Yep, bit by bit ... and the pace of it all is increasing every day, reaching maximum extra daily minutes of light on the Vernal Equinox. Day length, of course, keeps increasing all the way to the Summer Solstice, but at a declining daily rate. (I might do a short post on this.)
Exactly! As it turns out, I had an interesting "conversation" about this very topic with ChatGPT. Its first reply to my request was incorrect, and ChatGPT even fessed up to the error when I pointed it out. I really do think I'll post on this. I don't use AI that much, but got lazy in seeking a dataset of extra day length at 45 degrees North latitude. Anyway, when ChatGPT plotted it a second time, it was correct (although I suspect still had minor errors). Stay tuned on this! (And I'd certainly welcome suggestions or insights from you on this, Walter!)
Some of your finest writing ever. As always, thank you. Today is the day sunshine comes back through out kitchen window, a wonderful time to celebrate and honor life.
Those three minutes a day added to daylight's tally are one of those small, almost imperceptible gifts that add profoundly to one's sense of wealth and wellbeing. Excellent storytelling my friend and an appreciative grin at the nod to Maya Angelou.
The Chickadee has special significance because my uncle Stuart Ferreira painted birds and ducks and gave a large portrait of that species to my grandmother,and we all slept in the Chickadee Room on those cold overnights.
Such a beautiful essay and reminder that we can find meaning in the light and the nature it illuminates. Also, I learned a lot about chickadees, which are singing love songs here in NC too.
Nice essay. Given natural selection, which at last report, was still going on, the various mismatches will gradually grow smaller. This is because the critters on the (upper or lower) fringes of the distribution will breed more successfully than the rest of the population, as they will now be matched better to the changed conditions. Of course, that's how the match came into being in the first place. How fast this will occur is presently not clear (and will depend on the animal or plant), but I recall that, for example, Darwin's finches on the Galapagos Islands adapt (morphologically) to drought or plenty in one or two generations. Insects offer the example of rapid resistance to pesticides. Another perhaps related thought: I find it interesting that over very long time scales, day length and the number of days in a year have both changed. The earth's rotation is slowing down, so there are fewer days in a year today than in say, the Jurassic or Cambrian (https://waltertschinkel.substack.com/p/counting-the-days). Maybe some day the Earth will be to the Sun as the Moon is to the Earth--- one rotation per orbit. But I don't worry about that yet....
Thanks for those insights on evolution and time, Walter. I'm glad you mentioned Darwin's finches. Anyone who wants to read an excellent treatment of evolution acting much faster than one might think would do well with Jonathan Weiner's book The Beak of the Finch.
And as I recall from the study of Pied Flycatchers, the population declines were most pronounced at southern breeding destinations, which exhibited a greater earlier shift in caterpillar abundance.
Excellent post, Bryan. And timely, of coarse. Thanks for serving that up. Just an hour ago I watched through the glass of the window, as I do every morning, the Chickadees at the feeder three feet in front of me perched right next to the Blue Jays. We could all get along like that if we could just try a little harder. I believe we would come to see that it’s the much better way to go. Just ask a Chickadee.
I wonder how many migratory bird movements reflect all or simply a majority of the population - is it possible that there are outliers who leave too early or leave migration until too late for the peak conditions you note? Could outliers who leave early and now enjoy the peak conditions in relatively small numbers repopulate the species with 'early risers'?
Good question, Robert. It varies, and it's a continuum. Lots of what we call "half-hardy" songbirds don't migrate too far from their breeding turf -- American Robins, for example, and Eastern Bluebirds and Turkey Vultures. In some species, the males in particular like to push the envelope, stay as far north as they can in order to be among the first to return and claim prime breeding sites in spring. Sometimes it works out for them, sometimes not. It's all messy -- and I don't want to overstate the threats of the mismatch. Species can adapt.
Thanks for another thoughtful piece of writing. I look forward to your posts.
I wonder if you know of (have read) The Liars of Nature and the Nature of Liars: Cheating and Deception in the Living World by Lixing Sun. I found it very worthwhile to read.
Thanks Bryan. Nice tribute to the returning light. Nature is amazing and I love hearing the bird songs on my morning walks.
Those songs are gifts every morning!
Mostly, in this winter of my discontent, I've tried sleeping through it. Thank you, Bryan, for reminding me there is joy and honesty in the light.
Sleeping is good. We do whatever we can!
Loved this. Yeah---bit by bit these longer days---me, too, along with the birds, and you, choosing to "...turn instead to the coming of the light."
Yep, bit by bit ... and the pace of it all is increasing every day, reaching maximum extra daily minutes of light on the Vernal Equinox. Day length, of course, keeps increasing all the way to the Summer Solstice, but at a declining daily rate. (I might do a short post on this.)
Aaaah! The magic of a sinusoidal curve! That would be a good topic, especially if it also treated the role of latitude.
Exactly! As it turns out, I had an interesting "conversation" about this very topic with ChatGPT. Its first reply to my request was incorrect, and ChatGPT even fessed up to the error when I pointed it out. I really do think I'll post on this. I don't use AI that much, but got lazy in seeking a dataset of extra day length at 45 degrees North latitude. Anyway, when ChatGPT plotted it a second time, it was correct (although I suspect still had minor errors). Stay tuned on this! (And I'd certainly welcome suggestions or insights from you on this, Walter!)
