Do the birds/trees/plants know more than us when it comes to spring?

[Anonymous]

Over the weekend and again this morning I was awoken by the singing of birds, which to me seems so strange in early-February. As I sit at my desk, I hear a variety of songbirds outside. Just this morning when walking DD to the bus stop, she mentioned how much it feels and smells like spring, and I couldn’t help but agree. I’ve also noticed the squirrels acting differently, and our maple tree dripping sap already (usually it’s much later, but it hasn’t been cold.) Of course we are still a ways off until actual meteorological spring, but I’m wondering, does nature know when spring plans to come early?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Over the weekend and again this morning I was awoken by the singing of birds, which to me seems so strange in early-February. As I sit at my desk, I hear a variety of songbirds outside. Just this morning when walking DD to the bus stop, she mentioned how much it feels and smells like spring, and I couldn’t help but agree. I’ve also noticed the squirrels acting differently, and our maple tree dripping sap already (usually it’s much later, but it hasn’t been cold.) Of course we are still a ways off until actual meteorological spring, but I’m wondering, does nature know when spring plans to come early?

I don’t know if they can tell when/if spring is coming early, but they can definitely tell when the weather is changing or storms are coming. My father used to point out when the birds and squirrels were going crazy; it was always right before a major change in weather. Now I notice it too.

[Anonymous]

Birds can sense a drop in barometric pressure when a storm is coming. Not sure about plants. But people with arthritis can also sense barometric change, in a painful way.

Birds also migrate based on changes in the daylength that affects their hormones. This isn't the same thing as being sensitive to temperature (although maybe some studies have looked at that, too).

This is a problem for birds that migrate based on the same old changes day length, even as the timing of their food (insects, seeds) changes because of climate change in their winter and summer destinations. So, a bird that leaves the winter destination on a normal schedule could arrive on their breeding grounds after insects peak. Some birds leave really early, though, so these would be the ones to reproduce and continue the species.