Why are birds flying north in February?

[SmallIsPower]

I've seen this 4 times this month, around 7AM, others in my hometown claim to see it more often. It seems to happen on colder than average mornings. I live in Eureka CA., 100 miles south of Oregon, on the Pacific Ocean. Is this happening elsewhere, anyone? Huge flocks, bigger than I'd ever seeing the 7 years I've lived here. One person here says sometimes they will head south several hours later. What is this global warming? a shift in the magnetic field? HAARP? any explanations?

[herpguy]

I can't give you any answers, but I live in Detroit, Michigan and about twice a day I see geese heading north (on cooler than normal days also). I don't know if it's normal or not because this is the first time I have ever observed it. I'll do some research.

[Airmid]

That's perfectly normal: the birds are migrating towards their breeding grounds.

Here in northwest Europe the birds are arriving right on time. Bird migration is being watched closely here at the moment because this year the birds bring a nasty surprise - the avian influenza.

Has the disease been spotted in the Americas too?

 

Airmid.

[ecoli]

it's been pretty warm this winter... birds generally judge the seasons by the temperature, so it's not unusual.

[SmallIsPower]

I don't think the avain flu has hit the Western Hemisphere yet.

 

I hope you're right about breeding. The birds here are the talk of the town, and on top of that, several parks here look trashed, trees destroyed. It reminds me of my disappointment as a child seeing Germany's Black Forest. Weather in America in 2005 certainly has been bizzare. I hope we can save the world's ecosystem before it collapses. I hope at least these migration patterns have more down-to-earth explanations.

[herpguy]

I'm happy that someone finally agrees with me about the unusual weather and how the ecosystem is doing bad .

 

 

Airmid, are you sure the birds are moving to their breeding areas? It's very cold right now and the birds are moving to even colder places. Shouldn't they move north in March when it gets warmer?

[Airmid]

The birds here are the talk of the town, and on top of that, several parks here look trashed, trees destroyed.

 

Wow, that doesn't sound like the work of geese. Any idea what kinds of birds they are?

 

Airmid, are you sure the birds are moving to their breeding areas? It's very cold right now and the birds are moving to even colder places. Shouldn't they move north in March when it gets warmer?

 

Geese like the Canada Goose don't mind the cold, unless there's still a snow cover. They seem to have a preference for the first fresh shoots that grow after the snow has melted, perhaps because those are more nutritious. Do you still have snow?

 

Airmid.

[herpguy]

Geese like the Canada Goose don't mind the cold' date=' unless there's still a snow cover. They seem to have a preference for the first fresh shoots that grow after the snow has melted, perhaps because those are more nutritious. Do you still have snow?

[/quote']

Oh, ok. There is still snow, but it is in small patches scattered around.

 

Canada Geese breed earlier in the season than many birds.

This makes sense now, thanks Airmid.

[SmallIsPower]

I'm happy that someone finally agrees with me about the unusual weather and how the ecosystem is doing bad .

I'm not happy, back in '98, I knew agenius in the field of energy research, his avocation was ecology. I asked him if he thought that the fires that were hitting North America and the bizzare weather then was damaging earth's carryng capicity. His answer was yes. We'll have to take some artifical meaures to save Earth. Genetic engineering better carbon sequestering trees and plankton come to mind. Possibly orbital sunlight reflectors etc. I hate to say this, but maybe James Lovelock is right, we'll need nuclear power to save us from fossil fuel, Uggggh! Proliferation....

 

Some locals think these are Canadian geese.... I suspect, at the very least, the flyways are being changed by global warming. Here in Eureka, redwoods have been clearcut, metrologists say the local atmosphere is drier as a result, temperature here in the winter rarely go below freezing, but maybe as a result of lower humditity its gone as low as 22. Eureka, being by the Pacific is more temperate. Maybe normally inland birds found their normal flyway to cold, and the huge size of flocks is what caught my notice. Herpguy, are you noticing the birdsnear the water OR over the city of Detriot itself, both would be warmer than the surrounding area?

[Specusci]

Why not hydrogen power rather then nucleur? with 70% of the universe being hydrogen...

 

Anyways, I hear the magnetic poles are switching soon. Maybe thats starting up now? I've heard estimates that the process could take centuries. Perhaps it has already begun unbeknownst to us.