Why do shorebirds come inland before a big storm?
830649
To hide, just like you.
1104792
When the bird perches on a live wire, her body becomes charged--for the moment, it's at the same voltage as the wire. But no current flows into her body. A body is a poor conductor compared to copper wire, so there's no reason for electrons to take a detour through the bird. More importantly, electrons current flow from a region of high voltage to one of low voltage. The drifting current, in effect, ignores the bird. \n\nBut if a bird (or a power line worker) accidentally touches an electrical "ground" while in contact with the high-voltage wire, she completes an electrical circuit. A ground is a region of approximately zero voltage. The earth, and anything touching it that can conduct current, is the ground. \n\nLike water flowing over a dam into a river, current surges through the bird (or person's) body on its way into the ground. Severe injury or death by electrocution is the result. \n\nThat's why a squirrel can run across an electrical line, but sadly die when its foot makes contact with the (grounded) transformer on the pole at wire's end. \n\nIt's also why drivers and passengers are warned to stay inside the car if it runs into a downed power line. Touching the ground with your foot would complete the circuit: Electrons would flow from the wire, into the car, and through you on their way into the earth. (Inside the car you are usually protected by the car's four rubber tires, which act as insulators between car and ground.) \n\nLikewise, birds can get in trouble with power lines if wing or wrist bones--or wet feathers--connect bare wires and grounds. \n\nRaptors (birds of prey) are especially likely to be killed by power lines, particularly in the western U.S. In wide-open plains and deserts, power poles are often the only high perches available for hunters like Bald and Golden eagles and Great Horned owls, who survey the landscape for prey and take off into rising wind currents. \n\nSuch large birds can easily contact two wires or a wire and a transformer with their great wingspread. And raptors can easily brush against a live wire while settling onto a (grounded) pole-top. Thousands are killed by power lines each year. \n\nHow to protect big birds? Power lines can be made less dangerous by widening the gap between conducting and ground wires, insulating wires and metal parts, and moving wires farther away from pole tops. And guards can be built around favorite raptor perches.
100603
Jetties and sea walls cause sand and silt to be deposited on their down-current side.  Example: The long jetty near the airport.\n\nWetlands are drained for development thus removing the buffer that wetlands provide against storm surges and flooding.  Example: Burnt Bridge Creek area - Lacamas Creek Enterprises Inc. filled approximately 1.2 acres of wetlands
748259
I have some incredible weather phenomena going on.\nSee my dark spot in my picture? That is a huge cyclone-like storm that would make it very difficult for birds to fly in. Oh, and take note that the dark spot is about the size of your planet Earth. Now that's giving Katrina a whole new perspective.
1096510
They tend to be isolated, unless the storm is very large (then they get attention).  Tornados and hail are more dramatic.  So, they make more exciting/ sensational news items.
796385
You Gotta Be Kidding Me Buddy...\n\nWinter is not an easy time for birds. Not all of them are genetically programmed to head south for the duration. Imagine if you had to stay outside in freezing weather the entire winter! A bird-friendly habitat may make the difference to their survival.\n\nThe birds that visit your neighborhood vary with the seasons-not only the species, but also the individuals. Some species, such as downy woodpeckers, may be year-round residents. Others-dark-eyed juncos and ruddy ducks for example, are winter visitors. You will see hummingbirds only from late spring until early fall. Species such as rose-breasted grosbeaks may visit only during spring and fall migration. Robins may migrate only a few miles, and return temporarily if the weather becomes milder.\n\nMany birds flock together for survival in the winter. The ones that seem to be most noticeable are starlings and crows. Starlings may gather by the thousands. Once they have flocked, breaking up the flock may mean death to many of its members. Practice and teach tolerance. The most effective way to prevent flocking is to change the habitat, but this should be done in the warm season.\n\nglycerin and antifreeze will kill birds!!!
545433
THE CENTER OF A STORM -- THE "EYE" -- IS HIGH-PRESSURE, CALM AIR TO MILD BREEZE. \nTHE LOW-PRESSUERE PART OF THE STORM IS WHAT PUSHES BUILDINGS DOWN AND TIDES INLAND.
