Could it be that when there is little snow cover things are more spread out? When we get a lot of snow, the birds concentrate in areas where we decrease the snow cover, exposing food and being more visible to us in our limited travels. Our Xmas counts seem better after a snow storm when birds have to go to feeders and into more cleared areas than in years that have little snow. Kevin
  From: Jane Stein<mailto:[log in to unmask]> 
  To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> 
  Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 5:09 PM
  Subject: Re: [VTBIRD] Where have all the Red-tails gone-redux


  Glad you brought this back up, Bruce.  Immediately post-storm, the only 
  one of  my local raptors I saw was one of the RTs, but the joint was 
  jumping today-- two RTs, light and dark-morph RLs and the adult BE were 
  all hanging out in the farm fields across the road.  Where've they been 
  the last week?

  Jane
  Shoreham

  Bruce MacPherson wrote:
  > A few weeks ago I posed this question based on my observation that Red-tail  
  > numbers seemed to be diminished in the Champlain Valley generally and in our  
  > sector of the Christmas Bird Count in particular. Fuggetaboudit! During a 
  > brief  visit to the Intervale this afternoon I quickly counted 8 RT Hawks perched 
  > in  the trees bordering the compost piles. There were more flocks of starlings 
  >  than usual, also, which may account for this "surge".
  >  
  > Bruce MacPherson
  > South Burlington
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