Fewer Birds?

[freethrow]

Has anyone else noticed fewer birds in their own areas this year? I have here. Maybe this is just a cyclical thing or they found a better place to hang out but there just seems to be less of them around. I have a huge tree in my front yard and for years every morning saw them roosting and yacking it up in the am, but not now. None seem to fly in at evening at all anymore.

The huge flocks should be showing up soon for their migration stops so maybe that will ease my mind a bit when they do. At least I hope they do. :shock:

[surveyor]

I think the lack of rain has played a part in it. I'd gather as smaller water sources have dried up birds are concentrating near larger sources of water.

[Radiated]

You never see pigeons like you use to years ago.

[freethrow]

I think the lack of rain has played a part in it. I'd gather as smaller water sources have dried up birds are concentrating near larger sources of water.

Maybe, but it has been like that all year and was nearly as bad the year before. I live in a town smaller than Sarah Palin's so I know that traffic isn't scaring them off. :big_grin:

[jaspcat]

I thought bird behavior was different this year due to the cicadas. Our cherry trees and grape vines bore fruit for the 1st time in the 8 summers we've lived in our current house. I thought that the birds didn't eat the berries because of the food source from cicadas, but maybe it was a change in migration pattern instead.

[CATHYnKY]

I thought bird behavior was different this year due to the cicadas. Our cherry trees and grape vines bore fruit for the 1st time in the 8 summers we've lived in our current house. I thought that the birds didn't eat the berries because of the food source from cicadas, but maybe it was a change in migration pattern instead.

We have a crab apple that was loaded with apples. By this time of year the squirrels and chipmunks have devoured it. Loads still on. The walnut trees in the back have more walnuts than the past years (6 or 7) that we have been there. Squirrels will eat good this winter if they can remember where they hid their stash! Didn't notice a difference in the birds. We have a creek running behind the house, so water isn't a factor.

[Marty]

My sister and I noticed we did not have as many birds as usual this summer. We had a bird feeder in a maple tree in the front yard and it would stay full for days. We would only see one or two cardinals at a time. Usually we would have 3 or 4 plus blue jays, robins and assorted others. We have a creek and a branch on the farm that runs past the yard, although they did run dry part of the time. Anyway, we missed seeing our feathered friends. We did have an Eastern Bluebird that had a nest in the corner of the porch and that was neat.

[surveyor]

If anyone's missing finches, they're all over at our house. :icon_smile:

[Blue Heaven]

All the missing birds must have come to UPS. My parking lot had about 9 trees and when I'd pull into work, as recently as 3 weeks ago, I'm telling you there were hundreds of thousands, possibly more. In the trees, on power lines, in the air. It got to the point where the company hired someone to shoot off fireworks to scare them off to no avail. They cut down the trees and now they're gone:icon_sad: I imagine all those birds would have been a bad thing to incoming flights as I work on the ramp and park right next to it. I can see why they did it.

[freethrow]

All the missing birds must have come to UPS.

Were they starlings by any chance? For years we would have huge groups of them in various areas and I haven't even seen a large flock of them this year that I can recall??

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/European_Starling_2006.jpg

[Blue Heaven]

Were they starlings by any chance? For years we would have huge groups of them in various areas and I haven't even seen a large flock of them this year that I can recall??


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/European_Starling_2006.jpg

Sure looks like it them.

[trublu]

We don't have that problem here. There are birds everywhere, especially cardinals and mockingbirds. I had no idea how mean that mockingbirds are. They try to attack our dog when we walk her.

[freethrow]

We don't have that problem here. There are birds everywhere, especially cardinals and mockingbirds. I had no idea how mean that mockingbirds are. They try to attack our dog when we walk her.

Lucky you are not dealing with Blue Jays. They will go after you and your kids too. :)

[DenCat]

Haven't seen as many starlings as in years past, but cardnials and doves are plentiful. We also had our yearly migration of the dreaded black crowned night heron. They were just as bad as in years past. At one point there were 40 of these birds in 2 separate trees behind the house. We finally got some help from fish and wildlife in removing most of the nest.

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/photo_htm/Images/h2020pi.gif (http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/photo_htm/Images/h2020pi.jpg)

These birds are about 20 inches tall and have a wingspan of around 42 inches. Each pair can raise up to 5 chicks. You can imagine the amount of waste created by so many birds.