THE BIG SNOW after the NEW YEAR  in 2010

Copyright Valerie Martin 2010

"7 a.m. lots of snow".  

My poor Eucalyptus trees were bowed over and touched the ground with the weight of the white stuff... so I had to give them a bit of assistance and brush off the snow hoping they would bounce up again and no permanent damage would be done.   

Not many braved it out.... but Huskies (Shetland Sheepdogs during the summer months) and their Boss go where others fear to tread.    It was not very good for a photographic expedition.... with snowflakes on the lens.... but somewhat atmospheric....

click on all images to enlarge

The cottages in Nepcote... looking north.....

.....and looking south.

I did not pass any cars at all on the lanes...everyone was far to sensible to venture out..... although some had passed that way earlier.

Blizzard conditions prevailed on Nepcote Green....looking west..... but the Canon struggled on through the snowflakes.....

.......Nepcote Green looking east.    Should we turn back or keep going to the Gallops?    Onward Christian soldiers...

Phantom riders appear out of the snowstorm....

....... at least, Nick Gifford's stable lads are working....

.....out in the Findon wasteland.

WEATHER FORECASTING....

"I wonder if we'll have any more snow tonight?"

THURSDAY.....yes, my Huskies are out to test the ice and snow again....

The sun rises over Cissbury Ring and the Findon Gallops at 8.30 am.    

Katie says...."Tyre tracks on the Gallops tell us that Nick Gifford has beaten us and been out and about with hay for the two horses in the field".   They still looked pretty miserable in their field after being out all night though..... one was without a turn-out rug.      I wondered if there wasn't a spare stable for them back at the ranch!

I did not think any racehorses would be going over the hurdles that day.

Even the rails bent over with the weight of the snow.

Nepcote Green with Church Hill beyond looked just like fairyland in the snow.

Nepcote Green with the Blackpatch hillside on the horizon.

Suzie and Katie's boyfriend, Gideon, was out with Dorothy.

Dorothy spotted a good crop of icicles hanging from Nepcote House (once the old pub on the edge of Nepcote Green .... frequented by the shepherds of yesteryear on Sheep Fair day).

Mr. Snowman takes the pups for a walk.

Suzie and Katie brave the elements again at lunchtime on Thursday...

The Muntham Clump (Burial site for the Thynne family) on the Muntham Estate.

The summit of Chuch Hill above Findon Village.

Suzie and Katie out with another boyfriend, Star.... with Val

The state of Nepcote roads.

On Friday, I had visitors in search of sustenance....here is Peter Pigeon sitting on my garden wall...                            

.....and Bertie Blackbird...

...... and Reggie Rob in the snow.

On Saturday I had some very unusual guests to my garden ..... normally I only see these birds on Cissbury Ring but the inclement weather has driven them down to the gardens in search of food.....

Here is a fieldfare huddled down on a branch in the snow eating berries that Friday morning.    There were a flock ...(mustn't exaggerate, but 20 plus flying to and fro).  

I also saw a number of Redwings in Nepcote (very unusual to say the least).   

A Song Thrush huddled on a branch waiting for the Blackbird to leave my garden (have you noticed how Blackbirds always chase off the Song Thrushes?)

The snow froze on the Findon landscape and the next day found me at Findon Valley....

Me and them in the meadows.

Katie on the snowy downland beside Shipdens Holt,    The snow nearly came over my boots...... and Katie looked a bit miserable with the snow blowing in her face and I carried her for a little while.    Suzie coped OK.

Television aerial at Findon Valley

Bost Hill.

A flock of Redwings and Fieldfares were still having a field day in snowy Nepcote at the weekend...flying to and fro eating berries from 7.30 am. onwards......photographs taken late Sunday afternoon on a dull overcast day....

Fieldfares with a Redwing on the right.               One in the beak is worth two on the bush.

Usually, I only witness these "Winter Thrushes" on the slopes of Cissbury Ring during the winter but hard times have brought them down to civilisation and it was a wonderful sight and most likely will not be witnessed again.

On Tuesday of the following week, Doug Attrell of Goring-by-Sea emailed....

"Dear Valerie...I spotted three of these birds in my back garden this morning. Would they be the elusive Redwings?"

I told Doug that he had Redwing visitors.    As pretty as a Christmas card.   Beautiful.   These birds gang up with the Fieldfares and all go around together.   They were still here in Nepcote waiting for the weather to improve before going on to pastures  new.  

A visit to Sullington Warren on Tuesday made me aghast at how many Silver Birches and large branches of Cedars had been brought to the ground after being weighed down by the blanket of snow.    Many pathways were blocked.

We found deer prints..... and then a fox with a big bushy tail appeared and Suzie tore after him into the wood ...but he is too wily for her.

"Anyone for golf?"     With the snow blowing in my eyes, it was a job to keep them open.

Katie ran into difficulty with giant balls of ice accumulated on her legs.... and so did her sister.

Automatic braking system for Shetland Sheepdogs...... ice balls prevent them from chasing any more foxes.

The girls could hardly walk with their ice balls.       Suzie gave up and refused to walk........then makes one last effort to run.  

Trees had also now been brought down on the hillside above Coombe Rise and sprawled across the tracks.

The snow still lingered on the Friday and a temporary sign at Nepcote Green indicated that the lane to Cissbury Ring was "Road closed..... blocked".