Saturday, November 16, 2019

Where have all the songbirds gone?

Cedar cones are ripe for the taking
This is the question everyone in this area is asking. Bird feeders are all but empty; bird banders are catching about a third of what they normally get and you just don't see any birds.
Virtually everybody has reached the same conclusion: there was such an abundance of natural food produced last summer that the birds are feasting on that. Not only does it keep them from frequenting bird feeders but also delays the birds migration. Why fly South when you've got everything you want right here?
At our feeders we have a few bluejays, Canada jays, chickadees and hairy and downy woodpeckers. That's it.
Mountain ash bent over with berries

4 comments:

Ray G said...

Hi Dan: Same thing happening in northern Ohio. Sure have been spending a lot less on food for the birds, but I do miss their beauty and songs. My entire woods are quiet.

Ray

Kim Gross said...

I think they're all in Iowa! Ever since I put the feeder out about two weeks ago, I can't keep it filled. Much more activity than usual this early from most of the usual species, although I haven't seen any juncos yet. It's been unseasonably cold and snowy here, so that might have something to do with it.

Dan Baughman said...

Kim, that brings up another theory about the lack of fall migration here: it happened early because the birds were stocked up.
It doesn't explain why Northern Ohio is lacking birds though. Hey, Doug Billings! You are south of Ohio in Tennessee. What is the bird situation there?

Kim Gross said...

Bird update:

Since it warmed up here, I'm not seeing nearly as many birds at the feeder as I was the last couple of weeks. Our temperature has gone from a low of 7 below about a week ago to a high around 60 yesterday, and the 4 in. of snow is long gone. I mulched leaves with the lawn mower yesterday. Climate change in action!

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