Shortland Wetlands in Newcastle Saturday 19th Feb

[birddog114]

As I can see the weather is not in our favour tomorrow and Sunday as forecast is "shower and storm". What do you guy think?

- Postpone the field trip?

What I'm thinking of, if there's not a good weather forecast, we may not doing this field trip and if we do, we won't get any achievement for our proposed plans, travelling 2 hours each way and stay under the cover, are not the ideal!

So if there's no field trip! a mini meet at my place is on for members who wish to come to inspect gears, CCD cleaning, chat about photography as usual from 8:00-1:00pm on Saturday.

[kipper]

What's up with you guys! If the weather turns sour you just turn the trip into a storm chasing field trip!

[sheepie]

I dunno birdie - forecast at the mo...

Saturday
Scattered showers and thunderstorms with possible moderate to heavy falls, mainly afternoon. Warm. Light to moderate north to northeast winds, fresher near the coast.

Sounds like a 'normal' day for this time of year, and scattered can mean you get it and we don't. Other thing is afternoon most likely means latter in the day, when we'd be gone already.

Pretty sure we'll be going up anyway, so if there's any others still going we'll catch up with them (the rest of the family is visiting the brother inlaw up there, so they won't care about the weather).

Stubbsy - what do you reckon? You're the local up that way - what's the story with the weather?

[birddog114]

What's up with you guys! If the weather turns sour you just turn the trip into a storm chasing field trip!

kipper,
I'm not the fan of it! and I would like to have my gears in safe of rain or storm, I don't want to spend two hours driving each way and just sitting duck wait for the weather cleared. I rather stay at my place and doing something else.

[Killakoala]

I'll still be going.

The possibility of a few remote thunderstorms isn't going to stop me. Now constant rain, that's another thing.

But i am still going.

So Birdy, if you're not going, then does anyone else want to car-pool? My car, room for one passenger, leaving from North Ryde.

[birddog114]

I'll still be going.

The possibility of a few remote thunderstorms isn't going to stop me. Now constant rain, that's another thing.

But i am still going.

So Birdy, if you're not going, then does anyone else want to car-pool? My car, room for one passenger, leaving from North Ryde.

The problem we have is the weather is unpredictable, can be changed at anytime, in the safest way we have to judge by ourselves with the distance of two hours driving and can't do anything if the weather turns bad, otherwise we'll be enjoyed on a day of the field trip.

[gstark]

I don't want to spend two hours driving each way and just sitting duck wait for the weather cleared.

There are places along the way that you can stop at while waiting for the weather to clear.

Repeat after me ...

"Cruickshanks ... Rosemount ... Mount Arrow ... Wyndham"

[birddog114]

I don't want to spend two hours driving each way and just sitting duck wait for the weather cleared.

There are places along the way that you can stop at while waiting for the weather to clear.

Repeat after me ...

"Cruickshanks ... Rosemount ... Mount Arrow ... Wyndham"

Oh yeah! but that'll turn into difference direction and getting worst at the end of the day can't drive home after visit those wonderful places

[gstark]

Oh yeah! but that'll turn into difference direction and getting worst at the end of the day can't drive home after visit those wonderful places

This is one time when you can start to appreciate that your children are now at the age where they have their own driver's licenses.

[birddog114]

Oh yeah! but that'll turn into difference direction and getting worst at the end of the day can't drive home after visit those wonderful places

This is one time when you can start to appreciate that your children are now at the age where they have their own driver's licenses.

Gary,
Are you aiming this to? where's his D/L I've been told that you not allowed him to touch your AR, except washing it

[sirhc55]

As the storm clouds gathered
he was seen, collar pulled up
marching into the wetlands
over his shoulder his first love hung
gently bumping his thigh
The sky was dark as night
but others say they saw the flash
not of lightning, but a trusty SB800
one, two, three and more
The rain fell like a river
as they all huddled in safety
but out there, in the wetlands
the flashes continued to burn the night
and they worried about their intrepid friend
but still the flashes continued
finally there was movement in the wetlands
and a duck waddled out
with camera and flash in his bill
placing them on the ground
he turned to the friends
and with an eerie smile
said - ”who’s next”

[gstark]

Birddog,

No, and Leigh doesn't yet have his license.

