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Animals, Plants and the Weather, Natures Signs :MOD note 121

2456

Comments

  • #52
    Iancar29
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,068 ✭✭✭Iancar29


    I noticed today that the Birds wer having a feeding frenzy out the back today , ( nothing special put out , just the usual )

    Now in my mind i just guess that ye... its cold out... they feel it .... they stock up.

    Any predicting in that now i wouldnt be sure of. ....


  • #53
    Fishtits
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,382 ✭✭✭Fishtits


    Read an article recentely about frogs leaving the earthquake zone in Italy prior to the recent quake there, apparentely its suspected that they sensed chemicals released by the Earth below during tremors?

    As for the old chestnut that there were no animals killed in the Asian Tsunami of '04 because they all sensed it and had buggered off... Rubbish. I was in Banda Aceh for several months after the event, apart from the 120,000 folk killed, there were also dead animals all over the place, and they weren't tied to a post in a garden...


  • #54
    Deep Easterly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,150 ✭✭✭Deep Easterly


    I remember reading a book called 'Their Eyes Were Watching God' by Neale Hurston a few years back (great read and I highly recommend) but one particular scene in it stands out for me.

    There was a group of people working in a cotton field (if I remember correctly) on a typically hot and humid day in the SE States when suddenly they observed in the distance various animals walking in a single line in a certain direction, which in turn were being followed by a group of native Indians. When asked by the workers why they were following the animals they were told that the animals were heading for higher ground because there was a storm coming. (plot was set in the early 20th century). The cotton pickers were both sceptical and amused and carried on their work.

    What followed the next day was a hurricane so powerful that the actual book title is based on it! OK, only fiction but a great scene that I am failing to explain well. I myself am cynical of the whole idea of animals being able to predict the weather but as has been said earlier, those brought up on the land and with animals have much more insight than the likes of me, who's knowledge of animal behavior is based totally on family pet dogs.


  • #55
    nacho libre
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,970 ✭✭✭✭nacho libre


    I think it's feasible that some animals are attuned to a frequency we can't tap it into, when you consider just how swallows are able to migrate yearly.
    it is also said a dog's sense of smell is so highly attuned that they have be known to detect cancerous tumours in their owners. Might they be able to detect atmospheric changes ahead of human instruments?


    perhaps animals can't foretell through their senses what will happen weather wise, but the outright derision of some to that suggestion is unwise- there was a time not so long ago all animals(excluding the humankind) were simply viewed as automatons merely responding to instincts. we've learned a lot about the capabilities of other animals over the last 50 years. i believe they still have a lot to tell us.


  • #56
    pistolpetes11
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 7,146 Mod ✭✭✭✭pistolpetes11


    Ah the Animals and the Weather , Nature Signs thread ,

    Where the talk of flying crows/cows/pigs/frogs/, snow bunnies, pressure headaches and the rest calls home


  • #57
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    The most famous of all the Sign Watchers, Michael Gallagher, produced this fairly comprehensive list of signs some time back.

    Be an idea to try them in your own area and see.

    http://www.finnvalley.ie/glenfin/weather/


  • #58
    cafecreme
    Closed Accounts Posts: 56 ✭✭cafecreme


    Thanks for that link Spongebob. I saw a blackbird mooching around on the ditch this morning, according to Michael Gallagher that means snow on the way :)


  • #59
    up for anything
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,778 ✭✭✭up for anything


    Maybe generations gone by could rely on their animals foretelling the weather because the animals were more attuned to forthcoming weather in those days. Nowadays domesticated animals don't have to worry too much about what's going to happen with the weather because they have lovely sheds/kennels/houses to shelter in. Evolution could be changing their abilities. The average house dog probably figures there's no point in trying to tell anyone that it's going to snow in a months time because the county councils still won't get their asses in gear to get in enough grit and salt. :D:D


  • #60
    Icanseethewind
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15 ✭Icanseethewind


    I not at all worried about the cold... I still going to let the sheep out ont o the high pastures, plenty of grass after all this lovely mild weather. I can bet my life on it there will be no snow.... some sunny coldish days but pleasant...just the way I like it. The mountain has that dark colur on it again today a sure sign of rain and mildness for the next two weeks... I was talking to neighbour and he a great forecaster and reckons February will be very mild after this cooler air passes and March will be the same.... great news


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  • #61
    Icanseethewind
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15 ✭Icanseethewind


    rc28 wrote: »
    Mods?? You keep making these dramatic sweeping statements and it's not helpful.

