Where are the birds?

16 years ago

Has anyone noticed a drastic reduction of birds at their bird feeders in the last 10 days? My sister in Palm Bay (eastern Central Florida) is stumped. No change in food, food dispenser and water baths kept clean, no new cats in the area.

She used to have cardinals, blue jays and mourning doves. She also had suet for woodpeckers. All of the seed eating birds are gone, and she has seen only 1 woodpecker.

Does anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions?

Thanks

Lynne

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Comments (12)

islandpete
16 years ago
cardinals and blue jays are flying south from new england at the first sign of frost up north. The ones you are use to seeing must have decided to stay in Florida instead of flying home. I have about 6 morning doves, only they hang out all day in my bird bath. I wonder if they think it's a spa? As for that noisy wood pecker I'm glad he has moved on. He tends to enjoy early on Sunday morning to peck on my stove pipe extending from my chimmey. Drives my dogs nuts. Good thing I haven't painted it to look like a tree. Because it's brezzy and cool they all might be hanging out at the local bars staying warm and passing around a bug or two. They will be back in time to peck out the citrus and eat up the worms. Then crap on your car
bodiggly
16 years ago
Lynne,

I have noticed a decrease in bird activity here, West Melbourne, also. Just a few cardinals, doves, and woodpeckers. We do have hummingbirds and a flock of titmice. We are having an influx of hawks this year, so less birds and bunnies.
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Aprice---Yes since the youguns have arrived the last week has been very active here. Back in June I had 3 males battling it out for this yard and claiming all the females the could and now [just guessing] between 6-10 toward evening , hard to count. During the day 4-6 at most times. I have 3 window feeders and 3 more around the yard scattered out and all are used. I have the 3oz walmart special I have to fill twice a day now. I didnt have this kind of activity last year till into august. This year I have also planted some flowers to attract them that I didnt have last year. I have guaranitica black and blues, coccinia lady in red, greggi magenta and primrose, salvia bonfire and cuphea david verity. The black and blues are great, 7 or 8 of those plants, love em. I dont know why yours would have left , did you have a lot last year , all year? Keep your nectar fresh?
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Well the flower form eliminates Mulberry and Crab Apple. Both cherry and almond are Prunus species so my suggestion still stands. It will not show fruit until the flowers are pollinated. And the seeds are the pits inside the fruit. When it leafs out perhaps you could show us a picture of a leaf or two.
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I’m so glad to read all the conversation about everone’s thoughts and experiences in each of your own neck of the woods. In the several weeks since my last post, I have slowly noticed changes around my feeders. We now have about a dozen bluebirds who are daily visitors. They began coming even before the recent arctic weather we’ve been experiencing here in the NE lately. Same for the woodpeckers - downy, hairy, and red bellied, and cardinals. Before the cold blast, we had more chickadees than we do now. We had less than a handful of goldfinches, but now their numbers are ever so slowly creeping up. Not too many nuthatches or titmice, but a few that frequent daily. A couple of squirrels have returned. Interestingly, my husband has a friend who feeds squirrels exclusively and his friend said the population of those that are regulars at his house nearly all but disappeared! Also, last week we heard about a gentleman in his 90’s in our town who has fed the birds for over 40 years! He experienced the same mass feeding frenzy near summer’s end that I did, then the complete drop off of any birds to be seen at all. He says he’s never experienced this in all his years of bird feeding that he recalls. We were going through nearly 2x’s the amount of seed than normal, to all of a sudden having seed sit out and basically spoil because it was hardly even touched for weeks on end. With the frigid temperatures, I have noticed an increase in the hawks eyeing our feeder birds. They have been unable to find food in the woods and areas they normally frequent due to a tremendous amount of snow and have, unfortunately, captured some of our unsuspecting feathered friends. They are quite bold, and hard to scare off, which is also unusual. And yes, we also have some feeder birds that seem unbothered by my presence at the feeders while filling them, and don’t fly away til I’m nearly on top of them! This year has certainly been a very interesting year in the local bird world!
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We live close to the outskirts of a very large city so we get an abundance of birds although typically, not all that many species. Also, we're practically surrounded on three sides by large areas of woodland, pasture and bottom land interspersed with smaller park areas, many with considerable trees and varying amounts of undergrowth. I've also noted that at certain times of year, mainly sharp seasonal changes, the bird population thins out considerably for a few weeks and then slowly returns although with the addition or subtraction of a few species. I've always chalked this up to sudden changes in temperature and to some degree, the amount of cover left for nesting after a big freeze as an example. This is speaking of my yard and feeders, not necessarily the whole area... We also have a city park close by that includes a small lake (perhaps 4 or 5 acres) and I've noticed the same addition or subtraction of species at certain times, typically spring and fall. In summer, the park and lake area is typically full of your standard park ducks and geese and about a million pigeons along with a small contingent of house sparrows and grackles. Let fall arrive with a single cold front though (it's Texas so the word "cold" is relative compared to some of ya'll) and here come the cormorants, ring neck ducks, Scaups, Coots, Canada Geese, and a few others in numbers that ebb and flow until warm weather and spring arrives again whereupon those species all tend to disappear over the course of no more than two to three weeks. It might also depend on this weird weather year with it's floods, fires, oddly timed blizzards, and so on.
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beth7happy
16 years ago
Hopefully it's just because of the tropical storm off shore, Lynne... I have a hungry hawk here, too, bodig...wish he'd concentrate on eating the snakes! Anyway...doves, blackbirds, a few bluejay, Lord n Lady Cardinal, have seen a flycatcher and a yellow rumped warbler, so far.....and look who came back this morning...just after I read Lynne's post and went to check!!! I'm sooo excited!
manature
16 years ago
Not to worry, guys. This is a normal occurrence from time to time, especially in seasons when food is plenty. It may be that there are native seeds forming in your area right now, and the birds are feeding primarily on those. There are any number of reasons birds disappear from feeders for awhile. They will be back.

