Friday eclipse

[Kuikentje]

Sadly I'll be at work when this happens - and you can't see the sun from where I work so we won't be able to observe it at all.

Will the chickens go to bed?

I'm always intrigued by the way they put themselves to bed as soon as the light begins to fail, yet they will come out in the morning even though the level of light is exactly the same. It must be something to do with actually getting lighter or darker rather than the absolute level of light. So presumably they will notice it getting dark and go into their coop.

[chookmike]

That's a good point about whether the light changing to darkness makes them go to bed whereas they still get up in low light levels. Maybe they just need a pee and a cuppa?

The pineal gland behind the eye is what tells them to sleep according to my book.

I am on day off tomorrow so will watch and report. Forecast says we might be able to see it but who knows at this time of the year?

Cheers

[Totally Scrambled]

The last time we had a solar eclipse we didn't have chickens but all the wild birds went quiet and we didn't see any flying around either.
It will be interesting to see what the girls do.
Dom

[kitla]

As this wont be a full eclipse it will apparently be more like the darkness of a stormy
day, so perhaps they'll all hide under a bush for a while!

[Richard]

Hi

I was quite worried about the total eclipse 16 years ago.

Chickens and Cats didn't seem to notice as far as I could tell.

I forget what happened with the Garden Birds.

It's only for a short time so I reckon all will be well.
Richard

[lancashire lass]

I was quite worried about the total eclipse 16 years ago.

Chickens and Cats didn't seem to notice as far as I could tell.

It was only a partial eclipse here in the Midlands then, and to be honest the sun's intensity didn't seem that dimmed and only the pin hole / dark glasses indicated the moon was moving across the sun, so I imagine it will be much the same this time.

[Kuikentje]

I think there will be a bit more cover this time - depending where you are, of course. We were on holiday in the Forest of Dean last time and it was quite cloudy, but it went cold and very dull and the birds stopped singing.

It makes me feel a little sad, because last time, the children were small and on holiday with us, and this time one is permanently in New Zealand and the other one is all grown up and living with his girlfriend. Happy days. I love the Forest of Dean and always found it very hard to come home from there.

[Mo]

Noticeably darker, at max.
Now there's a cloud coming over.
I read the complicated instructions about a pinhole camera, couldn't be bothered with cutting holes in a shoe box, so stuck a pin in a soup packet and held it in front od a sheet of card. a bit wobbly, and the image was upside down, but it worked before that cloud appeared. Or maybe there's too much light again now.

[wendy]

Sun..............what sun ?
It did go a fraction darker. But it is so cloudy here. No chance.

[somchuck]

The chickens wandered towards their house at the darker part, changed their minds then stood in a huddle and looked towards the sun peeping between the clouds, they didn't seem too bothered. The birds went quieter but it was mainly cloudy here so we didn't see too much.

[kitla]

I managed to find somewhere selling the special glasses for £3 so we shared a
pair & I must say they worked really well! The clouds parted just before it started.
It was quite awesome for a few minutes, rather cold & eerie. I didn't notice the birds
stop singing but they seemed to get louder when the sun came back out.
My son took some pics using the glasses to protect his camera

[saint-spoon]

Sun..............what sun ?
It did go a fraction darker. But it is so cloudy here. No chance.

Same here Wendy, it went from dark and gloomy with a heavy cloud cover to slightly darker and gloomier with a thick cloud cover.

During the great eclipse of '99 I was on HMS Fearless and our captain decided to conduct a training exercise just about in the area where the eclipse was at its best (off Jersey I seem to remember). I borrowed a welding mask that day, got a relief for my watch and climbed up the eleven deck to have a peek, and got a two minute glance of the halo and diamond ring before climbing back down eleven deck to the engine room to sit out the remainder of my watch.

[wendy]

Yes we saw it the last time, with special glasses.
It was really impressive and went quite dark for a little while eerie as you say

[ChickenCarol]

It was absolute solid cloud cover here and we couldn't see the sun at all. The birds continued to sing and fly and the chickens took no notice. The cloud cover did seem to go a slightly pinkish colour. About an hour later the sun came out and has been out since. It was all a bit disappointing.

[saint-spoon]

Ironically the sun is burning through... "trying" as my Mum would say.