I look at Long Point Bird Observatory from this Canadian site
https://www.bsc-eoc.org/birdmon/default/popindices.jsp This banding site seems
to have the longest record. They report a population index which I presume
accounts for banding hours. If you look at the different species, it seems that
most of our forest dwelling species are doing well especially warblers. This is
probably related to the maturation of our woodlands since 1960. These increases
come at a time when we supposedly lost a large amount of tropical wintering
habitat. It also is time period of more cell towers and now wind farms. This
data only goes to 2015. It doesn't account for the last few seasons. Personally
I haven't noticed much declines in fact, veeries, rose-breasted grosbeaks,
ovenbirds, blackburnian warblers, chestnut-sided warblers, least flycatcher
among a few others seem up to me this year in the areas I go in June. I have
noticed a dearth of wood thrushes. American Robins don't seem as common either
in my neighborhood. Probably all local variations at least here....
On Wednesday, June 20, 2018, 2:47:33 PM EDT, k...@empacc.net
<k...@empacc.net> wrote:
Not at all in banding reports which show lower numbers on average in some
places, more in others and a healthy bunch of birds. Uniform agreement that
weather caused a strange migration with both flyovers and late, if much at all,
movers after a blocking front(s). All of this is localized and some happened
around here las year as well whereas other areas are just fine. The mix of
species here as I mentioned, tends to agree with that idea. Even here, some
areas are reporting normal species and numbers. I doubt the disease theory as
there is no evidence. The weather mortality reports are minimal and confined to
birds landing in awkward place like parking lots. I have only looked at
Saw-whet breeding and it appears its cyclic self and very dependent on prey
populations.
John
---
John and Sue Gregoire
Field Ornithologists
Kestrel Haven Migration Observatory
5373 Fitzgerald Rd
Burdett, NY 14818
42.443508000, -76.758202000
On 2018-06-20 16:43, David Nicosia wrote:
I remember this conversation last year. If there is a marked rapid decline in
song birds as reported, then something has occurred in the past couple years
that is wiping our birds out. Habitat loss is a gradual slow process that would
not be so readily noticed on a wide scale from year to year. The weather
patterns, I don't believe were bad enough for massive mortality events
(although I haven't looked into this in full depth). Wind farms keep popping
up, but again its a gradual pressure that wouldn't manifest itself in 1-2 years
for such reported rapid declines. The only thing I can think of is if there is
a disease (west nile?) that is affecting songbirds and other species? This
could explain two poor breeding seasons. Does anyone know if this is being
reported in species of songbirds???
Dave
On Tue, Jun 19, 2018 at 2:10 PM <k...@empacc.net> wrote:
The current "record" based on banded birds returned to the wild is 8 years 2
months. That said, Nancy may well have been enjoying the progeny of that first
pair as their site fidelity is high.
John
---
John and Sue Gregoire
Field Ornithologists
Kestrel Haven Migration Observatory
5373 Fitzgerald Rd
Burdett, NY 14818
42.443508000, -76.758202000
On 2018-06-19 17:17, Asher Hockett wrote:
Likely "your" pewee was at least two different birds, as their lifespan is ~7
years.
On Mon, Jun 18, 2018 at 7:57 PM, Nancy Cusumano <nancycusuman...@gmail.com>
wrote:
It really is an odd summer! We also are missing "our" peewee, who has been
here reliably for the 14 years I have lived in this house. Missing him!There
are at least 2 pair of great crested flycatchers and on Friday an Indigo
bunting showed up and is still around singing his head off from the tops of the
black locust trees.There are sapsucker babies (that sound like they are humming
in morse code from inside the tree) and bluebirds too. So down one peewee, up
a bunting? Guess I would call that OK....but I want my peewee back. thanks for
everyone's comments on this thread. Nancy
Cayuga Dog Rescue has saved more than 578! dogs since 2005!Learn more at
cayugadogrescue.org
On Mon, Jun 18, 2018 at 1:28 PM, <k...@empacc.net> wrote:
Hi!