Just so you know, we have cardinals and bluejays in Florida year round. And for the most part, they are up north year round, too. You see cardinals all winter long in many northern areas, especially when there are backyard feeders to help them make it through the cold months. Not all birds migrate. And some that do join year-round residents in the winter to increase the local populations in Florida even more.

This is definitely the time of year to be watching for fall migrating species. Provide lots of food and water. They will be hungry and tired. Keep an eye on your trees for warblers and other species that don't come to feeders. They will be passing through, too.

The storm offshore may have many of them hunkered down, but they will be back. Just keep that feeder clean and filled for them, so they have a place to come when they return.

And FANTASTIC picture Beth! I'm going to go get a thistle sock today for any goldfinches that show up, and I think the finch mix will join my regular mix on the tray, too. Hope I get a painted bunting just like yours!

Marcia
lacoquina
16 years ago
Wow! What a beautiful bird! I would flip if I saw one like that in my yard.

Last year I had baby red shouldered hawks next door and it was fun watching them grow up. I hear a hawk calling outside right now, in fact.
cindeea
16 years ago
I've noticed fewer birds this week and I was blaming the wind. I have an immature male not yet mated and a mature cardinal pair that have been struggling to get to the feeders in the crazy wind we have been getting.

I have seen an incredible hawk population recently. Seems red shouldered hawks are everywhere I go.

Bethie-I love your bunting, you lucky girl. I want one!!
beth7happy
16 years ago
love my birds...i'm so lucky! still want hummers, tho...only have seen a very few here in all these years. There is always another bird on my 'wish' list! We also had a visit from a couple of huge sandhill cranes in the front yard lately, too! I hope they make it here to have hatchlings in the spring...they are just soooo funny!
cindeea
16 years ago
Beth, we have a sand hill family that comes to the edge of the community just around the corner from us. Try getting close to take a photo and they run you away from their babies. When Dennis first saw them he called me on his cell phone and said "There Ostriches running around Gateway and they are HUGE"!! I laughed so hard. So when ever we see 'em we call 'em ostriches.
JoanM
16 years ago
We have yellow sandhill crane crossing signs in our neighborhood. This year the pair had two babies and we got to watch the babies grow. When they cross the main road all the cars just stop and wait, the line of cars gets very long.
lynne_melb
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks everyone. My sister is reassured. She saw a goldfinch this morning, so hope that some of the others will be back soon. Beth, wonderful picture of the painted bunting - I'm glad that he is still visiting your yard.
teka2rjleffel
16 years ago
They are all here. I can't keep my feeder full. I usually fill it twice a week now it's nearly every day. My painted buntings are here early. More males than females this year so far. I always seem to have more activity when there is a storm. I see some birds that I don't ordinarily see too.
Nancy
SaintPFLA
16 years ago
I definitely have less birds -- but it's because of 'Hannibal Lector' the hawk.

I have a handful of doves that still venture to the feeders. Hannibal seems to have figured out that if he flushes the doves out of the feeder area, they fly in a panic into the side of the house.

WHAM!! Feathers everywhere and a dove dinner for the hawk.

The other day a poor dove was chased into a window of my house by the hawk.

I've withheld food for weeks, but the hawk returns as soon as the food returns. What can I do?

Where are the birds?

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islandpete

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