Is there anything more soothing than listening to a songbird in the yard? When I was young, I thought “bird watching” was for retired people. I’m sorry I didn’t pay attention sooner.
The other day I got an email from Donna Gardner Canning. She was admiring the finch in her yard and wondered if “birds gathering on the ground” was a sign of incoming weather?
Great observation, Donna. It is. The increase in humidity ahead of a rain-maker draws insects to the surface. Insect-seeking birds will fly very low or gather on the ground to feed, before it rains. When you see a large flock of birds close to, or on the ground, it’s usually a sign of a storm or at least heavy rain!
I wondered if Donna had noticed that birds tend to get very quiet before a big storm. If you’ve ever been walking in the woods before a storm, the natural world is eerily silent! Then, as the air pressure begins to rise behind the outgoing weather system, birds start to sing - announcing the return of fair weather.
Related
- GRANDMA SAYS: When the swallows fly high, the weather will be dry
- WEATHER UNIVERSITY: When they fly low, prepare for a blow
Read more Weather University columns.
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Cindy Day is the chief meteorologist for SaltWire Network.
