Strange happenings

11 years ago

I sit out on my front porch at least two hours a day; yes, I'm getting up in years. Other than bunches of smaller type trees, have a huge maple that provides me afternoon shade. I love watching the birds use a birdbath in the afternoon shade & also have a running fountain where the robins go wild bathing and cooling. Never have less than six pair nesting in the yard. Also have thrush,cardinals,redbirds,orioles,finch, mocking birds,warblers,finch, dove & about 4 breeds of sparrows and wrens. They all disappeared this week. Six days not a bird. The weather is in the low 80's. My neighbor lost ten chickens two nights ago, no remnants. Many big trees in neighborhood, hear many owls at night. Quit sure they are the chicken problem, are they mine also. Been here 15 yrs, have had the chicken problem before but no problem with the wild birds.

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Comments (11)

louisianagal
11 years ago
WoW! Can't imagine an owl or 2 would take 10 chickens in a night! Could there be a pack of something? Coyotes? Do foxes travel in packs? They are canines, so maybe. Can't see how a fox would get a wild bird, but the birds are probably laying low for now. Keep us posted. Can't figure what's up?
geneo74
Original Author
11 years ago
I found out later that it was a rooster, a hen & eight chicks.
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geneo74
Original Author
11 years ago
I have visited our so called social breakfast restaurant, the whole city has lost its bird population. The old timers say they have never seen anything like this. I'm talking about an area with 36,000 living in middle-south TN, 36 miles from AL border. Guess mother nature has told our birdies something that we will find out sooner or later. Humming birds were never permanent in my yard this year. Poorest year we have had. They have always been the first to leave in the fall and have kept data on their departures,-----September 20 is goodby date here. We do have a few stop by on their trip south for a food fill-up, but so far seen none. Getting curious now on how large an area this no birds is covering.
louisianagal
11 years ago
Yeah, I'm curious too. I actually live in the Tupelo MS area, not in LA anymore. I have lots of birds and still do. The hummers were definitely less this year, but last 2 wks have picked up activity. I know the bees have been having trouble what with colony collapse disorder, I hope nothing bad is happening with the birds!
laurie
rockguy
11 years ago
A friend commented to me a few days ago about not seeing as many songbirds. I don't look for them all day but I did take down the hummer feeders after not seeing any for weeks and having the juice go bad. After replacing several times with little of it eaten, I felt it was just a wasp feeding station, so got rid of it.
teri2
11 years ago
Gosh! I'd weep if the birds left. My garden is planted almost entirely to attract birds, bees etc. I'm in Knoxville and haven't seen or heard about this. I've had lots of birds this year, including hummers. I hope Mother Nature gets her act together for you soon.
geneo74
Original Author
11 years ago
Well, it's a month later now & my only return is a couple of wrens and sparrows. Not a single robin. Do have my usual 5,6 hummer stop overs on their way south.
louisianagal
11 years ago
geneo, where are you located? do you think that hurricane isaac had anything to do with it? it hit on aug 29.
has there been any chemical spraying going on in your area? for mosquitoes?
maybe someone nearby is putting out feeders for the fall migrations and the birds have found that and are all congregating there? I put out black sunflower seeds and get lots of bird visitors. I put out some small seeds on the ground for the doves. I didn't have lot of hummers this summer but right now there are plenty of them. And I noticed last evening tons of cardinals.
For rockguy, it is a pain but you must change the hummer solution often. I do it every weekend, I just keep 3 feeders on my large back porch periphery. One of them has a screw on/off top (instead of at the bottom) which is much much easier to clean and change. Right now the hummers are migrating thru and so if you put them out now you'll probably get a bunch til october.
Laurie in tupelo ms
maternut
11 years ago
I live in west tn. Still have plenty of birds around here. Seeing lots more of hummers lately. They leave and wife and I would be lonely folks.
maternut
11 years ago
Update on my last post. Just about all birds have left our place. I have a hundred pounds of sunflower seed, hardly ever have to fill the feeders anymore at this rate I will have a lifetime supply.
geneo74
Original Author
11 years ago
I have finally gotten around to update my strange fall bird loss. Everything pretty well got back to normal by Nov., maybe been having more groups of robins stopping over the last two months but all looks well. That is all but me; been having a tough health winter.