Yes when I was a kid our chickens went crazy for hours before a big earthquake...
Why Can Animals Detect Weather Changes?
Experts suggest that animals, with their heightened senses and acute awareness of environmental changes, might be better equipped than humans to sense weather shifts. Their ability to detect subtle shifts in barometric pressure, humidity, and seasons could explain their seemingly predictive behavior before a storm.
Cats: The Furry Forecasters
Cats, with their superior senses, are believed to predict thunderstorms and inclement weather. Their enhanced hearing lets them detect distant thunder while their heightened sense of smell may even allow them to pick up the distinctive pre-storm metallic scent in the atmosphere.
Dogs: The Canine Climatologists
Dogs, too, have been credited with predicting weather changes. Stories of dogs warning their families of impending tornadoes or hurricanes often relate to dogs reacting to environmental shifts like drops in pressure or atmospheric electricity. Their extraordinary olfactory senses might allow them to anticipate a thunderstorm before it hits.
Cows: The Bovine Barometers
You might have heard that when cows lie down, it signifies rain. Interestingly, research affirms this old adage. As standing up helps cows lose heat, a drop in air temperature might prompt them to lie down, indicating rain.
Birds: The Feathered Forecasters
Birds, it’s said, can also forecast weather changes. While the folkloric belief about birds flying low indicating bad weather might not hold, witnessing unusual migrations or a large congregation of birds on power lines could suggest an approaching storm. Birds’ ability to hear infrasound – extremely low frequencies inaudible to humans – could explain their predictive behavior.
Toads: The Amphibian Augurs
The humble toad is another creature reputed to have weather-forecasting abilities, particularly in relation to natural disasters. A case in point is the catastrophic earthquake that struck L’Aquila, Italy, in April 2009. Five days before the quake, a colony of toads in a nearby pond mysteriously vanished, only to reappear a few days after the event.
While the exact mechanism remains a mystery, it’s speculated that changes in the Earth’s magnetic field and fluctuations in radon gas levels in the groundwater may play a part in the toads’ prescient behavior.
Sheep: The Ruminant Rain Detectors
In certain cultures, sheep are believed to have weather-predicting capabilities. For instance, in Iceland, it’s thought that if sheep start urinating more frequently, rain is imminent, and that brightly colored urine is a sign of a sunny, clear day.
This anecdote’s accuracy is uncertain. However, another weather prediction method attributed to sheep is their tendency to butt heads when strong winds are coming.
Groundhogs: The Burrowing Prognosticators
Of all weather-predicting animals, the groundhog is perhaps the most famous. Every year on February 2nd, throngs of people flock to Pennsylvania to witness whether Punxsutawney Phil will foresee six more weeks of winter or early spring.
Unfortunately, Phil’s track record isn’t stellar, with correct predictions only about 39% of the time. The jury is still out on groundhogs’ weather-predicting abilities. Nevertheless, the enjoyment of participating in the festivities surrounding Phil’s prediction can’t be denied!
Frogs: The Croaking Climatologists
These small amphibians are exceptionally sensitive to atmospheric and temperature changes, particularly those related to global warming. Since frogs rely on water for survival and reproduction, they are more likely to breed successfully after a substantial rainstorm.
Consequently, you might notice frogs croaking their mating calls louder just before a good downpour, providing the necessary moisture for egg-laying.
Ladybugs: The Beetle Barometers
Ladybugs are more than just symbols of good luck—they also seem to have an uncanny ability to predict weather changes. When weather conditions warm, these beetles emerge from their hiding spots in the garden. Conversely, as the temperature dips before a heavy shower, they seek refuge under tree bark.
Wooly Bear Caterpillars: The Furry False Prophets
According to legend, woolly bear caterpillars can predict the severity of the upcoming winter based on the colors of their bodies. More black than brown indicates a harsh, cold winter, while a large brown central band flanked by small black bands suggests a mild winter.
Unfortunately, this is a myth. The caterpillars’ coloration is influenced by factors like age, nutrition, and species, rather than weather patterns. Moreover, molting seasons can cause the colors to transition into new patterns.
More at link:
https://allthingsbackyard.com/animals-that-can-predict-weather/
Yes. My cat (stray feral that we give our home to) knows about two hours before storms or rain fronts. She gets all panicky and wants to hide in closets.
I don’t care WHO predicted it, but our ‘January Thaw’ is lasting WELL into February. I’ll take it!
42 - 44 - 43 - 47 - 50 - 53 - 48 degrees for the upcoming week!
And the lows are only in the 30’s. Winning! :)
We're having a warm spell as we roll into February, which tends to make one think about gardening.
Time flies as they say. My earliest date for starting cold weather crops is Feb 11th. That's a week away. 😲
I need to get my mini grow tent cover put back on and get the heat mats and lights put back in place. Then there's no reason I can't start a couple of things. Of course I need to finish one big thing. The high tunnel.
I've just about recovered financially from having to buy a truck so adding wind speed and direction to the above will be coming soon. Hey I can get those seed trays that I had in my cart a month ago. Crud! Looks like they're out of stock on some already.
The dirt road has about recovered from rain/snow/freeze/thaw so I'll be making a few trips for water today. I've got the two new 275 gal IBC tanks to fill using the regular tank on the trailer that will also get refilled as the final trip. Need to pick up 2-3 more IBC tanks. I want one on each corner of the tunnel, plus one up here at the front yard garden. Wouldn't hurt to have one just for the goats either.
Break's over. Get back to work.
Growing up we would always say it’s going to rain when we drove past cows lying down.
I cleared a 1/2 lot in Rehoboth Beach DE we are building a new house on the lot. During this past summer the back half which was wooded and where we just dumped our leaves from the front yard for the past 19 years became loaded with Polk weed. Big Polk weed some where close to 5’ tall thick as all get out. I had it bush hogged in late October last year. What can we do to keep the Polk weed from coming back AND get grass to grow this spring.
We’ve had a pair of ducks return to our pool in late winter/early spring for many years (multiple generations?).
They seem to know when the cold weather is breaking, so when we see them, we know Spring is around the corner. May still have a cold snap, or even some snow, but it’s quickly gone.
They will stay for a month or two, and then fly off, most likely to make their nest. We’ve had a single egg laid here a couple of times, but never hatched. Occasionally the pair will come back with an extra “friend” (usually a male), but they don’t stay very long.
Last year they arrived very early, at the end of January; and it was a mild end of winter but very rainy spring and relatively cool summer. Have not seen them yet this year...
Central Missouri has gotten a break from the bitter cold temps and icy conditions over the past week. The ice is gone from most of the ponds and the little creeks have some running water. We got to see the sun for a bit, which was a really nice change from cold, damp, and dreary.
The ground is still too muddy to work so no progress on the new raised beds aside from thinking about them.
Mrs. Augie and I pruned a few orchard trees here, and a handful of ornamentals at daughter’s place down the road on Saturday. Picked up the mess from all that and hauled it off to the sippy hole. Only one mention of the PTSD that was inflicted last spring when I chopped the pear tree down on her head so I’m calling that a win.
I spent a couple hours cleaning/organizing in my workshop yesterday. I’ve got a couple pieces of equipment that need to come inside for repairs and it’s always nice to start those jobs with a clean place to work.