There's an interesting article on Cornell's website
_www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/News/PineSiskinIrruption08_
(http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/News/PineSiskinIrruption08) -...
about the great increase in feeder activity by pine siskins all over the
U.S. last year....and also about salmonella outbreaks...One has to wonder
about the evolutionary laws that come into play;i.e., when biological
populations explode, there follows a decrease and then return to normal. If one
looks at the lab's data charts of feeder activity, the great increase is
obvious- I don't think they have this year's data posted yet, however.
Michelle (Sudbury)
In a message dated 1/31/2010 5:18:37 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
I can remember last year at this time here in Bristol on Woodland Drive we
were having literally hundreds of Pine Siskins and Goldfinches every day.
This
year we have seen just 2 Pine Siskins on a couple of occaisions
The most we have seen of each species at the best each day and not always
everyday is the following:
Pine Siskin...2
Gold Finch... 6-8
Chickadee... 5
White Breasted Nuthatch...4
Tufted Titmouse...3
Blue Jays...4
Cardinal...1
Downy Woodpecker... 3
Hairy Woodpecker...2
Mourning Dove... 6
We had a pair of Carolina Wrens that stayed for a week or so back the
first
part of January but have not seen them in about 3 weeks now.
Have had a few days in the month of January when it stormed that we had
about 15 Dark Eyed Junco's, other days maybe 4-6, most days- none. Other
species we have had none of.
Counts are WAY down from all the other years. I miss them all and not sure
where they all are this year.
Debbie Lyter
Bristol, VT
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