October Weather Report

October 2012 has more than lived up the the reputation October has on Scotland's west coast - that it can be the sunniest and, from a scenic point of views, most spectacular month of the year, but the weather is highly changeable.   It's certainly been dry.  Of the month's total precipitation of 146mm, 59mm fell in 48 hours during the 10th, 11th and 12th of month, 17mm fell in the 24 hours leading up to 8am on the 27th, and 20mm on the 29th/30th.  These five days therefore saw two-thirds of the month's rainfall total.

In all, the month had 14 days which were dry.  The clear skies that came with them resulted in four ground frosts up our end of Ormsaigbeg where, being close to the sea, we do tend to be warmer.  The highest daytime temperature was 17C on the 5th, and lowest night temperatures 1C on both the 26th and 27th.  The first snow was visible on the hilltops of Mull and on the islands to the north of us on the 31st.  No snow has settled here, but there's been no shortage of hail.

Fortunately, some of the clear nights have coincided with aurora displays.  While on the subject, there was an AuroraWatch alert last night.  Although it was only for minor geomagnetic activity, it suggests the sun is active again, so it will be worth watching the northern horizon if there are clear skies in the next few nights.

When it has rained, it has tended to rain heavily over short periods.  This was the waterfall on the Mill Burn on the morning of the 28th, after the previous night's deluge.

October is a month of change.  It's the month when the leaves die both on the trees and on the hillside shrubs and bushes, where the bracken carpets the landscape in golden-brown.  It's the month when great changes happen in the wildlife, though for some, like these seals pictured at the Lighthouse by Kichoan Early Bird, little changes.  We've had some good sightings of eagles, otters and pine martens, and we've enjoyed the excitement of the annual red deer rut...,

....but probably the most spectacular event has been the invasion from Scandinavia of upwards of a thousand fieldfares and redwings at the end of the month - this pictures shows part of a huge flock over Ormsaigbeg.  We've not seen anything like this in the seventeen years we've been here, and some people are suggesting that it's a warning of a bitter winter to come.

Many thanks to Kilchoan Early Bird for the photo of the seals.