Daylight grows and shrinks,
Moon pulls tides, emerges, hides.
Tried and true rhythms.
...
May in harmony
human voices notes soar, synched.
Tuned to Earth’s rhythms.
Lovely! Thanks, as always, for the poetry, Marisol!
Some of your finest writing ever. As always, thank you. Today is the day sunshine comes back through out kitchen window, a wonderful time to celebrate and honor life.
Amazing out there in our community today. I'll be out into it soon!
Excellent piece!!
Can't go wrong with the light! 😀 Thanks, Robert!
Those three minutes a day added to daylight's tally are one of those small, almost imperceptible gifts that add profoundly to one's sense of wealth and wellbeing. Excellent storytelling my friend and an appreciative grin at the nod to Maya Angelou.
Every one of those minutes — 60 seconds of gratitude.
I was once backpacking in August in Alaska north of the Brooks Range. Day length was changing 8 minutes a day. It was kind of hard to miss.
Leaps and bounds of new light!
The Chickadee has special significance because my uncle Stuart Ferreira painted birds and ducks and gave a large portrait of that species to my grandmother,and we all slept in the Chickadee Room on those cold overnights.
It would be so wonderful to see that chickadee portrait. I so admire the sense of flow and movement in Ferreria's waterfowl paintings!
One of my favorite birds. ❤️
Very powerful words, thank you.
Our sunset is already 6:12 & I’m loving the extra light.
Thanks, Holly (writing from somewhere south of Vermont, where my sunset today is 5:14PM [and getting later every day]). 😀
Such a beautiful essay and reminder that we can find meaning in the light and the nature it illuminates. Also, I learned a lot about chickadees, which are singing love songs here in NC too.
My chickadees are sending their sweet regards to your chickadees, MK!
Nice essay. Given natural selection, which at last report, was still going on, the various mismatches will gradually grow smaller. This is because the critters on the (upper or lower) fringes of the distribution will breed more successfully than the rest of the population, as they will now be matched better to the changed conditions. Of course, that's how the match came into being in the first place. How fast this will occur is presently not clear (and will depend on the animal or plant), but I recall that, for example, Darwin's finches on the Galapagos Islands adapt (morphologically) to drought or plenty in one or two generations. Insects offer the example of rapid resistance to pesticides. Another perhaps related thought: I find it interesting that over very long time scales, day length and the number of days in a year have both changed. The earth's rotation is slowing down, so there are fewer days in a year today than in say, the Jurassic or Cambrian (https://waltertschinkel.substack.com/p/counting-the-days). Maybe some day the Earth will be to the Sun as the Moon is to the Earth--- one rotation per orbit. But I don't worry about that yet....
Oh, I recall this post of yours! I'll read it again post-haste!
Thanks for those insights on evolution and time, Walter. I'm glad you mentioned Darwin's finches. Anyone who wants to read an excellent treatment of evolution acting much faster than one might think would do well with Jonathan Weiner's book The Beak of the Finch.
And as I recall from the study of Pied Flycatchers, the population declines were most pronounced at southern breeding destinations, which exhibited a greater earlier shift in caterpillar abundance.
Excellent post, Bryan. And timely, of coarse. Thanks for serving that up. Just an hour ago I watched through the glass of the window, as I do every morning, the Chickadees at the feeder three feet in front of me perched right next to the Blue Jays. We could all get along like that if we could just try a little harder. I believe we would come to see that it’s the much better way to go. Just ask a Chickadee.
Thanks, Brian. I think very much along the same lines, and often say to myself: if only we all could get along better. If only ...
I wonder how many migratory bird movements reflect all or simply a majority of the population - is it possible that there are outliers who leave too early or leave migration until too late for the peak conditions you note? Could outliers who leave early and now enjoy the peak conditions in relatively small numbers repopulate the species with 'early risers'?
Good question, Robert. It varies, and it's a continuum. Lots of what we call "half-hardy" songbirds don't migrate too far from their breeding turf -- American Robins, for example, and Eastern Bluebirds and Turkey Vultures. In some species, the males in particular like to push the envelope, stay as far north as they can in order to be among the first to return and claim prime breeding sites in spring. Sometimes it works out for them, sometimes not. It's all messy -- and I don't want to overstate the threats of the mismatch. Species can adapt.
brilliant
Thanks for another thoughtful piece of writing. I look forward to your posts.
I wonder if you know of (have read) The Liars of Nature and the Nature of Liars: Cheating and Deception in the Living World by Lixing Sun. I found it very worthwhile to read.
Nice to hear from you, Ann. I do know that book; haven't read it. But it's now on my reading list!
Hope you get to it! So many books, so little time . . .
I have seen and heard less from the chickadees that have lived, fed, and called in my woodlot. I hope it is just due to my hurried walk in the cold.
I have no doubt that you'll adjust your pace accordingly -- as you see fit -- and see so much on those walks, Sue!