Flying in Britain
(Internet Published) Dec 2000
The Autumn of year 2000 is claimed to be the wettest since records began in
1776. The Roman's who invaded England 2000 years ago declared that the
country was not fit to live in 6 months of the year. The American Airmen and
Soldiers who came over during World War 2 said that it was high time that we
gave England back to the Indians.
It's not just the rain and wind, it's the dampness. A good kit of Tipplers
selectively bred in England will continue to fly in a heavy downpour of rain
and when the rain stops they soon fly themselves dry. However, on the days
when the atmosphere is so full of water vapour that Tipplers get saturated
if they continue to fly, they can't dry out. This atomized vapour gets under
the wings and saturates the body feathers in a way that actual rain does
not.
Many times I have put my birds out for a fly in such conditions and after a
short time they have been down, saturated and looking very depressed.
Likewise, when I go out on such days my old jacket is wet even though I
could see no actual rain. On such days I feel depressed and seem to lack
energy. On any day, 52 weeks a year, England may be subjected to periods of
this dampness.
The early morning are notoriously likely to be damp and misty. This damp
mist may prevail until 11 am, and then we may get a glorious and pleasant
day. Of course, by then it is often too late. The tipplers for contests or
marathon time attempts are released at dawn and have to contend with the
dampness. It is a lottery with the weather. In Sheffield the contest morning
may be extremely damp, but in Birmingham, only 90 miles away, it may be
better - or vice versa.
I suppose that English Tipplers have evolved to cope in this climate and I
know that the Irish Birds are probably worse affected. I reckon that I have
a good idea about Tipplers in Britain, but how they will cope in places
where extremely hot and arid conditions prevail, Don't ask me! because I
don't know.