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WEATHER AND BIRDS The number and type of birds visiting a garden is dependent upon a range of different factors, one of which is the weather. The most obvious circumstances where weather can be seen to have a pronounced influence on the use of gardens by birds occurs during the winter. At this time of year, a sharp frost, sudden drop in temperature or heavy snowfall can all bring birds flocking to garden feeding stations. At other times of the year, such effects may be less obvious but they remain important.
Weather patterns may also be responsible for the arrival of particular migrants or the appearance of vagrants, blown off course by unseasonal winds. Temperature may influence egg-laying or territorial behaviour - note how many Great Tits will sing during late winter if the weather warms up a bit. Weather has been shown to influence birds in a wide range of ways, something that is very well explained by Norman Elkins in his book 'Weather and Bird Behaviour', published by T & A D Poyser. The weather reports on these pages are put together by BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatchers with an interest in the weather. The first of these comes from Colin Harwood but the hope is to add more reports from other regions as time goes on.
More detailed national, regional and county-based reports are available on the host of online weather sites (follow the links below).
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