15479
Usually for nesting purposes.  Their homes are the northern region.  They will fly south to escape the winter months and return home.  When they get home in spring, they lay eggs and have offsprings.  They are used to the cooler summer instead of staying in the hot south during the summer months.
44603
Any break in the surf line that has water running through it is a pretty safe bet.Jetties,marsh grass,any structure can be good.Also,watch for gulls feeding,they make their living finding fish.As I fish from a kayak,I generally do one of the above,because the ocean is a big place.
494114
The chinook phenomenon results from the movement of high and low pressure systems over the Rocky Mountains. As the wind moves over and through the mountains, the moisture in the air condenses, warming the air by releasing latent heat. Then, as it moves downhill, the cold air above presses down upon it, resulting in further warming through adiabatic compression.\n\nQuite often, when the West Coast is being hammered by rain, the windward side of the Rockies is being hammered by snow (as the air loses its moisture), and the leeward side of the Rockies in Alberta is basking in a chinook.\n\nTwo common cloud patterns seen during this time are:\n\nA chinook arch overhead \nand/or\n\nA bank of clouds obscuring the mountains to the west. It would appear to be an approaching storm, but it does not advance any further east.
465328
rising heat under that type of cloud causes thermal updraft which gives better lift to the bird
1078329
Depending on the location of landfall, there can be numerous effects on the environment. In general, you can expect severe damage to trees and plants which will affect wildlife habitat for some time. Plant life is easily defoliated and trees uprooted during high wind/rain events.\n\nAnother possible impact could be pollution to the surface and groundwater. Storm surge and heavy rains can easily cause water treatment plants to overflow and contaminate fresh water sources. Near by agricultural lands could also cause water contamination if the become flooded. Pollution would impact fish and other animals that depend on the fresh water supply.\n\nCoastal areas, including coral reefs and sand quality, are usually devastated by hurricanes too. Damage to corals can cause an imbalance to coastal ocean aquatic life.\n\nThere are many affects of hurricanes on the environment and people, but above just describes a few. Doing a key word search for "coastal hurricane impacts" or "hurricane impact on ecosystem" might give you more information
504220
It's a little more complicated than that, but it's one of those funny factoids tossed about in any discussion of chaotic systems (such as the weather).\n\nThe idea is that micro-currents of air can influence subtle movements of larger currents of air, which in turn influence larger currents and so on, until you get a hurricane.  This has been proven by mathematical models of these chaotic systems, showing that one of the original influences of hurricane formation was a microcurrent of air of equivalent force to a butterfly flapping.\n\nBut to say A "caused" B is figurative; actually A only influenced the creation of B.  And it certainly doesn't mean that every time a butterfly flaps, we get a hurricane.
1131490
Due to the weather patterns.\nIn the mid-atlantic where I'm from, waves are bigger in the winter like you said.  The jet stream moves north in the summer, so low pressure systems tend to move off the coast north of NJ, MD etc and not producing the swells that occur with a low moving off the coast.\nHowever in the winter, the jet moves to the south and low pressure systems tend to move off the coast and travel north bringing better swells and bigger waves to the mid-atlantic.  Hardcore surfers where I'm from love to surf in the winter because of the bigger waves and the lack of the more inexperienced surfers (like me, haha).\n\nI'm not sure where you're from but the situation may be similar.
471172
Almost all migrating birds fly north in the Spring, unless they are from the other side of the equator. Then they fly South. They fly in order to see the daffodils, hyacinths, azeleas, etc. They also fly north to find clean cars to mess up.
776602
i watched a tv program on this about birds that swarm and its all to do with a few factors ie all the birds are equal distance apart for flying purposes . no bird wants to be on the outside of the swarm or flock due to predator that target such swarms "falcons". so if you can visualise a bird has to have a zone around it to fly and it don't want to be on the edge.when the bird  near it moves to the centre of the swarm to stop being on the edge.the new bird that's exposed whether it be from the side above or below that bird will then move to gain cover in the swarm.hence the shapes you get and the sudden change in direction of the swarm you see in the sky.there is a a computer graphic program that runs this formula but i don't were to tell you to go for this.
1165348
Because you are in the neighborhood of ocean. In the day when it starts warming up, the water in the sea evaporates and then the clouds come with wind. So it rains in the afternoon or the evening when there are enough raindrops in the clouds