[Q] Weather or light?

[paigetheoracle]

In a recent news report program, the weatherman said that animals and birds had been caught out by the return to wintry conditions. I personally thought that they were reacting to the length of daylight as plants do, when Spring approaches - who is right, him or me?

[Turtle]

spring growth and activity of living things depends on the specific species & the limiting factors specific to them. for plants this may include day-length, soil temperature, rainfall (or lack therof), air pollution, snow-melt, geography (elevation, terrain, soil-type, etc.), and others i have failed to think of. :doh: :doh:

 

while media weatherfolk often are the only source of scientific news for the general populace, such pronouncements as this are far outside their areas of actual study. that the plants & birds are even here to muse over after lo these millennia of millennia is plenty indication enough that the system is rather robust. ;) :doh: