USA Is the Winter Over? Birds already flying North!!!

Originally posted by Zintac
I'm gonna chime in on this one also. I live just south of Detroit.

I have for the past few days have seen squirls (sp) doing there mateing chaseing game allready. I havn't seen any flocks of birds as of yet. But the squirls thing caught my attention. I will keep my eyes out for flocks of birds though and report back if i see anything.

One day i will be able to spell. LOL

Zintac

Funny you mention this.. I saw 2 squirrels on a power line the other day going ape#. Typical spring behaviour but its January so I stared at them for a minute wondering what the hell they were doing..

It never dawned on me till now.. nice obversation


BTW, if this is indeed something to be noticed, like an early spring.. I say bravo for noticing it. This is truly boggling.

[edit on 1/12/2006 by QuietSoul]

To answer a previous inquiry, Yes our winter tempuratures have been warmer than usual here in Northern California. This last Christmas eve the daytime high approached 70 F.

However, I tend to think that the warmer than usual weather would have delayed the southward migration, not hastened the return migration.

Perhaps I'm just being unnecessarily alarmist, but I tend to think that these early northward returns have something more to do with changes to the geomagnetic fields these birds use for navigation. Perhaps a subtle change in the magnetic field has them thinking that they are still flying south? A change over a braod area of the country could/would induce the reverse-migratory patterns observed.

It could also be read as a precursor to a broad scale siesmic event.

Hmmm, well being from the tri-state area, i can say we had an EXREAMLEY hot summer, followed by a winter that hasn't been bad at all yet. We were getting temps in the 100's, which almost NEVER happens around here. And now we have had maybe in all 4 weeks of really cold weather since october, which is very very strange. Now that you mention it, i was on the back porch drinkin some beer a couple days ago, and i did notice that there were birds flying outside, which struck me as strange as there are never any birds around by this time of year. I have no clue what direction they were flying, but whoever started this topic might be right...i think the birds are back from winter already. THey usually start leaving by sept-oct, and are gone by nov. And i DID see them leaving around sept-oct, so i am really confused as to what they would be doing back so soon if that truly is the case. I never would have thought about the birds until i saw this topic.

Something is definatley up....we never get warm winters like this. It's usually been ice cold for at least 2 months by now, but heck i was wearing short sleeve t-shirt the other day it was so warm.

I say everyone pay attention to your climate and the birds..this guy mite be on to something because like i said, i would have never thought it was strange until i sat down and thought about it.

I've been saying for months & months that the birds are acting unusual. All animals in Kentucky are acting weird for that matter. It saddens me terribly, but the animals are going to have to adapt and they're going to have to do it fast.

Another thing, my dogs coat is already growing thinner. Found that odd.

Off topic, but Loam have you read the new thesis on Frog extinction? I heard something about it in the news this morning and was wondering if you could dig something up on it. Apparently, it is due to warmer climate and a new fungus that is going to kill off all the frogs.

I live in Manitoba Canada. It should be 20 to 30 below here, but yesterday I had to jump puddles on my walk. It is "unseasonably warm."

My first thought when I read the opening post was "Uh oh. Something happened to the earth's EM field, and the birds are misdirected."

Now, I am not sure.

The weather has definitely been strange this year. Just last month, we were complaining how friggin cold it was. Right QS?

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I am also in the NE Ohio area, and have seen a few geese flying North, and the squirrels are very active.

I think the animals and plants are just reacting to the warmer weather, but I have a feeling they are in for a surprise, when the jet stream shifts further south and the cold weather comes back.

Originally posted by zenlover28
Off topic, but Loam have you read the new thesis on Frog extinction? I heard something about it in the news this morning and was wondering if you could dig something up on it. Apparently, it is due to warmer climate and a new fungus that is going to kill off all the frogs.

Here ya go...

Climate culprit for frog deaths

Simple way to solve this mystery (which I bet turns out to be nothing ) - contact someone like the American Ornithologists Union, Association of Field Ornithologists or Society of Canadian Ornithologists.

