No Birds ?

Hello, 

Here in the Northeast USA, many people with backyard feeders have observed that they seem to have very few birds this fall. Typical comments are "I usually have to fill my feeders at least once a week - even in the fall". This year, they observe that there seems to be very little bird activity at their feeders, and the feeders are staying full for a long time. Some of the state Audubon societies are noting the same. 

In my own experience, I don't even see Goldfinches, Chickadees, or Tufted Titmouse at my feeder. My medium size tube feeder is only down 1-2 inches in three weeks, and that is with black oil sunflower seeds in the feeder. I know it is prime time for natural food to be be available to the birds, but this lack of feeding is unusual. We have had a wet and humid summer here in New England, but not unusually hot, just uncomfortable. 

So my question is, have people noticed similar reduced bird activity in other parts of the country? Not meaning to be Chicken Little here, but I am curious as to what other people are seeing.

Richard B.

I noticed the same at my feeders and at places I visit for the last nineteen years for birding.
Every year I see less and less birds but this year is especially quiet. No birds. It might pick up later.

It's the same over here in the Uk for myself and my father in law who lives 20 miles from me. Been very quiet and the feeders have needed less attention and top ups.

Makes you wonder whether the "global warming" effect is changing food availability and feeding habits as well as my main fear, in that humans are decimating bird numbers, as we have seen significant drops in some specie numbers over the last 50 years.

Far fewer birds here on the north shore of Nassau county, Long Island. The spring time gold finches, which usually show up in large numbers, were almost non existent this year. I have thistle feeders out as always. Not seeing tufted titmice or black-capped chickadees, which I usually do see. My back yard is planted with native species and I have a black oil sunflower seed feeder out. The predominant bird I see there are house sparrows and an occasional northern cardinal.

I have been doing the CBC for the local Audubon chapter in the same location for years. The bird numbers are steadily declining there as far as I have seen as well.

Too many pesticide applications on lawns might have an impact, IMO.

I'm in coastal Maine just north-east of Mount Desert Island, and there has been a notable lack of birds at my feeders.  I'm getting a few chickadees, nuthatches and juncos but the only species with normal numbers is Blue Jay.  This year has been the worst for bird photography at my yard.setup.  I sure hope this isn't a lot term trend, but I fear otherwise.

Not saying there are no problems but having run a "Bird and Birding Shop" for 30 years I can tell you that I hear this EVERY year around now. Even squirrels that I typically have a doz of near my feeders are MIA. The reason this happens is that everything is going to seed. It is a time of plenty for the birds and critters with nuts, acorns and seed of a million types all falling now and most animals prefer to eat natural foods but will return to our feeders soon. So, unless something is different this year from the last 30 all will be back to normal soon. Not painting a rosy picture as I know there are plenty of problems but slow feeders is not one of them. Jim

Jim Zipp wrote: Not saying there are no problems but having run a "Bird and Birding Shop" for 30  years I can tell you that I hear this EVERY year around now.  Even squirrels that I typically have a doz of near my feeders are MIA.  The reason this happens is that everything is going to seed.  It is a time of plenty for the birds and critters with nuts, acorns and seed of a million types all falling now and most animals prefer to eat natural foods but will return to our feeders soon.  So, unless something is different this year from the last 30 all will be back to normal soon.  Not painting a rosy picture as I know there are plenty of problems but slow feeders is not one of them.

This has nothing to do with "everything going to seed".
For the last two years two hotspots that were the go to spots for warblers in my area have been dead.
Best day this spring was a count of 5 species, and only a handful of birds, no more that a dozen in the count of five species.
This is too hot spots that have produced many many fall outs over the years.

Common species like red-winged blackbirds where there would be fifty birds in our local marsh have maybe a dozen birds.
Black crowned night herons, green herons, egrets and blue herons all down in numbers, some almost non existent.
No gold finches, no chickadees.... this is not about seeds, it's more about the insect population crashing, imo.
What scientists are calling the 6th extinction.

And as far as it not being a feeder issue, then why no hummingbirds at the feeders, no goldfinches coming to black sunflower seed?
Maybe your forunate that you have birds at the feeders, most people don't and the reason someone would post asking if others see what he sees, low numbers of birds or no birds. Sad times for sure...

I was addressing the posters question about "Feeder Birds" and after tracking the seed sales for 30 years I stand by my statement that it happens every year with some years being more drastic than others depending on natural seed crops. Goldfinch are very nomadic and always a wild card.

Having said that, I did say that I wasn't painting a rosy picture and that I agreed that there are huge issues for birds.

While we here in Corning, NY (South Central on the PA Border) below the Finger Lakes, we generally see a bit less activity in the fall, this year seems to have much more dramatic reduction. No squirrels, only an occasional titmouse or chickadee. Dramatically less doves. We do have a few downy and hairy woodpeckers, but still less than usual. It will be interesting to see when things recover.

Ed Cordes wrote: While we here in Corning, NY (South Central on the PA Border) below the Finger Lakes, we generally see a bit less activity in the fall, this year seems to have much more dramatic reduction.  No squirrels, only an occasional titmouse or chickadee.  Dramatically less doves.  We do have a few downy and hairy woodpeckers, but still less than usual.  It will be interesting to see when things recover.

Same here Ed.  Although things are already slowly turning around.  Flocks of White-throated Sparrows and a few first Juncos arriving.  Went from a doz or more squirrels a day to 0 but finally have a few hanging around.  Same as birds.  Not at feeders much but plenty in the woods and fields.  We have a fairly large base if customers after 30 years to draw our conclusions on over the years and while like I said, this happens most years this year it has been more dramatic than usual. 

While every year there seems to be a few less than last, I really don't think there has been any massive die off of our local feeder birds.

Some good news: We live on the 4th floor of a downtown complex with a tiny patio. My spouse set up a hummingbird feeder and they emptied it in less than a day. I replaced that feeder with two half gallon feeders. Ten at a time mob the feeders and drain them dry in 48 hours. We get to see tiny newborns about the size of a big bumble bee.

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Joe

Thanks for all the replies. It is now mid-December and I am pleased to report that all of our usual friends are back at the feeders. Life is now back to normal.