How Do They Know?

So, Wednesday December 9th, 2009 brought us our first real snow fall of the season. It wasn't the worst one, but it wasn't pretty either. Depending on the area you lived, 5 to 10cm of snow, later rain (lots) or just rain or just snow.

That was the big news of the day; and the day before was warning everyone about the storm rolling in.

I didn't need any sort of news media to tell me something was going to change in the weather. Tuesday afternoon the backyard was so alive with birds and I mean lots of birds! Many species, many numbers of them, and a few species who I've not seen around here for nearly a month. It was all very exciting.

Numbers included 5 Northern Cardinals, 6 Black Capped Chickadees, 2 White Breasted Nuthatches, 2 Red Breasted Nuthatches, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 3 Downy Woodpeckers, 6 American Goldfinches, 4 House Finches, 4 Dark Eyed Juncos, 3 Mourning Doves and countless Sparrows, Starlings and Pigeons. Oh, lastly one Sharp Shinned Hawk showed up looking for a meal too... hoping to snag one well fed bird of sorts.



I know I can Google the answer to this, and maybe I will, but another part of me still enjoys the mystery and wonder of what is around us. So, how do they know? How do they know what the weather is bringing? Sure they don't know exactly, like how much snow, but they sure know when it's on-coming. Tuesday afternoon was testimony to that.

So, regardless to what some out there really think... they aren't just stupid little birds and animals. We can learn from the animals around us... if we only stop, look and listen.

One of the main reasons I still do not have cable television in this house.