Over 30years of banding, migration and population study here and we experienced
and ever increasing paucity of birds. About 15 years ago I wrote a report
citing these losses. While many can be linked to loss of habitat mainly due to
factory farming, that didn't account for the lack of song. We prognosticated at
the time that populations within species were undergoing a drastic
diminishment.That has since been shown to be even worse than we guessed ( based
on American Bird Conservancy data sets).
A result most noticeable was in song. With fewer competitors, birds in lesser
numbers arrive on native land and , if they find it still existent, establish a
territory. With little or no competition, the territorial song is short lived
-after all, why expend energy needlessly? Defense of territory is seldom needed
so in season song is greatly diminished.
That doesn't mean it stops entirely but certainly far less than what we new 50,
40 or 30 years ago.
Fast forward to the crazy migration we experienced this spring. Expected
species have still not checked in and we guess they either overflew or were
content to our south. We have the same experience with Veery here and Wood
Thrush has been declining steadily. Least Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo are all
missing and the fancy Thrushes once a stopover certainty haven't been seen for
several years. Yesterday, we finally had a single Pewee. On the positive side
we are inundated with Grosbeaks, Purple Finch, Great-crested Flycatchers,
cuckoos and others that are normally here in much smaller numbers.
Looking South to the greater DC area, many of these species are still there and
that's abnormal. Check the ADK reports and they are also having a strange year
although I've not seen any thoughts on the subject from that area.
The short answer is an unusual migration window with lots of weather effect,
rapidly declining populations creating an environment where our old
expectations are no longer valid.
I liked it much better several decades ago. We have stopped banding passerines
and happy we did as the disappointment would be even greater.
Best,
John
---
John and Sue Gregoire
Field Ornithologists
Kestrel Haven Migration Observatory
5373 Fitzgerald Rd
Burdett, NY 14818
42.443508000, -76.758202000
On 2018-06-18 15:45, W. Larry Hymes wrote:
I have noticed, as have others, that the woods have not been as plentiful with
bird song as normal. On my recent walks at Upper Buttermilk I have been very
disappointed in the total absence of Wood Thrush, Veery, and Scarlet Tanager.
By this time in past years I've always have several of these birds. On my most
recent walk (Friday) I was wonderfully surprised to hear 2 Wood Thrush and 2-3
each of Veery and Scarlet Tanager. Why the sudden "reappearance"?? I know I'm
going to be criticized for asking, but could some birds (species) still be
migrating in? If not, then why did they finally "show up"? Some could argue
they were busy with nesting. But I've never experienced birds remaining
completely mum during the nesting season. Another argument could be that they
are now moving around after the first brood. I doubt that would explain the
numbers of these species I had all of a sudden plopping down in Upper
Buttermilk? By the way, we picnicked at Upper Treman yesterday and bird song
was relatively infrequent. Do any of you have any thoughts on this subject??
Larry
--
================================
W. Larry Hymes
120 Vine Street, Ithaca, NY 14850
(H) 607-277-0759, w...@cornell.edu
================================
--
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 BasicsRules and InformationSubscribe,
Configuration and LeaveArchives:The Mail ArchiveSurfbirdsBirdingOnThe.NetPlease
submit your observations to eBird!--
--Cayugabirds-L List Info:Welcome and BasicsRules and InformationSubscribe,
Configuration and LeaveArchives:The Mail ArchiveSurfbirdsBirdingOnThe.NetPlease
submit your observations to eBird!--
--
asher
--Cayugabirds-L List Info:Welcome and BasicsRules and InformationSubscribe,
Configuration and LeaveArchives:The Mail ArchiveSurfbirdsBirdingOnThe.NetPlease
submit your observations to eBird!--
--Cayugabirds-L List Info:Welcome and BasicsRules and InformationSubscribe,
Configuration and LeaveArchives:The Mail ArchiveSurfbirdsBirdingOnThe.NetPlease
submit your observations to 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 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/
--
