For those who claim global warming is just dreamed up by junk scientist, here's a report from 40 years of bird watchers which say things are changing. Whether "man" is causing the warming isn't really the main issue. We are warming. Maybe, if we liked the weather we had we should do what we can to keep things like they were? Warming Climate Pushing Birds Northward Tuesday , February 10, 2009 WASHINGTON �" When it comes to global warming, the canary in the coal mine isn't a canary at all. It's a purple finch. As the temperature across the U.S. has gotten warmer, the purple finch has been spending its winters more than 400 miles farther north than it used to. And it's not alone. An Audubon Society study to be released Tuesday found that more than half of 305 birds species in North America, a hodgepodge that includes robins, gulls, chickadees and owls, are spending the winter about 35 miles farther north than they did 40 years ago. ⢠Click here to visit FOXNews.com's Natural Science Center. The purple finch was the biggest northward mover. Its wintering grounds are now more along the latitude of Milwaukee, Wis., instead of Springfield, Mo. Bird ranges can expand and shift for many reasons, among them urban sprawl, deforestation and the supplemental diet provided by backyard feeders. But researchers say the only explanation for why so many birds over such a broad area are wintering in more northern locales is global warming. Over the 40 years covered by the study, the average January temperature in the United States climbed by 4.8 degrees Fahrenheit. That warming was most pronounced in northern states, which have already recorded an influx of more southern species and could see some northern species retreat into Canada as ranges shift. "This is as close as science at this scale gets to proof," said Greg Butcher, the lead scientist on the study and the director of bird conservation at the Audubon Society. "It is not what each of these individual birds did. It is the wide diversity of birds that suggests it has something to do with temperature, rather than ecology." The study provides compelling evidence for what many birders across the country have long recognized �" that many birds are responding to climate change by shifting farther north. Previous studies of breeding birds in Great Britain and the eastern U.S. have detected similar trends. But the Audubon study covers a broader area and includes many more species. The study of migration habits from 1966 through 2005 found about one-fourth of the species have moved farther south. But the number moving northward �" 177 species �" is twice that. The study "shows a very, very large fraction of the wintering birds are shifting" northward, said Terry Root, a biologist at Stanford University. "We don't know for a fact that it is warming. But when one keeps finding the same thing over and over ... we know it is not just a figment of our imagination." The research is based on data collected during the Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count in early winter. At that time of year, temperature is the primary driver for where birds go and whether they live or die. To survive the cold, birds need to eat enough during the day to have the energy needed to shiver throughout the night. Milder winters mean the birds don't need to expend as much energy shivering, and can get by eating less food in the day. General biology aside, the research can't explain why particular species are moving. That's because changes in temperature affect different birds in different ways. Some birds will expand their range farther north. For example, the Carolina wren �" the state bird of South Carolina �" has turned into a Yankee, based on Audubon's calculations. It is now commonly seen in the winter well into New England, as well as its namesake state of South Carolina. "Twenty years ago, I remember people driving hours to see the one Carolina wren in the state," said Jeff Wells, an ornithologist based in southern Maine. "Now, every year I get two or three just in my area," he said. "Obviously, things have changed." Other species, such as the purple finch and boreal chickadee, spend their summers in the forests of Canada and fly south into the U.S. for the winter. Climate change could be playing a role in why they are not flying as far south as they used to, and are no longer as common as they were in states like Maine, Vermont and Wisconsin. For other species, global warming may not be a major factor in the movements measured by Audubon at all. The wild turkey was second only to the purple finch in miles moved north �" about 400. But it's likely due to efforts by hunters and state wildlife managers to boost its population. In other cases, the range shifts are prompting calls to cull some bird populations. The sandhill crane, a large gray bird that migrates to the southern U.S. for the winter, has a range that expanded about 40 miles north in the last 40 years. This small movement has likely contributed to the bird's population explosion in Tennessee. The sandhill population has grown to a point that state wildlife officials are considering allowing the bird to be hunted. "You are seeing it all across the state," said Richard Connors, president of the Tennessee Ornithological Society. "As it increases, there is going to be pressure to hunt it. The bird watchers of Tennessee don't want that."

We always have a period of seriously dry heat - 90s, long stretch, little/no rain - in the summer. This year I was away during 10 days of it, too, so anything that was still in containers was pretty crispy when I got back. But in the ground, my gaura, echinacea and gaillardia were the absolute best; rudbeckia Cherokee Sunset and althea officinalis were both winners. Rosemary, which I love, love, love, did fine. Basil was singing for joy. Squashes, not so much - the heat breeds all kinds of bugs down here - I still haven't identified them all yet, but I sure know the squash bugs and squash vine borers. Yeah, I could do without them - better remay plan next year. Tomatoes, too, were just so-so. Annuals - portulaca loves the heat here - my cuphea Batface did well, and so did centratherum Pineapple Sangria. The centratherum is a later bloomer though, as is hibiscus sabdariffa, which was doing fine, but I think tonight's freeze will kill it. That's about all - the big hydrangea on the property did NOT do very well this year - very scanty blooms. It may need a pruning; I'll have to research that. Hope "y'all" had good luck!

Of course, being a good steward of our reasources, such as by planting grasses that need less water and fertilzer is good. But, if global warming is happening and threatening to push us in to a whole different kind of weather epoch, I sure wouldn't have any problem growing a lighter shade of grass to to try to help mother nature balance out the higher temps that may be resulting from all the greenhouse gasses our industrial age has been pumping in to the atmosphere. While day to day temps, even a whole season can't be taken as indicators of changes in world wide changes, I was working outside yesterday and had to come in and put on a short sleeved shirt because it was so hot. An unheard of thing in 30 years of living in Amarillo, Texas. Also, when things like sheet ice at the poles start disapperaing, as we can see and measure, it becomes a little more difficult to stick our heads in the sand and say nothing is happening. Now, I agree we may not know for sure, sure, that man is "causing" it. It could be part of mother nature's big long term cycles. But, even then, its probably best for us to do what we can to balance the climate out, say with little things that might add up, like more reflective grasses growing in millions of yards around the country. Science tells us it is a fact that "nature" led to periods of weather that had high temps and mega-droughts in the past. Weather patterns that were non-man made that helped kill off a majority of species in the past. Helping mother nature keep things balanced, regardless of the cause, might be a pretty wise investment for us to make in our own well being.

Frances, I can speak from experience on this as my climate is frequently like that with high and low temps. I get the shriveled leafs and blind shoots which stink because it takes a couple of weeks (wasted) to determine what's a bind shoot or a healthy bud-forming one. This past week, I have been pruning off the blind shoots and freeze-burned growth. Interestingly, this year I left some of the freeze-burned growth on the canes for a week or so until I saw healthy new growth. I then pruned off above the new growth and the new part is now really taking off. I don't know about the once blooming roses. I only have one, Leda and it was not damaged this year. Thankfully! Maybe someone who has experience with once bloomers will offer advice. It is soooo discouraging for those of us here on the forum that work so hard on our gardens. I totally get it. I'm trying to be better and let nature take her course, but it is really hard! However, I think nature will surprise you and rebound, and your garden will come back with lots of new growth and color. Keep your chin up!