I'll drink to that!!
Rick Sussman
Woodbine,MD
The up side of fewer birds feeding in our backyards is that we have more
oney to spend on whiskey to help us get through this depressing time
-----Original Message-----
From: George M. Jett <>
To: MDOSPREY <>
Sent: Fri, Dec 2, 2011 10:54 am
Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Where are the Birds?
Folks
It was a warm November. December should change much of the scenery for yard
irds and waterfowl.
I recently wrote this for Lee Duer the co-owner of the bird feed store in
aldorf. It may shed some light on the missing finches.
Lee
I am finding the same situation in my backyard. There are a number of
ossible reasons for the low numbers of birds visiting our backyards so far
his season. With wildlife, you have normal swings in populations for a
umber of reasons. Weather, food availability, and more recently (past 100
ears) human intervention like deforestation are three major reasons.
isease can also severely affect bird populations, but I have heard little
bout a major outbreak of bird diseases like avian flu. Acid rain also
ffects the success of breeding birds where it is prevalent, but this is
arder see without detailed studies, and should not affect our local
reeders like Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, etc. because effects
re concentrated further to our north.
If you have a nasty weather event like tropical storm Lee (was this storm
amed after you?) where a 10-inch rainfall event occurred during a key
reeding period, lots of birds, particularly young ones will die. Not only
o young birds die, but insects are killed. Insects are the major food
ource for many of our songbirds including neotropical migrants. Neotropical
igrants are birds that leave North America to overwinter in Central and
outh America where they can continue to feed on insects. Most of our
reeding neotropical migrants have left or passed through the region. This
ffects the numbers of birds we normally see in our backyards, but this
appens every year.
Native food sources also are affected by the weather and normal cycles. For
xample, the acorn crop this year is poor compared to recent years. Maybe
he other native food (seeds and berries) sources the birds eat may be down
s well. I have done no detailed surveys this season, but the nutrients
eeded for a good food crop change from year to year for plants as nutrients
uild and are depleted in the ground around the plant. My Black Gum had
ess berries this year than the past few years, so the Pileated Woodpeckers
nd Cedar Waxwings picked it clean sooner, and moved on.
The resident (nonmigratory) and wintering birds are the ones that seem to be
issing this year. We have had a milder than normal fall season, and the
eed to seek additional food like at your feeder station is reduced. It is
till important to keep your feeders out, at least half full, and also to
eep them clean so that when they arrive there is plenty of food to help
upport them.
Human intervention may be starting to show some real impact on breeding
irds in our area. With less and less habitat, the bird populations
ontinue to decline and novice birders may begin to notice this impact in
heir backyards. Scientists have been documenting this decline for many
ears, warning the listening community, but the impacts may be significant
nough now that everyone is noticing. Time will tell.
These are just a few reasons why our backyard populations may be down. There
re others that could be discussed, but I need to get to my comments on
eeping cats indoors to support the Charles County regulation 2011-07. By
llowing cats outdoors, we lose millions of our native birds every year
cross the U.S. The county wants to license cats as well as dogs, and I
upport this effort, and want to commissioners to be aware of the harm that
ats do outdoors to all small wildlife species, not just birds.
The up side of fewer birds feeding in our backyards is that we have more
oney to spend on whiskey to help us get through this depressing time.
Cheers and good bird feeding. I hope this helps.
George
ww.georgejett.net
-----Original Message-----
rom: harry lotis
ent: Friday, December 02, 2011 10:21 AM
o:
ubject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Where are the Birds?
I live in Calvert County near the Bay. I also noticed that as of Nov , most
f the summer birds finally left, but no winter ducks yet. The 30 tundra
wans have arrived though. My feeder also seems deserted most of the time.
have seen no recent hawk activity at my feeders. I clean them after every
ain.
o sea ducks either. In the last year or two there was heavy hunting on the
ay at North Beach, so maybe they are taking a different path.
Harry Lotis
wings, Md
On Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 10:27 AM, Steve Long <>wrote:
> There seems to be a substantial reduction in birds in my usual haunts.
About 2 weeks ago, I noticed that the feeders in my yard and my mother's
yard seemed to have little traffic and were not decreasing in level
anywhere close to the usual rate. About that time, others began posting
to
MDOsprey that they were also seeing fewer birds, especially finches.
Then, my family did our traditional Black Friday birding swing through
Blackwater WR and Hoopers Islands, and noticed that many of the usual
larger species were not there, either. We usually see plenty of diving
ducks and loons, but only found one small group of Buffleheads and one
Common Loon. I guess the ducks are just getting here later each year,
probably a global warming thing. But, we also saw a lot fewer hawks. We
saw NO Harriers this trip, although we have always seen many in the past.
There were plenty of Bald Eagles, as usual.
The highlight of our swing was one juvenile Greater White-fronted Goose
with some Canadas in a small piece of open water east of Maple Dam Road a
little north of the bridge. Missed the lone White Pelican reported at
Blackwater Refuge wildlife drive, although we had found the group of them
that was there last year.
Our "best" birds of the Thanksgiving holiday were the Hooded Mergansers
that dropped into the cove at my mother's house on Saturday and Sunday.
There appeared to be 3 groups: one with 3 males and 4 females on
Saturday
morning, then another with 2 males and 6 females on Sunday morning and
finally one with one male and 4 females on Sunday night (possibly the same
group as on Sunday Morning, but maybe not). I looked but found no
Mergansers in the cove by the time I left on Monday. I am guessing that
the Hooded Mergansers are now moving through?
As for Buffleheads, there were maybe 50 in the Bay off the mouth of the
Magothy before I left for Thanksgiving, but none when I returned, so they
don't seem to be here in the numbers that I am used to from previous
years.
Hopefully there are more to come?
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Harry Lotis*
Owings, Md*
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