    Helpful with what?? Sure I or no one else can make the weather happen!!


  • #62
    Lucreto
    Registered Users Posts: 1,003 ✭✭✭Lucreto


    Since we humans are animals as well I have got one.

    Since I was a kid anytime we had any snow I was sick. Usually its the same thing a chesty cough days before snow progressing to a chest infection just before the snow falls.

    I used to live in Bray so snow was rare as the best of times. I had about 3 or 4 snow days and was ill so I couldn't enjoy it. 2010 I was not tuned in do the boards so I didn't know snow was forecast but the cough arrived but I caught it early so I was able to enjoy the snow.

    As you can guess where I am going with this the cough has returned and with this cold in the charts heading our way I think we are in for some snow.:D


  • #63
    Joe Public
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,783 ✭✭✭Joe Public


    Icanseethewind wrote: »
    I not at all worried about the cold... I still going to let the sheep out ont o the high pastures, plenty of grass after all this lovely mild weather. I can bet my life on it there will be no snow.... some sunny coldish days but pleasant...just the way I like it. The mountain has that dark colur on it again today a sure sign of rain and mildness for the next two weeks... I was talking to neighbour and he a great forecaster and reckons February will be very mild after this cooler air passes and March will be the same.... great news

    Some of the Wicklow hills have a nice covering of snow and thus don't have the dark colour so how does that fit into the forecast.?


  • #64
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    He can't see them Joe, he is in Mayo :)


  • #65
    Joe Public
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,783 ✭✭✭Joe Public


    Sponge Bob wrote: »
    He can't see them Joe, he is in Mayo :)

    He could still be right, mild in the west and cold in the east.


  • #66
    Calibos
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,810 ✭✭✭Calibos


    We're getting ahead of ourselves here. Its too early to talk about downgrades. Lets just wait and see if there is model consensus between the Crow and Magpie 00z's. We should see the first ensembles at the beginning of the Dawn Chorus about 3:30am


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  • #67
    Strangegravy
    Registered Users Posts: 356 ✭✭Strangegravy


    Anyone seen any genuine weather or nature signs recently, if this colder weather does come to pass, it'd be a good time to keep an eye out for any of the birds or animals acting a bit out of character!

    (Not that I'd know what they were like IN character, tbh!)

    All I know is that the Daff's that have started growing in my garden already are either very well informed and confident that this cold snap won't reach us, or they didn't get the memo from Mother Nature and are in for a bit of a shock next weekend!! :D


  • #68
    jimmy.d
    Registered Users Posts: 200 ✭✭jimmy.d


    Strangegravy wrote: »
    Anyone seen any genuine weather or nature signs recently, if this colder weather does come to pass, it'd be a good time to keep an eye out for any of the birds or animals acting a bit out of character!

    (Not that I'd know what they were like IN character, tbh!)

    All I know is that the Daff's that have started growing in my garden already are either very well informed and confident that this cold snap won't reach us, or they didn't get the memo from Mother Nature and are in for a bit of a shock next weekend!! :D
    ya had the blackbirds at the back door today and have not seen them since the snow in november 2010 a week before it snowed


  • #69
    Strangegravy
    Registered Users Posts: 356 ✭✭Strangegravy


    jimmy.d wrote: »
    ya had the blackbirds at the back door today and have not seen them since the snow in november 2010 a week before it snowed

    That's the kind of sign I like to see! :)


  • #70
    kenmc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,277 ✭✭✭kenmc


    birds of all sorts have been demolishing the fat balls in my feeders. much faster in the last couple of days than all winter so far


  • #71
    Nabber
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,855 ✭✭✭Nabber


    The daffodils in my garden have started to ungrow themselves.
    It's either going to be cold, or we have a bigger issue with Sellafield than I thought.

    Animals may sense changes in humidity, pressure, wind ect..
    But I don't think they can see beyond the weather system at present.


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  • #72
    snow ghost
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,379 ✭✭✭snow ghost


    As an avid Crow watcher for signs of impending weather doom and catastrophic snowfalls I can confirm that I have seen little evidence of any strange crow behavior. However, that in itself could signal the calm before the storm, as I have a hunch we may be snowed under this coming weekend.

    That said yesterday I did see a crow with a half eaten scone stuck onto its beak . It had to walk around for nearly an hour - unable to fly - before it finally managed to free itself. That could be an omen of a major blizzard.


