Pine Grossbeaks in NE

[jbrumberg]

To All:

Although the weatherforecasters are predicting a warmer January and February Mother Nature is sending different signals. I have been bird watching most of my life and recently I have seen these birds that are rather rare in these parts- Pine Grossbeaks. They generally reside in the upper ranges of Canada. Now I am watching for Snow Buntings and Snowy Owls (I have rarely seen them here.).

 

[N80]

The Sibley Guide (which is now my favorite) shows rare sightings down this far south but I've never seen one. I'm not a 'birder' per se but I've always been a casual birdwatcher and know my birds fairly well. The Evening Grosbeaks (yellow) pass through here from time to time, usually in bog flocks. They do not stay long. I've seen and videotaped Rose Breasted Grosbeaks here but they are quite uncommon. The Sibley Guide shows their range extending down this far but the old guides all say they don't come down here. Haven't seen one in a while.

Now, predicting the weather by bird migration? I don't know about that. I would imagine if you see them farther south than usual or earlier than usual that the weather is cold somewhere. Harder to say it will be colder where you are though.

As a duck hunter, bad weather up north usually meant better hunting down here and a mild winter sometimes meant no ducks at all.

 

[jbrumberg]

I get a lot of Evening a few Rose Breasted Grosbeaks at my feeders most years. I have had a nesting pair of RB's on my property on several ocassions. I am a serious weather geek . I am becoming more and more convinced that all the "modern" meteorologists do is watch Doppler Radar and never look out their windows . The local farmers and I exchange weather information at the local transfer station (aka "dump") on "Dump Days". Those guys (and I) are surprisingly accurate. I watch all my weather equipment, cloud and wind patterns, feel my aching body parts, watch the animals, as well as analyze the computer data before I make my predictions . I get quite a few telephone calls and questions about the weather. I will also honestly say that I can "blow it" like everyone else . Jay

 

[N80]

I am becoming more and more convinced that all the "modern" meteorologists do is watch Doppler Radar and never look out their windows .

I remember once I was waiting for a flight back to my base at a small Air National Guard base. There were all these monitors showing the radar and all this other meterological equipment I did not understand. We were all watching the radar because our C-17 flight had been delayed by summer storms.

As I was wandering around I noticed that the pilots had taped a rectangle of tape on the big window looking out over the runway and had written: Accu-Vue Weather Window underneath it.

And I would agree with you that there are many more 'non-scientific' ways to read the weather than can certainly yield better results than doppler radar and computer models, especially if you combined them all.

 

[QRTRHRS]

To All:

Although the weatherforecasters are predicting a warmer January and February Mother Nature is sending different signals. I have been bird watching most of my life and recently I have seen these birds that are rather rare in these parts- Pine Grossbeaks. They generally reside in the upper ranges of Canada. Now I am watching for Snow Buntings and Snowy Owls (I have rarely seen them here.).

Usually, it is not the weather but rather the food supply that pushes birds outside of their bounderies. For instance, in the case of Snowy Owls, the Lemmings that they feed on will explode only to overfeed and cause a population crash. While they rebound, the owls will move further south in their quest to survive.

I don't bird outside of my farm anymore but their was a time when I pursued it whenever I could. I remember reading about one species that pushed eastward through Canada only to rebound as the food source that fed them was eliminated? Could have been the spruce budworm but I just don't recall.

 

[jbrumberg]

QRTRHRS:

I do not disagree with migration caused by food source changes and/or habitat loss which can also be caused by long term weather changes. You are probably correct as to the general reason behing migration patterns. Jay