I think it's the drought. I live in a place with a large creek at the back of my property and there's a ton of birds here. Now that the breeding season is over even the birds with permanent territories are probably more concerned with getting some water more than anything else. A lot of the usual small sources have dried up.

I have two bluebird boxes and had a flock of bluebirds checking them out Saturday. I think I read somewhere recently that you don't have to clean out the nests of other birds for the bluebirds to take residence which contradicts what Mr. Finch has always told people. Anyone else hear this or am I mistaken?

I'm not sure about birds, but there have been tons of squirrels in my yard lately. They're after all the acorns that have littered my yard.

~Angie

This is from our local Wild Birds Unlimited website.

WHERE ARE THE BIRDS ?
We've heard that question more than a few times the past couple of weeks!

NOT TO FEAR!

This is the time of the year when "mother nature" provides lots of food sources from ripening seeds, fruit, weeds, etc. Combined with our "warm fall" temperatures there's not a lot of feeding required. As soon as the temperatures drop, the activity at your feeders will definitely increase!
In the meantime, keep fresh water in the birdbaths. It's been extremely dry with only .3" of rain for the entire month of October!"

It's a good idea to clean out old nests just from a parasite standpoint.

There haven't been many in my yard either. I don't feed them during the warm months, so sometimes I don't even notice. Since the sunflowers went away, so did the birds. Rudbeckia seeds don't seem to interest them.

They all all partying at my house. The squirrels are everywhere and I see no absence of birds. Please come get your tree-rats!! Denise

I have millions(!!!) of hickory nuts, but no squirrels this year - I think my kitten has learned to catch them. I had to stop filling the birdbath, because the deer empty it every night, munching on anything nearby between gulps. I leave a full watering can out for the cat to drink from, and last night the deer drained that practically dry! If I could just train the cat to hunt deer, we'd be in business!

Hey Brenda, I have a million hickory nuts too. We used to eat them as kids but they are a very "tough nut to crack" and so not much use to me. What do you do with yours. I am at a loss as to what to do with them. They are no good for the compost pile. Any suggestions. Adele

Hi Adele,
Well,I have so many on one bed that they have formed a mulch without my doing anything at all- I may regret leaving them when I have hundreds of seedlings next year. Do you think if I add a little lime over them, they will rot in place? I also save them in a can and use them in my charcoal barbeque and they're good in smokers - better subtitiute for the exotic wood chips they sell for $$.

i've got plenty of birds -- i feed them (and the squirrels) all year 'round. i set out some water for them in a couple of places. i filled a dogfood dish with water for the little birds. they're so fun to watch -- so cute! I also bought a bird watering thang this week. it's basically a big plastic water bottle that self-dispenses water to four little bowls when you turn the bottle upside-down. the birds dig it.

pat
durham NC