Chris, Fortunately, I have found the opposite for the most part....
I did two trips this past week one to Triangle State Forest and Hawkins Pond State Forest in Broome County and neotropical migrants were quite common especially Red-Eyed Vireos, Ovenbirds. see: Triangle State Forest: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S57456491 Most of the warblers were found in a small stretch of about 1 mile in the spruce, hemlock, pine, northern hardwood forests. and Hawkins Pond State Forest: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S57564971 Most of the birds were in the stretch of spruce, hemlock, pine and maple, oak about 1.5 miles. I lost count of ovenbirds at Hawkins! Red-eyed vireos were all over. Blackburnian warblers too were the most I have had at this location. Now this is just my observations in one county. In the western Adirondacks, at Star Lake, Red-Eyed Vireos seemed everywhere along with ovenbirds. Blackburnian warblers were quite common too. see: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S57189909 for my Star lake walk. In my yard, there also seems to be more bird activity this year. I have at least 2 maybe 3 pairs of Gray Catbirds this year vs just one pair most years. I also have 2 pairs of red-eyed vireos vs one pair or in some years none! Anyway, what is the cause of the drastic declines that you are observing? That is the bigger question. Could it be disease? Does west nile virus kill songbirds? Have insect populations crashed? Habitat loss, increase in towers, wind farms etc are happening gradually so the declines should be slow. Or maybe there is a natural cycle and some areas are seeing the minimum in numbers which is lower than any other minimum in the past? Concerned too (but optimistic), Dave On Sat, Jun 22, 2019 at 9:01 PM Christopher T. Tessaglia-Hymes < c...@cornell.edu> wrote: > Good evening, > > This morning I was joined by Bartels Science Illustrator, Jessica French, > for a birding trip to Hammond Hill State Forest. It was disconcertingly > quiet up there. I probably should not have had such high expectations, > given how quiet this spring has been (a handful of very quiet trips to the > Hawthorn Orchard) and how few night flight calls were recorded over our > house in Etna. I’m still analyzing my night flight call data, but those > data from May 3 through May 24 are concerning, to say the least. I have > also read postings from VINS and notable Bicknell’s Thrush researcher, > Chris Rimmer, making similar observations about his Mount Mansfield, VT, > field site this spring (“disquietingly low” vocal activity and mist net > captures). > > Here are two checklists completed from our two, approximate four-mile, > bushwhack walks this morning. Nice habitat. Few insects. Few birds. No > ticks (but not complaining). > > Loop to SE of Star Stanton and Canaan Rd Intersection: > > https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S57605395 > > Notably absent or low numbers of birds -- > Barred Owl > Red-bellied Woodpecker > Pileated Woodpecker > Least Flycatcher > Great Crested Flycatcher > Red-eyed Vireo (very low numbers) > Winter Wren > Wood Thrush > Baltimore Oriole > Mourning Warbler > Hooded Warbler > American Redstart > Chestnut-sided Warbler > Black-throated Blue Warbler > Black-throated Green Warbler > Canada Warbler > Scarlet Tanager (very low numbers) > Rose-breasted Grosbeak > > Loop between Hammond Hill and Canaan Rd: > > https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S57605776 > > Notably absent or low numbers of birds -- > Barred Owl > Red-bellied Woodpecker > Pileated Woodpecker > Least Flycatcher > Great Crested Flycatcher > Red-eyed Vireo (very low numbers) > Winter Wren > Wood Thrush > Baltimore Oriole > Mourning Warbler > Hooded Warbler > American Redstart > Chestnut-sided Warbler > Black-throated Blue Warbler > Black-throated Green Warbler > Canada Warbler > Scarlet Tanager (very low numbers) > Rose-breasted Grosbeak > > Concerned, > Chris T-H > > -- > Chris Tessaglia-Hymes > PO Box 488 > 8 Etna Lane > Etna, NY 13062 > 607-351-5740 > > -- > *NYSbirds-L List Info:* > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > *Archives:* > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> > ABA <http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> > *Please submit your observations to **eBird* > <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>*!* > -- > -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
