Chirping Birds at Night an Annual May Ritual

Do you hear the birds chirping in the middle of the night? I do. The birds began chirping shortly after 3 o'clock this morning. Yes, it happens every May. The birds are chirping their melodious songs in the middle of the night. Although sunrise is a few hours away, the birds are already in midday form.

Hearing the birds chirping loudly at that hour is nothing short of shocking. Obviously, the days are getting longer, but is that the only reason the birds are up so early in the morning this time of the year? My curiosity got the better of me. I just had to find out.

No doubt you’ve heard the old adage about the early bird catching the worm, but there had to be more to it than that. According to Yahoo Answers, “The birds chirp and sing to communicate,” it states. “What you may not know is that, with few exceptions, it is the males that are doing all the chirping and singing. They chirp and sing to attract a mate and to announce their territory.”

But why are they chirping in the middle of the night? “Each day, as soon as possible, the males want to make sure that everyone knows that they are alive and well and ready to defend their territory. What is interesting, although it may all sound the same to us, is that there is some evidence suggesting that each bird has its own unique song and other birds know it.”

As for the modern scientific viewpoint, it is devoid of any romantic, religious or aesthetic aspects. It states that the pre-dawn chorus this time of the year signifies the warning signals given by each bird as it announces the re-establishment of its territory for the purpose of courtship, nesting, and food getting. All of these are the fundamental and basic steps to breeding, and the early chorus is just a way to warn other counterparts to keep away from their respective territories.

Paul

Local Weather Journal Earns Third Prestigious Communicator Award of Distinction

The local weather journal for southwestern Connecticut is now a three-time winner of the prestigious Communicator Award of Distinction. This professional online publication features climate data, forecast information, and a review of daily historical weather events. 

The Communicator Award is judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, an invitation-only group of top-tier individuals from renowned media, communications, and marketing firms. This website previously won the award in 2012 and 2013 while affiliated with News 12 Connecticut. 

"I am thrilled to win my third Communicator Award of Distinction as a valued member of Connoisseur Media," said Paul Piorek, the editor and publisher, who is the full-time on-air meteorologist at WICC 600 AM, 95.9 FM, 107.3 FM, and voiceofct.com. "It's been awhile since I added to my hardware. This award affirms my commitment and passion to southwestern Connecticut climate and weather." 

"We are in an era of information and content overload. Breaking through requires the right message, medium, and moment," said AIVA General Manager Josh Campbell. "This season's winners got it exactly right, across campaigns, video series, annual reports, podcasts, websites and apps, immersive experiences, brand style guides, and beyond. We are deeply grateful to the AIVA jury for the expertise, curiosity, and dedication they brought to recognizing this work. We're honored to spotlight the winners." 

The Communicator Awards recognizes excellence, effectiveness, and innovation across all areas of communication. For 32 years, the platform has provided an opportunity for companies, agencies, organizations, and independent creators to be honored, regardless of team size or project budget. 

Paul Piorek's impressive media portfolio also includes a New York Emmy award (2007), five Emmy nominations (1993, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010), and four Connecticut Associated Press Broadcasters' Association Awards for Best Television Weathercast (2006, 2008, 2009, and 2012).

Rare May Snowstorm Affected Northeast 49 Years Ago Today

A "Winter" storm system brought snow and record-cold temperatures to much of New England on this date 49 years ago, May 9, 1977. 

In fact, at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, a trace of snow fell, and the temperature dropped to 37 degrees that morning, establishing a record low for this date. Other than a trace of snow which was reported May 27, 2010, it's the latest Spring day on which any snow has ever fallen in southwestern Connecticut.

The storm was quite shocking for this time of the year. Consider the normal high temperature for May 9 is 65 degrees, and the normal low temperature is 48. Snow in southwestern Connecticut is almost unheard of seven weeks after the Vernal Equinox. The coldest temperature ever recorded this month was 31 degrees on March 10, 1966.

According to the Naugatuck Daily News, "A Spring storm dumped several inches of snow on some parts of Berkshire County in Massachusetts. The area hardest hit by the storm was Great Barrington, Massachusetts, where police reported 10 inches of snow on the ground. Similar amounts were reported in parts of Vermont. Great Barrington police said there 'were about 100 trees down, wires are down, and we've got reports of accidents we can't get to.'"

Residents in the northwestern Connecticut rural communities of Goshen and Cornwall reported unofficial snow depths of up to five inches. The snow began to fall heavily in the Hartford area at the height of the commuter rush, slowing traffic considerably on most roads. The National Weather Service said a deepening area of low pressure over Connecticut produced a variety of weather conditions across Western Connecticut.

I consider myself a local weather history buff, but I honestly don't remember this storm. Special thanks to viewer Ralph Fato for recalling it and bringing it to my attention. It certainly had to be memorable for those who had to dig out of nearly a half-foot of snow in the northwestern corner of the state. I'm sure they were wearing their Winter coats, too, with the mercury plunging into the 30s.

Paul

Frost Advisory Posted for Northern Fairfield & Northern New Haven Counties Sunday Morning

A Frost Advisory will be in effect for northern Fairfield and northern New Haven counties Sunday from 12 a.m. until 9 a.m. EDT: forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.ph...

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) May 2, 2026 at 4:35 PM

Paul

Most of Connecticut "Abnormally Dry," According to Drought Monitor Index

Most of Connecticut is "abnormally dry," according to the latest United States Drought Monitor Index released Thursday, April 30, 2026.

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) April 30, 2026 at 2:54 PM

Paul

Full Flower Moon Happens Friday, May 1, 2026

The Full Flower Moon takes place this Friday, May 1, 2026, at 1:23 p.m. EDT. The second Full Moon next month --- known as a Blue Moon --- occurs Saturday, May 31, at 4:45 a.m.

In most areas, flowers are abundant everywhere during this time. That’s how the Full Moon in May became known as the Flower Moon. Other names include the Corn Planting Moon or the Milk Moon. 

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans in what is now the Northern and Eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring Full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred.

A Full Moon rises at about the same time the Sun is setting. Since the length of daylight continues to grow each day through the Summer Solstice, a Full Moon will rise later and set earlier in May and June. In addition, the Full Moon will appear lower in the sky since it won’t be visible nearly as long as during the long Winter nights. That’s because the Full Moon is a lunar phase which occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun.

Paul