Warm weather ‘forces wildlife into early spring action’

By Paul Homewood

h/t Philip Bratby

Warmer winters and increasingly erratic weather is causing confusion among Britain’s wildlife, putting some at risk, the Woodland Trust has warned.

The trust said that "lost" winters are causing species such as butterflies and blackbirds to nest earlier than normal.

An analysis of 50 spring events found that all but one was early in 2019.

The data comes from the annual Nature Calendar, which asks members of the public to record the signs of changing seasons.

The Woodland Trust, which runs the calendar, warned that many species are beginning to lose their seasonal cues as winters warm and the distinction between seasons blurs. The news comes amidst a large increase in global temperatures over the past decade.

The latest data found that seasonal shifts have caused some birds to start breeding too late, meaning they cannot make the most of vital food sources. Meanwhile, other animals have been leaving hibernation too soon, only to be hit by plunging temperatures and erratic weather conditions, the charity said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51357612

I don’t know what this large increase in global temperatures over the past decade is all about. I am sure Mother Nature would not even notice an odd tenth of a degree, when January temperatures in England have fluctuated by nearly 10C from year to year.

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-temperature-rainfall-and-sunshine-time-series

As for warmer winters and earlier springs, the two warmest Januaries were 1916 and 1921. Neither is it true that winter weather is becoming more erratic. The range of January temperatures has been remarkably small since 2010.

It is a similar story for December. Apart from in 2015, December temperatures in the last two decades have not been unusually high.