His younger brother does however, and has driven two of the three ARs already. No prizes for guessing which one he's not yet driven.

[Matt. K]

Chris
Nice touch.

[stubbsy]

Chris

Thanks for the poem.

------

Guys

Here's the forecast issued by the BOM at 11:20 this morning (Friday):

A southwesterly change will extend through the southwestern half of the state, with showers and thunderstorms developing over most of the state. These will clear early from the southwest corner. Elsewhere these will occur mainly in the afternoon and evening, but are also possible during the morning hours about the central ranges and adjacent slopes and coast. It should remain dry in the northwest and the far northeast. Moderate to heavy falls are expected to develop over the central ranges and coast. Very warm northerly winds ahead of the change in the northeast, and milder southerlies in the south and west.

From this I'd say the earliest we'll see the showers in Newcastle is late afternoon (remember Sydney weather takes about 2 hours to get to Newcastle).

At this stage I don't see that the weather will be a problem, but I'll keep you posted.

[gstark]

Peter,

That forecast looks pretty much like a classic case of having a bet each way.

[birddog114]

Hi Peter,
I withdraw my name in the list! sorry to have my say! I might meet you sometime later. I'm better giving my confirmation now for confiming of doing something else, love to come with all you guys, but weather is unpredictable.

Wish you all have funs

[stubbsy]

Hi Peter,
I withdraw my name in the list! sorry to have my say! I might meet you sometime later. I'm better giving my confirmation now for confiming of doing something else, love to come with all you guys, but weather is unpredictable.

Wish you all have funs

That's fine birddog. Shame you aren't coming - would have been interesting to see your shots with the big zoom.

[Killakoala]

I'll bring back a duck for you so long as i can catch one.

[stubbsy]

Updated BOM forecast issued 4:09 pm Friday

Scattered showers and thunderstorms mainly afternoon and evening. Moderate to heavy falls. Warm. Light to moderate north to northeast winds, fresher near the coast.

Should be OK. At this stage I'm assuming we have:

• Matt K. & Philo K. (hope I spelt this correctly)
• Sheepie
• Killakoala
• Stubbsy

Not sure about Onyx

If any of your aren't attending, please post or PM me.

The next BOM forecast is at 5:15 am Saturday. I won't be up quite that early, but I'll stick my head out my front door about 6:15 am and if things look bad I'll contact you to cancel.

[Killakoala]

I hope this link works, other wise try this;

http://data.theweather.com.au/access/im ... latest.jpg

At 1700 Fri, the rain hasn't even got to melbourne yet.

[Onyx]

Hey guys... I see the weather's become an issue, and Birddog's officially pulled out and set up the mini-meet at his residence.

Sorry to say, I won't be going due to me leaving things to the last minute and having a minor crisis of sorts - which will be sorted pending tonight, but will mess me up for tomorrow morning.

Those that are still going, enjoy yourselves and bring home the shots and show us what we missed!

[gstark]

At 1700 Fri, the rain hasn't even got to melbourne yet.

That's not possible!

[birddog114]

At 1700 Fri, the rain hasn't even got to melbourne yet.

That's not possible!

Yes, it's cos GregB is on holiday

[gstark]

Ahhhhh ....

[stubbsy]

Well the Sydney guys should be on their way now. Should be a good day - we'll bring back some good shots (I hope). BOM forcast at 5:15 am this morning is

Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly afternoon and evening with locally heavy falls possible tonight. Warm. Light to moderate north to northeast winds, fresher near the coast.

And since I got up at 6:00 am I've just watched the sun come up for the first time in a long while!