  • #73
    snow ghost
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,379 ✭✭✭snow ghost


    Icanseethewind wrote: »
    I not at all worried about the cold... I still going to let the sheep out ont o the high pastures, plenty of grass after all this lovely mild weather. I can bet my life on it there will be no snow.... some sunny coldish days but pleasant...just the way I like it. The mountain has that dark colur on it again today a sure sign of rain and mildness for the next two weeks... I was talking to neighbour and he a great forecaster and reckons February will be very mild after this cooler air passes and March will be the same.... great news

    Icanseethewind,

    Did you see that singular brilliant white streak near the top of the Reek yesterday? You may be aware of the claim that that is a sign of more of it to come, and in my experience that is usually accurate.


  • #74
    slowburner
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,221 Mod ✭✭✭✭slowburner


    Salmon can sometimes predict a drought. Experienced anglers tale this for granted.
    I posted in June 2011 that there was a prospect of a drought based on the migratory patterns of salmon.
    (here)
    A drought did indeed follow.

    Neither flora nor fauna might be consciously predicting the weather, it might be just that they have just developed behavioural patterns in response to atmospheric effects which we cannot perceive.
    I think it would be foolish to rule out the behaviour of flora/fauna as a possible indicator of impending weather, just as it would be foolish to depend on it.


    Purely out of interest:
    The word temple derives from Latin templum, whose original meaning was 'viewing-space'.
    This space or platform was in early- and pre-Roman times not for viewing celestial bodies,
    but for viewing birds - birdwatching. For augury (from a proto-Latin word for 'bird') was practised
    by observing the flight of birds     (often geese) [FONT=Bookman Old Style, Book Antiqua]at prescribed times, or before taking important decisions.
    Augury was practised by augurs, who would then inaugurate proceedings or actions.[/FONT]
    http://www.irishmegaliths.org.uk/seanchlocha1.htm


  • #75
    Trotter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,362 ✭✭✭Trotter


    Here's an odd one. I got bird feeders in November and had sunflower seeds in them. The amount of small birds that visited was unreal. I bought a load of peanuts then recently and put them in and for the last 3 weeks there wasnt a bird to be seen.

    This morning for some reason, there's a queue of tiny birds taking the peanuts and heading off. They havent touched them in ages and I was all set to dump them and get new sunflower seeds.

    Do they sense the cold kicking in?!


  • #76
    ZX7R
    Registered Users Posts: 3,428 ✭✭✭ZX7R


    Trotter wrote: »
    Here's an odd one. I got bird feeders in November and had sunflower seeds in them. The amount of small birds that visited was unreal. I bought a load of peanuts then recently and put them in and for the last 3 weeks there wasnt a bird to be seen.

    This morning for some reason, there's a queue of tiny birds taking the peanuts and heading off. They havent touched them in ages and I was all set to dump them and get new sunflower seeds.

    Do they sense the cold kicking in?!

    The birds in my area acting the same,i have not seen so many small birds eating so much and it is also raining hard and there still eating,also the last fue days i have seen the smaller birds attacking the starlings and crows keeping them well away from the food.
    has any one noteced the amount of swans flying west the last cople of days.


  • #77
    Lucreto
    Registered Users Posts: 1,003 ✭✭✭Lucreto


    I have a bird feeder and I noticed the same. Also the resident squirrel was not bothered with the feeder and I bought one of those squirrel proof ones.

    This morning the squirrel was swinging out of it trying to get the nuts. I wish I had a camera nearby. I never seen it do that before and he succeeded as well. He knocked it to the ground and it opened.

    That is one happy squirrel.


  • #78
    gbee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,388 ✭✭✭gbee


    Lucreto wrote: »
    That is one happy squirrel.

    Squirrels are relentless, you'll be terrorised by them now. They are officially pests, the invading ones that it, I won't say a colour off hand as I'll pick the wrong one.

    Youtube Squirrel action to be amazed, they can even find a simple letter code and remember it apparently.


  • #79
    nacho libre
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,970 ✭✭✭✭nacho libre


    snow ghost wrote: »
    Icanseethewind,

    Did you see that singular brilliant white streak near the top of the Reek yesterday? You may be aware of the claim that that is a sign of more of it to come, and in my experience that is usually accurate.

    Welcome back snowghost. Another sign of colder weather is robins coming close to the house.

    If the robins then come knocking at you door. It's a sure sign the Siberan cold express has stopped for a while in the west of Ireland.


