When birds of long flight—rooks, swallows, or others—hang about home and fly up and down, or low, rain or wind may be expected.
This tumbling of rooks is amongst the best known signs of rain in places where those birds are found.
When the peacock loudly bawls,
Soon we’ll have both rain and squalls.
If toads come out of their holes in great numbers, rain will soon fall.
If glow-worms shine much, it will rain.
When gnats bite keenly, and when flies keep near the ground, we look for wind and rain.
When spider webs are seen floating about in the air, farmers regard it as a sign of coming rain.
When many bees enter the hive and none leave it, rain is near.
Also, from cloud and gloom, plants shut up their petals early: