Even here in the south of England the birds start twittering at 3.35 am
(2.35 GMT) at the height of summer and it's still light enough to read
outside at 10 pm (just about). Winter days can be *very* gloomy and
short, though.

There seems to be almost too much light in the summer, and not enough in the
winter. The variation in daylight never fails to amaze me, and it feels
harder to get used to the older I get! In the middle of winter (like now),
it is nearly fully dark at 5pm, and yet in the summer this would be around
the hottest part of the day! With the sun not setting until 9pm.

And I live nearly as far south as you get can get in mainland Britain. I
spent some time up in Orkney and in the summer it really doesn't get dark at
all, just goes to a twilight, yet in the winter it didn't seem to get light
until after 9am, and was dark again by about 3:30 pm. When the weather was
dull, it didn't really get 'light' at all and the street lights would stay
on all day and it felt very gloomy indeed.

Still, doesn't take long for the days to lengthen again. I've noticed it
getting darker just that little bit later now. Soon be spring (I hope),
though the daffodils think it already is and the dawn chorus has started,
the thrush is singing every morning now before sunrise. A few red admiral
butterflies venturing out from hibernation, grass needs another cut and the
crocuses are all coming up. A max of 11.7C today in the sunshine.

Currently (18:45), 5.3C, RH 86%, DP 3.3C, 979.6 hPa (S), Wind 4 mph SW.
________________
Nick G
Otter Valley, Devon
83 m amsl
http://www.ottervalley.co.uk