  • #80
    cyclops999
    Registered Users Posts: 402 ✭✭cyclops999


    All I will say is with the amount of rain that has fallen over the midlands since yesterday I now have a bloody swimming pool in my back garden. If the weather gods play ball I hope to have an ice rink by Friday .


  • #81
    kenmc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,277 ✭✭✭kenmc


    oh oh oh i just remembered another one.
    Saw a thing on the news there last week where some lad in Ballinteer had an all-white blackbird visiting his garden. Now if that's not hard evidence of blackbirds evolving a new colouring as camouflage like the snow-leopard, Arctic hare, Arctic fox and polar bear, I don't know what is :pac:


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  • #82
    Tom Cruises Left Nut
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,030 ✭✭✭Tom Cruises Left Nut


    When you see an animal frozen solid on the side of the road... thats a sign from nature that its cold ;):pac:


  • #83
    kenmc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,277 ✭✭✭kenmc


    t|nt|n wrote: »
    When you see an animal frozen solid on the side of the road... thats a sign from nature that its cold ;):pac:
    Unless of course it fell out of a Tesco frozen delivery truck :)


  • #84
    Joe Public
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,783 ✭✭✭Joe Public


    Trotter wrote: »
    Here's an odd one. I got bird feeders in November and had sunflower seeds in them. The amount of small birds that visited was unreal. I bought a load of peanuts then recently and put them in and for the last 3 weeks there wasnt a bird to be seen.

    This morning for some reason, there's a queue of tiny birds taking the peanuts and heading off. They havent touched them in ages and I was all set to dump them and get new sunflower seeds.

    Do they sense the cold kicking in?!


    I've been putting out peanuts in a feeder since October and the feeding pattern hasn't noticably changed. It usually takes them a few weeks to discover it and after that it's relentless. You left yours empty for a while so they fecked off and then slowly rediscovered you refilled it.


  • #85
    Trotter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,362 ✭✭✭Trotter


    Joe Public wrote: »
    I've been putting out peanuts in a feeder since October and the feeding pattern hasn't noticably changed. It usually takes them a few weeks to discover it and after that it's relentless. You left yours empty for a while so they fecked off and then slowly rediscovered you refilled it.

    No it wasnt empty at any time. I had seeds in it all the way to getting the peanuts.


  • #86
    Joe Public
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,783 ✭✭✭Joe Public


    Trotter wrote: »
    No it wasnt empty at any time. I had seeds in it all the way to getting the peanuts.

    They left in protest so, not happy you changed the feed without consultation.


  • #87
    Trotter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,362 ✭✭✭Trotter


    Joe Public wrote: »
    They left in protest so, not happy you changed the feed without consultation.

    Hehe.. I had one little fella last year that used to come to the feeder closest to the window and picked out the sunflower seeds from the mix and threw them away.. looking in the window between every throw. If you dubbed a voice on it, you'd be hearing him giving out about low quality seeds :D I named him Elvis because it was all about him.


  • #88
    snow ghost
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,379 ✭✭✭snow ghost


    nacho libre wrote: »
    Welcome back snowghost. Another sign of colder weather is robins coming close to the house.

    If the robins then come knocking at you door. It's a sure sign the Siberan cold express has stopped for a while in the west of Ireland.

    And if they come in the door Nacho it is a sign of death. Which could mean someone is going to freeze to death in an impending Siberian blast while Mr Robin gets to eat all of the dead dude's bread. :eek:

    Then again someone that vehemently believes in such pisheogs could just have died of shock at the sight of the grim-reaper with the red breast prancing around their kitchen.

    I prefer the former myself. ;)


  • #89
    snow ghost
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,379 ✭✭✭snow ghost


    Trotter wrote: »
    Here's an odd one. I got bird feeders in November and had sunflower seeds in them. The amount of small birds that visited was unreal. I bought a load of peanuts then recently and put them in and for the last 3 weeks there wasnt a bird to be seen.

    This morning for some reason, there's a queue of tiny birds taking the peanuts and heading off. They havent touched them in ages and I was all set to dump them and get new sunflower seeds.

    Do they sense the cold kicking in?!

    The amount of insects, etc, around lately has been amazing, spiders have been happily spinning away catching flies. So they may not have needed the feeders for a while.

    Back in November they may have been instinctively stocking up as they knew that time of year was coming - days getting shorter, etc - when the natural food would normally become more scarce.

