OK it didn’t last. But we’ve not had proper snow for 4 or 5 years so we’re allowed to celebrate a bit.
We knew the snow was coming – and the previous week’s storm – because the seagulls told us.
You what? Yes really.
Seagulls – you see – can tell the weather! They’re brilliant at it.
Now most of the time, we don’t have seagulls around us.
Some live a few miles north on the Thames and most live – obviously – on the coast 30 miles away.
BUT there are times in the year when a BIG flock appears in our little corner of south London.
They like it here, when the weather’s bad because it’s built round two sheltered valleys. Which still have ponds in them left over from the old rivers – now underground – that used to run through.
BUT the seagulls DON’T turn up when the weather gets bad.
Oh NO! They turn up en masse 4 or 5 days in ADVANCE.
And when they turn up, we can guarantee there WILL be bad weather within the week.
EVEN sometimes when the weather forecast says there won’t!
How on earth do the seagulls do it?
Well. It turns out the seagulls are like a barometer.
They can sense the small but significant changes in air pressure that indicate a storm is on its way.
This amazing ability to tell the weather and move inland for shelter helps seagulls survive storms.
How cool is that?
BUT if you watch the seagulls carefully when they come in land.
You’ll see them do something else.
Just before the storm comes in – usually the day before – you may spot big groups of seagulls flying round in tight circles together.
Do you know what they’re doing?
They’re recalibrating their barometers, that’s what.
As the change in air pressure becomes intense, they need to adjust their sensors.
If they don’t, they won’t be able to detect new changes in the air pressure.
And by flying around in circles together they can do that. Wow!
So the next time you see a flock of seagulls turn up in land prepare for a storm.
EXCEPT – in July – when they use their barometer for another INCREDIBLE reason.
BUT that’s a story for another day. You’ll have to wait to find out.
I hope you enjoyed this little nature note.
For more simple ways to explore nature with kids at home and in the classroom do follow me on Pinterest and have a read of these posts:
Original image source: seagull, seagull on post
Updated April 16, 2018
By Taylor Echolls
Birds and other animals can sense slight changes in weather and the surrounding air pressure that humans cannot sense without the use of sophisticated equipment. Seagulls in particular have been documented flying far inland in response to earthquakes, and sailors look to the gulls to predict changes in weather, including storms and heavy rains.
Seagulls are sensitive to slight fluctuations in air and water pressure that occur before a storm, and thus they are able to adjust their flight and behavior to accommodate for any changes in weather. Seagulls are also sensitive to "infrasounds," or very low pulses of sound that humans cannot hear, and according to biologist Liz Von Muggenthaler, these infrasounds can precede earthquakes and large storms by as much as several days.
Picking up on infrasonic pulses, seagulls around the world have flown inland a day or two before major earthquakes, sometimes as much as five kilometers, or several miles. While it may appear counterintuitive for seagulls to leave the ocean, Whit Gibbons, a University of Georgia ecologist, says this response is natural, as inland forests are safe havens for animals seeking higher ground away from the coast during any type of natural disaster.
Changes in weather, such as big storms, are accompanied by drastic drops in air pressure. According to the Farmers' Almanac, seagulls will respond by flying low over the surface of the water and even staying grounded an hour or so before the storm hits. Gulls will also sometimes fly in tight, circular flocks to adjust their sense of balance and direction in response to slight air pressure changes.
While seagulls' behavior may be useful in predicting weather, the U.S. Geological Survey maintains that "changes in animal behavior cannot be used to predict earthquakes." Despite this, the State Seismological Bureau of China has been collecting data on animal behavior in response to earthquakes since 1971 and has used this data in combination with geometric readings to evacuate several large cities prior to major earthquakes.
