These reports are very worrisome. Fortunately, this year we have a fairly usual supply of Hummers, Tree Swallows and other named species at our cottage (near Long Point). But -- remember at night when moths used to flutter at windows in great numbers? When did you last see that? At least the lightning bugs are are still creating a fairyland at night. Carol S.
-----Original Message----- From: Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes <c...@cornell.edu> To: CAYUGABIRDS-L <cayugabird...@list.cornell.edu> Cc: Alicia Plotkin <t...@fltg.net> Sent: Sat, Jun 17, 2017 11:20 am Subject: Re: No birds - Re: [cayugabirds-l] Tree swallow Oh, yeah. I forgot about Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. I remember when we used to have them in the Northeast. They used to be a really common and cheerful species of the summer. People used to put out these feeders filled with sugar-water to attract them to their house for viewing pleasure. They were these super tiny birds, about the size of a very large bee, and used to hover from flower to flower feeding on nectar, and would glean insects from spider webs from under the eaves of our house. I’m obviously being facetious, but I’m greatly concerned that we are now beginning to visibly see the effects of the greatest environmental catastrophe since the fifth mass extinction – and this one being entirely caused by human activity. Are we seeing the death of the canaries in the coal mine? Is this finally becoming more visible and working it’s way up the food chain? I haven’t seen a single fly-by Ruby-throated Hummingbird or heard any chittery territorial calls from them this season. Past few summers, insect numbers have been WAY down. Remember those longer road trips across country, or just after a road trip for a few hours? My windshield would get smattered solid with insect splatter – not so much any more. I’m concerned that we are all becoming complacent with these changes, and accepting them as the “new norm”. This isn’t normal, this is a huge red flag, and something should be done about it – the question is: what? Party-pooper, Chris On Jun 17, 2017, at 10:54 AM, Alicia Plotkin <t...@fltg.net> wrote: Thank you for sending this - it is exactly my experience & my concern. I don't worry quite so much about migration, which can skip over us easily due to weather patterns. In fact there was an odd weather pattern in late April that seemed to sling a lot of 'my' warblers up to the coast of Maine where the fallout was welcomed with delight and surprise. However the lack of nesters anywhere but prime habitat is far more worrisome, especially without any readily identifiable weather event to explain it. It's deeply concerning and I have wondered why no one is talking about it. Thank you for bringing it up! Alicia P.S. You left off hummingbirds, which are non-existent or in very low numbers for everyone I know, both folks with feeders and people like me whose plantings are tailored to their tastes. I have not seen a single one in my yard yet. This is hard to believe, our habitat is pretty prime: we live in a large clearing in the woods that is filled with wildflowers, additional hummingbird-favored plants we have added, plenty of water, trees with perfect forks for their nests (based on their past preference), and a neighbor who puts fresh nectar in her feeder every day. On 6/17/2017 9:52 AM, Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes wrote: Everyone, Just pointing out the obvious here, but bird numbers in my immediate area of Upstate NY are way down this year. I mean,WAY down. John, if you have full capacity of nesting Tree Swallows, it may be that the sites you host are prime and being filled to capacity because theyare the best locations. It sounds to me like the sub-par sites are not being filled. Acoustically, birds are seriously lacking this year. Visually, birds are lacking this year. Birding at the Hawthorn Orchard was a disaster, yet there was food and everything was primed to receive birds. Regular numbers of expected birds were hugely lacking. What happened to the Tennessee Warblers and Blackpoll Warblers? I think I recorded something like three Tennessee Warblers at most on one day at the Hawthorn Orchard, then they were just done. Blackpoll Warblers…you were lucky to see or hear a single bird this spring. Blackpoll Warblers used to come through here in droves – just driving around, you would pass singing Blackpoll Warbler after Blackpoll Warbler, during their peak migration through this area. Remember? When all of those Blackpoll Warblers came through, that marked the “end” of that spring migration – the cleanup species – this simply didn’t happen. In overflow areas, where habitat may not be the best, or is sub-par, and which normally fills in because the best habitats are already taken by other birds, the birds simply are not there. Yellow Warblers, everywhere? Nope. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, everywhere? Nope. Baltimore Orioles, everywhere? Nope. Red-eyed Vireos, everywhere? Nope. Chipping Sparrows, everywhere? Nope. Common birds absolutely everywhere? Nope. I’m just talking about the regular comings and goings of my own personal activities of driving around, walking in and out of buildings, coming and going from home, work, shopping, etc. I’m just not seeing or hearing the abundance of birds that I’m used to seeing or hearing. It just seems deadly quiet this year, if you look at the whole picture – the gestalt of bird abundance this year. Sure, prime habitats may seem to have the “regular” volumes of birds, but the sub-par habitats are seemingly empty. If there is not a rock solid explanation for this, then this is a red flag in my opinion. Perhaps the most logical cause is weather-related. If this is not the case, then we’ve got something far more detrimental going on, at least in the Northeast. Hope I’m wrong. Sincerely, Chris T-H On Jun 17, 2017, at 9:00 AM, k...@empacc.net wrote: We have 17 boxes active, one with bluebirds, two with House Wren, a one with chickadees and the remainder with Tree Swallows. Probably another good year after a 100% occupancy/success rate last year. We believe this is due to effective placement and predator guards that function well. john --- John and Sue Gregoire Field Ornithologists Kestrel Haven Migration Observatory 5373 Fitzgerald Rd Burdett, NY 14818 42.443508000, -76.758202000 On 2017-06-17 12:40, Glenn Wilson wrote: We usually have a dozen or so flying and nesting until mid summer. I haven't seen a single one since early swallow migration. Glenn Wilson Endicott, NY www.WilsonsWarbler.com On Jun 17, 2017, at 8:34 AM, John and Fritzie Blizzard <job121...@verizon.net> wrote: We've had one nesting pr. with 5 young expected to fledge in 11 days. Usually have at least 3 pr. with many others flying about. Not so this yr.. Same with barn swallows. For the last 2 yrs. we've not had more than a doz. of either lining up on our power line in late summer before migration. Used to be many, many dozens. :'( The 100 acres behind us were mowed on Wed.. I didn't see a swallow. Same when the school lawns are being mowed. Always before the birds were swooping overhead in great numbers to get insects. We no longer see those many insects. Rachel Carson ... we need you again to lead a new fight. Fritzie Blizzard Union Springs -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations toeBird! -- -- Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes Field Applications Engineer Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850 W: 607-254-2418 M: 607-351-5740 F: 607-254-1132 http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations toeBird! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations toeBird! -- -- Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes Field Applications Engineer Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, New York 14850 W: 607-254-2418 M: 607-351-5740 F: 607-254-1132 http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