    At this stage I'd suspect that any current increase in feeding was more to do with the recent few colder days we had, rather than predicting what is on its way in the next week. I noticed the spiders retracted with the few colder days and the little flies have been more absent.


  • #90
    snow ghost
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,379 ✭✭✭snow ghost


    slowburner wrote: »
    Salmon can sometimes predict a drought. Experienced anglers tale this for granted.
    I posted in June 2011 that there was a prospect of a drought based on the migratory patterns of salmon.
    (here)
    A drought did indeed follow[URL="http://"][/URL]


    Salmons' instincts and behaviour are that profound that they are beyond the comprehension of modern science... so who knows what they may be able to sense that is currently impossible for humans to understand.


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  • #91
    Fineout
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭Fineout


    A flock of Redwings have just arrived to my field this morning. They always come about two weeks ahead of very cold weather. Last winter they arrived in November 2010 - so they awful late this winter. Delighted to see them.


  • #92
    kenmc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,277 ✭✭✭kenmc


    Fineout wrote: »
    A flock of Redwings have just arrived to my field this morning. They always come about two weeks ahead of very cold weather. Last winter they arrived in November 2010 - so they awful late this winter. Delighted to see them.
    They better have packed the feckin snow, else they can go home and get it...


  • #93
    Calibos
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,810 ✭✭✭Calibos


    Rather than Psychic birds I'd be more inclined to believe that any change of behaviours of our local populations of Birds in advance of cold weather is merely a simple reaction to the influx of migratory birds.

    EG. Birds not bothering with my feeders for weeks but now my tables are being mobbed. The Birds must know the snow is coming and are stocking up!!

    They're not Psychic, they might be facing increased competition from the aforementioned migratory Redwings for example who's annual Winter migration to here was delayed by a mild Winter in Europe but who are now flocking to our shores to escape the advancing continental cold.

    Is that the exact answer? Probably not but the answer will be something similar and simple albeit not necessarily obvious but that kind of answer is magnitudes more likely than Psychic Birds or birdbrains attuned to Quantum Tachyon signals blah blah blah :D


  • #94
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    Calibos wrote: »
    They're not Psychic, they might be facing increased competition from the aforementioned migratory Redwings for example who's annual Winter migration to here was delayed by a mild Winter in Europe but who are now flocking to our shores to escape the advancing continental cold.

    Is that the exact answer? Probably not but the answer will be something similar and simple
    Some Redwings summer here and winter in Spain or Italy. They may have decided winter is over. :)

    But are the White Fronted Gooses flying to Greenland yet?


  • #95
    Fineout
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭Fineout


    Thank you all. Can't figure out 'thanks' - think I am too new.
    I think this flock of redwings are indeed migratory, their accents are decidedly North European, and only see them in such large numbers in winter. I hope they are the advance party of the intense cold and that they have streamers of snow following.


  • #96
    Snowmaker
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 130 ✭✭Snowmaker


    Fineout wrote: »
    Thank you all. Can't figure out 'thanks' - think I am too new.

    You need 10 posts to your name before you can 'thank' :-)


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  • #97
    Cionád
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,000 ✭✭✭Cionád


    Punxsutawney Phil just predicted 6 more weeks of Winter :)


  • #98
    Rebelbrowser
    Registered Users Posts: 3,168 ✭✭✭Rebelbrowser


    Cionád wrote: »
    Punxsutawney Phil just predicted 6 more weeks of Winter :)

    result!


  • #99
    Lucreto
    Registered Users Posts: 1,003 ✭✭✭Lucreto


    Cionád wrote: »
    Punxsutawney Phil just predicted 6 more weeks of Winter :)

    Lets hope it is true.


  • #100
    Lucreto
    Registered Users Posts: 1,003 ✭✭✭Lucreto


    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/groundhog-day-2012-punxsutawney-phil-sees-shadow-6-more-weeks-of-winter/2012/02/02/gIQA9Hb7jQ_blog.html


  • #101
    octo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 323 ✭✭octo


    Interesting thread - thanks to all the contributors. I'm very much in the 'Su Campu' rationalist camp, I don't believe animals have access to special information that eludes us.

    But is there evidence for my belief? I'd like to test it.

    Does anyone know a good source of historical 'nature' data, preferably stretching back for a long peiod and preferably Irish? E.g. bird migration, tree budding, etc.

    We could compare them against climate records and see if there's any predictive power. I'm sure its been done before - but maybe not.

    Arguing by anecdote is pointless. This is supposed to be a 'science' forum after all. ;)


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