We have a TON of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at camp (Forest Lake Campground, in Truxton). Not so many in Cortland (where we live).
Also I've seen almost all the usual suspects in Cortland this year (sans the hummingbirds). At camp, plenty of assorted swallows (Tree and Barn) Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Scarlet Tanagers, and assorted warblers, along with our resident Barred Owl, hawks, etc. Oh, and insects, too. (Which I guess, is good AND bad…. could sure do without the flies and mosquitoes!) Hoping to re-energize the "party"…. :-D --Terry ========================= On Jun 17, 2017 , at 11:20 AM, "Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes" <c...@cornell.edu> wrote: > 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 -- 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/ --
