Where have the birds gone?

[flutterby]

About a week ago, I noticed how quiet it was around dawn. We have so many species of birds and they started chirping around 430am. For the last week....nothing. Not even later in the morning.

What's going on? It's too early for them to be migrating. And not all of them do.

I miss hearing them. It's so peaceful. Even with Abbey running from window to window and climbing behind the blinds, stepping on my head at times in the process.

 

[GoingNorth]

I noticed it over the past few years as well. I am told that it is a result of West Nile Virus combined with a loss of habitat and human interference with migratory pathways.

 

[Abbey]

No...they're at my house. Grrr...

 

[gcvmom]

Another thought is that they're in their last round of incubating eggs... there's no need to twitter and tweet if you've already found a mate and she's busy nesting. Many birds will hatch two or three clutches of eggs a season.

 

[totoro]

We are a main migratory route for a lot of birds... they are here!
They are quieter during the hotter parts of the day, it has been around 105 on average... I am making sure our little homemade fountain is clean and running in the shade.

 

[DammitJanet]

Well we saw a really weird flying formation of some type of black birds. I think it was between Cleveland and Columbus. These birds looked like a swarm of bees! They were flying together then would break off in smaller packs and swarm around then meet back up and then break off again. Really wild looking.

 

[Star*]

About five years ago - in the Winter time we could go through about 3-5 lbs of good bird seed every 2-3 days easy.

In the Summer time - nearly every day if we put that much out.

Last year in the Winter they hardly touched the food. I only bought one twenty lb. bag and it lasted our three feeders all winter and some went to seed and molded.

This Summer? I elected to not put any seed out at all. We have had rain for the first time in nearly six years almost every week. There has been plenty of berries and a few birds, but not the record numbers we used to have. I figured it was due to our cat.

I had 2 clutches of Bluebirds hatch this year and we had one or two clutches of Cardinals. One for sure - a little girl. Mocking birds are so irritable right now I could just let the cat have them. We have finches, but not like we used to. This is the first year I have not seen our Hummingbirds, but the wasps are out in record numbers.

Interesting thread Flutter. How about Butterflies - have you seen many of those? I think I've seen three so far this Summer.

 

[mstang67chic]

I haven't really noticed a difference in my area with birds. But then again, we have this wild vine that grows up the side of my house in one spot and every year it is turned into a condo for birds. When it dies off in the fall you'll see upwards of 6 or 7 nests in it some years.

Interesting thread Flutter. How about Butterflies - have you seen many of those? I think I've seen three so far this Summer.

I don't normally see butterflies in my yard because I don't have the right kind of or very many flowers. I have seen a few of the little white ones but that's about it. Locusts however, their shells are all over my tree, back porch railing and yard.