Critters in the rain

Posted 2/20/09

During the middle of last month, a cut-off low-pressure system drifted over our area and became stagnant. This resulted in over a week of intermittent rain, clouds, low ceiling and visibilities, and …

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Critters in the rain

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During the middle of last month, a cut-off low-pressure system drifted over our area and became stagnant. This resulted in over a week of intermittent rain, clouds, low ceiling and visibilities, and the general absence of that bright thing in the sky we call “the sun.” As we either worked in the rain or waited for the drier periods to arrive, most plants throve. River levels rose several feet and lakes and reservoirs got topped off.

For animals in the wild, it was business as usual, with some minor adjustments for a few species. There was an abundance of red-spotted newts (red efts) after the first few days of rain as the temperature warmed up slightly. Creatures that feed on earthworms enjoyed a bounty, as many of the worms came to the surface of the ground.

Changes in the weather are part of nature and rain is one of the necessary events that keep things like plants, critters and crops growing. To quote a well known line from “The Rainy Day” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “Into each life some rain must fall.”

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