Both interesting and concerning, Jason; thanks for sharing your observations. Linda Whyte
On Mon, Oct 9, 2017, 2:42 PM Jason Frank <[email protected]> wrote: > I've noticed it too here in southwest MN. I work in Canby, and in > early August people began mentioning to me that their feeders were > deserted. The most conspicuous absence was Robins. Other "town birds" > like Chickadees, Grackles, Catbirds, Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, > Mourning Doves, Nuthatches were scarce as well. > > Most of the towns in Lac qui Parle and Yellow Medicine Counties are > full of Eurasian Collared Doves, but they prefer to feed on spilled > grains at the elevators, so I don't think they're out-competing the > others. Back in May, I located a few pairs of nesting Bluebirds, but > after the heavy rain and cool weather mid-month, they either starved > or abandoned their sites. Very few pheasant and turkey nestlings > survived that period. > > There weren't as many Chimney Swifts this year. Nighthawks were fine, > but all summer long, I hardly saw any bats, and a lot of other people > have mentioned this to me. > > Wild grapes, berries, and nuts did very well this year. > > One pattern that's apparent is that the birds we're missing are all > likely to live close to human activity. > > Beginning in August, Canby began spraying twice a week for a strange > late-season mosquito infestation (there were virtually no biting bugs > in May, June, or July). The spray had no effect on the mosquitoes, but > coincided with the emptying of the feeders. Area farmers sprayed more > this year than any year I can remember (the amaranth out here is now > resistant to Roundup, so they're spraying Dicamba, which is more prone > to drift and even the fumes will poison nearby plants during > evaporation); in the last 2 weeks of July and first 2 weeks of August, > we had crop dusters in the sky EVERY day, even during extremely windy > conditions. I noticed some elderberry shrubs along field edges whose > leaves showed the telltale cup-shaped shriveling associated with > Dicamba, and the berries (which were intact) were stripped as soon as > they ripened. Considering how much wild fruit grows along fencelines > and field edges, and also knowing that it's decimated beehives around > the country, I'm wondering if this summer's slash-and-burn pesticide > offensive may have something to do with it. Circumstantially, the > timing works out: peak wild fruit time, and also about the time when > Goldfinches are nesting and eating wild thistle seeds. > > > Jason Frank > Lac qui Parle > > > On 10/9/17, Alan Stankevitz <[email protected]> wrote: > > Since August, our bird population at our feeders has been way down here > > in SE MN. Others in Houston County who regularly feed birds are also > > noticing the same scenario. I do see and hear a few chickadees, titmice, > > woodpeckers, blue jays and goldfinches but currently only the > > goldfinches seem to be eating regularly at the feeders. > > > > I have been on the lookout for predators such as hawks and kestrels, but > > haven't noticed any depredation as the cause. > > > > I'd be curious to know if this is only local to our area, or elsewhere > > in the state. We have had other years where things slow down during this > > time of year, but never to this extent. My speculation is that food is > > in abundance right now and that most birds are feeding naturally. Last > > year due to a late freeze we had very little (if any) tree nuts, but > > this year nuts are in abundance. > > > > Alan Stankevitz > > Mound Prairie Township > > Houston Co. MN > > > > > > ---- > > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
