Starlings
Dave
don't see them till November. Could it be a sign of a harsh winter? I
heard from friends in New England that they were forecasting snow for last
night. That is very early for them!
--
"It is very strange, and very melancholy, that the paucity of human
pleasures should persuade us ever to call hunting one of them."
Samuel Johnson.
http://www.daviv.com Webcam & videos of badgers and foxes on our patio
and bluetits in their nestbox.
Alf King
wrote:
>Our annual influx has begun as I saw 5 in the garden today. Normally, we
>don't see them till November. Could it be a sign of a harsh winter? I
>heard from friends in New England that they were forecasting snow for last
>night. That is very early for them!
I don't believe that birds have ever been successfully shown to act as
weather forecasters, in the same way that berry laden trees are also
not a sign of impending weather systems. More likely is a lack of
suitable food in the immediate vicinity forcing them to seek some in
your garden. I believe that the recent dry weather has made it very
difficult for Starlings to forage for leatherjackets etc.
Alf King
Alf King
<Mal...@indaal.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>In article <b3h9d55tovemjfeem...@4ax.com>, Alf King
><alfk...@hotmail.co.uk> writes
>I'm sure you're right, Alf. Food availability dictates so many local
>movements of birds. Indeed, not just local, but also long-distance
>irruptions of, e.g., waxwings and crossbills from Scandinavia when the
>food supply there fails or runs out. And the regular questions in this
>newsgroup about where the garden thrushes have gone in the late summer
>are a part of that - they have most likely moved to take advantage of
>the local blackberry crop.
>
>The persistence of the urban myth (or should that be rural myth?) about
>phenomena such as bird movements or berry crops forecasting future
>weather (often months ahead) never ceases to amaze me. My mother (a
>farmer's daughter) was convinced it was true, and a few months ago the
>agricultural correspondent of a national newspaper included a comment
>that showed that he believed it in his column. He didn't respond to my
>(really quite polite!) e-mail putting him right :-))
That's what happens when you let facts cloud your judgement, Malcolm.
:-)
Alf King