
Which way are we looking in this picture? (North, South, East or West?) Answer: We are looking east. There are clues in the puddles, the…
Why do waves bend towards the shore?
When waves meet shallow water they slow down. When one side of a wave slows down, the wave bends towards that side. It is a…
A Small, Challenging Natural Navigation Exercise in Fog
Yesterday the conditions were perfect for a short tricky natural navigation exercise in fog. Here are some of the photos from that challenge. These were taken…
“Gorse is out of bloom, when kissing’s out of fashion”
There was heavy snow in the early hours of Sunday morning. We didn’t need any more encouragement. The Gooley family set off for an explore…
Reading Ice Patterns and Compasses
Here is a selection of images from a recent dawn exploration of my local hills. I’ve explained how to read these patterns and signs in…
Finding Direction through Bird Nests in Termite Mounds
A guest blog post from Brazil, by Pedro and Gersony C.Jovchelevich. Termites are insects belonging to the order Isoptera, also known here in Brazil as…
The Fish Cliff Clue
When John Pahl and I were sailing around Iceland, we noticed that you could use the puffins to indicate the direction of land very reliably,…
Winter Sea Cumulus
The clouds always make a map for us. On winter mornings, the cumulus clouds map the sea. A lot more about this and the other…
Winter Solstice in Texas
My thanks to Dan Acosta for this image of winter solstice sunrise yesterday from Corpus Christi, on the coast of Texas. The red arrow shows…
What is Frost Drip?
Frost drip happens when frost forms on tree branches and leaves and then thaws as the temperature rises. The ice turns to water and falls…
5 Sea Colours That Are Easy to See
Every time we look out at the sea there are lots of colours. Our brain tends to mash them all up because it is busy…
Sulphur Tuft – Hypholoma fasciculare
Fungi represent a challenge when it comes to natural compasses. We can use them to make maps quite easily, but they don’t photosynthesise, so their…
Some Observations from Search and Rescue
My thanks to a helicopter pilot for this fascinating email and for permission to share it. And for adding the ‘ptarmigan altimeter’ to my collection!…
Courses Update
My thanks to everyone who has joined the online course. The cornerstone of the course is the 12 ‘Chapters’ – twelve instructional videos: The Senses,…
Clues in the Classics
Welcome to a new guest column – Clues in the Classics – where Siobhan Machin explores classic works, always on the search for buried outdoor…
Fast Recognition and Optical Illusions in Nature
Our brains are pattern-recognising machines. This is true everywhere, but not least in nature, where it honed these skills over millions of years. Bird calls,…
The Secret World of Weather
How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Breeze, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal, and Dewdrop The weather changes as we walk around a tree or turn…
Some Tips on Home-Hunting in the Tyrol
My thanks to Otta Wenskus for the following tips. They offer practical advice if you are looking for a flat or house near Innsbruck… And…
How to Navigate Using Anthills
One of keys to reliable natural navigation is avoiding an obsession with tricks. It is nice when there is a fast, simple bullet-proof method for…