If anythings unusual is happening, they'll know!

My neighbors and I have been going crazy lately. We have had easily tens of thousands of starlings here in our neighborhood going crazy and eating everything in sight. So, after reading this I did some looking into starlings here and found what was more interesting was that they had their summer coats not their winter coats.

Originally posted by Hal9000

I think the animals and plants are just reacting to the warmer weather, but I have a feeling they are in for a surprise, when the jet stream shifts further south and the cold weather comes back.

Hal, my weatherman said this morning that there is no sign of winter in sight. He said that there will be a few cold days in Kentucky (cold as in 40's for highs) but that it will only warm right back up the next day. He all but said winter has come and gone and it seems like March.

Anyone noticing the wind? You could fly a kite here most days.

Originally posted by Essan
Simple way to solve this mystery (which I bet turns out to be nothing

) - contact someone like the American Ornithologists Union, Association of Field Ornithologists or Society of Canadian Ornithologists.

If anythings unusual is happening, they'll know!

Duh. Like we don't? Are you saying our perceptions are questionable?

We all are observing unusual phenomenon. What's in question is the import and interpretation of these verifiable phenomenon.

one other thing i have noticed is the amount of insects outearly.... i have been pestered by wasps recently..there swarming around looking for places to nest like they do in early summer...not common for winter, usually i get to avoid all the bugs till winter ends at the least..anyone notice anything weird with bugseither? maybee the shifting might do with new orleans... since its majority is now water...maybee its somehow mixed things up for the bird migrations..but i have little reason to believe that too

I have to confirm geese moving north in jersy. I saw them this morning on my way into work, thought it pecular, but there are lakes around here so I figured they were just wintering here. its almost 60 degrees out today, its been in the 50's for weeks, and its been raining up in Maine.

Well something I have noticed is those orange lady-bugs that came from the Eastern portion of the world some years back, are coming out quite a bit, I live in northern Michigan and we should be way below zero right now.

While I havent paid any attention to the birds, it is really warm. I am about an hour or so away from the east bank of Lake Michigan, and we usually get a really crappy winter due to "lake effect snow." I am normally on the lakes playing hockey, and I could be fishing right now.
I dont know how you guys feel about winter, but I would just as soon skip it anyway.
Mother nature is acting peculiar lately.

I'm up in the northern Appalachians, formerly snow country. Right now we've got spring-like temperatures, animals, birds, green grass...

It's very unsual, to say the least.

I'm not complaining. It's been raining all winter long, and I love the rain. It's gonna be a hot, dry summer if we lost all this moisture early though...

Originally posted by zenlover28
...my weatherman said this morning that there is no sign of winter in sight.

The weatherman on one of the local stations in my area made a similiar observation. While I haven't noticed any odd bird occurances, I haven't really been looking either. But I have noticed the very odd weather. In December, we would get snow/sleet etc. about every 4 - 5 days, which is unusual. Now we are half way through January and it is like spring outside. Heck, tomorrow it's supposed to be 64 with showers and thunderstorms.

After reading your experiences, theories and postings, may I introduce a question to this thread?

I will write 3 options for this behaviour:

1. The winter is over and birds know this already.

2. The Earth´s field is getting crazy and birds are confused.

3. Birds are leaving because a major disaster is going to happen.

Which option would you select and why?

I can confirm "odd" patterns in British Columbia also as to the Canadian Goose seaming to head north sooner than I can ever remember.

It was Boxing Day, my stepfather and I were on the deck of our house when a giant flock of Canadian Geese (sp) flew over our house, heading directly north. There were about 50-100 in the flock.

Its even odd that we were able to stand on our deck in the end of december. Well, odd about 10 years ago. Now it seam the winters are far more mild.

I dont have data on when there usually fly north in this area, but I can say I cant remeber them flying north this early.

[edit on 1/12/06 by HumptyDumpty]

OR
4. We dont understand the planet as well as we think we do, and it is just weird climate.
Nothing more. Birds fly North for genetic reasons, they are not meteorologists. Winter will come, we are just getting a little break.