In following the many posts regarding hummingbird numbers, it seems there's wide variation in the estimated counts, but some consensus about seeing lower numbers than usual. Given the recent chaotic weather patterns, perhaps the perceived decline reflects a change in the timing of the species activity, due to weather. It might be helpful to hear from some licensed hummingbird banders, especially any associated with the "Hummingbird Hurrah" in Henderson. It would also be good to know if the number of accidental hummingbird encounters by other banders is normal or not. Banders are not all be licensed to band them, but they still document the catch, and any information available from the extraction. (So far, all those I work with seem to have a normal number of 'catch and release'. but I don't personally keep count.)
As for Monarch numbers, the same factors may be at play in their variability. I can only vouch for lower numbers in my home patch (15 fostered earlier in summer, a long lull in sightings, a recent hatch of 4 baby caterpillars and 2 or 3 eggs - less than half of my usual results). As Jason Frank suggests, there's a complex set of factors that may have negative impact on the numbers of migrators. The jury is still out on the actual cumulative effect of those variables. All we can do is keep the faith and try to mitigate those effects. Linda Whyte (St. Paul) ---- General information and guidelines for posting: https://moumn.org/listservice.html Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
