Bob, I suspect the cool weather has a lot to do with it. I believe that we are having a significantly cooler-than-normal spring, due to the Jet Stream being slightly farther south or much broader than usual. This, as I understand it, is directly correlated to the reduction in sea ice in the arctic which in turn creates a weakened pressure differential north of the Jet Stream, allowing the cold arctic air to spill much farther south than normal.
The following quote of text is from: http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2012/06/arctic-ice-melt-sets-stage-cold-weather: "A diminished latitudinal pressure gradient is linked to a weakening of the winds associated with the polar vortex and jet stream. Since the polar vortex normally retains the cold Arctic air masses up above the Arctic Circle, its weakening allows the cold air to invade lower latitudes." More links: http://climatecrocks.com/2012/06/08/more-evidence-arctic-warming-effect-on-jet-stream-more-extremes/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/mar/25/frozen-spring-arctic-sea-ice-loss I'm sure there are persons much more familiar with these weather changes, who can pipe up on this conversation... :-) Sincerely, Chris T-H On Apr 5, 2013, at 9:11 AM, bob mcguire wrote: Has anyone been hearing/seeing woodcocks in the past few days? Back at the beginning of March we had several here on Whitted Rd (Snyder Hill). And in years past we have had up to seven in our and neighboring fields. I went out last night around 8 pm to survey and could not find a one. It was relatively mild and I did hear an occasional peeper. It doesn't seem reasonable that they would have taken a step back south. Are this year's numbers down? Does anyone have any idea? Bob McGuire -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- -- Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes Field Applications Engineer Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850 W: 607-254-2418 M: 607-351-5740 F: 607-254-1132 http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
