Here is an article published in the New Glasgow Evening News featuring some of my insights on November 6 2009. Article reprinted courtesy of "The Evening News".
Nature can predict what winter has in store
RAY BURNS
The News
Yogi Berra said: "You can observe a lot by just watching."
That may be true and some think you can observe, or learn, a lot about what the upcoming winter might have in store by watching nature – the birds and the bees and that sort of thing.
Well, entomologist Eric Georgeson said whatever you do, don't listen to the hornets, 'cause they "like to play tricks on us."
The old tale that if hornets build their nests close to the ground it means a mild winter, or at least not much snow, is in the words of Georgeson "a bunch of hooey."
"There are underground nests, too. What does that signify?"
The wooly bear caterpillar is supposed to be another forecaster, but don't trust them.
"The size of the middle bar, the dark bar, if there's a lot of black in there, it's going to be a grim winter," is the tale as Georgeson related it.
Well…"the caterpillars, they lie," he said.
On the other hand, crickets can actually help you calculate the temperature.
Georgeson said listen to the number of chirps a cricket makes in one minute. The temperature is then calculated by adding 50 to the number of chirps minus 40 divided by four. (For Fahrenheit anyway.)
He did say that cluster flies and ladybird beetles getting into your house is a sign that cold weather is on the way.
"The earlier they start getting into the house, it means winter is coming earlier."
As far as rain goes, ants can be trusted.
Georgeson said they have a special organ in their antennae that is sensitive to air pressure. When the air pressure drops and rain is on the way they begin closing up their ant hills and heading underground.
That takes care of the bugs, but what about the critters?
Animals that hibernate are hitting high gear now, said Sue Penney, education co-ordinator at the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park.
"Hibernating animals like groundhogs and bears, they're very industrious about fixing their sleeping areas."
And not only are they making sleeping arrangements, they're hungry too.
"The bears start eating non-stop at this time. They need quite a lot of extra body fat. They're eating everything – bark, plants and bugs – anything and everything they can get their hands on. They're not very picky."
When those animals hit the hay for the winter – or head for warmer climes – it's not because they're trying to avoid the cold.
"A lot of people think they go south or hibernate because of the weather. It's all about the food. Lack of food, that's why they leave."
She said the fur bearing animals will have shed their summer coats by this time but they don't really start looking majestic till the new year.
"The winter coats are most beautiful around December and January."
Another thing appearance-wise that's notable is antlered animals shedding their antlers in the winter.
"Once the boys lose their antlers, it's time to bundle up."
Birds don't have the option of bundling up, but they do prepare in other ways that we can see.
Penney said geese are putting their heads together about this time too.
"They're talking about where they're going. They're like snowbirds, doing a lot of talking."
They're also getting in some flying lessons as well.
"They're doing a lot of practising. They go out and practise (formation flying), they don't go far."
Nature photographer Gary Murray spends plenty of time in the wild observing birds through a camera lens. He sees lots of birds flocking together this time of year.
"Birds like robins and juncos will start to form into large size flocks before they migrate...a sign of things to come. Eagles congregate down around Sheffield Mills by the hundreds, they seem to know when to start massing."
He said you can notice shorebirds gathering to fill up before they take flight and of course, crows, coming together each night.
Speaking of night, Murray said songbirds winging their way south can be heard occasionally. "Sometimes at night if you're outside you can hear them migrating overhead. It's not a random act, it depends on winds."
The ones that stay behind with the rest of us for the winter are filling their bellies and hiding places with food.
"Jays are awful hogs like that. I don't really know if they can remember their caches but I've read that tests on chickadees say they can remember up to 600 sites."
Other signs from our feathered friends that winter is upon us come down to appearance. Murray said birds like gulls and starlings change their plumage as the seasons change.
We might slow down when the temperature drops and that's no different for some birds. Hummingbirds – if there are any still left around – get sluggish in the cold.
"Hummingbirds on cool mornings go into a torpor. People have actually lifted them off branches and thought they were sick. They're just waiting to generate warmth from the sun."
I know the feeling.
