Yes, but I was talking about the 80s, and West Nile was first found in NA 20 years ago, and it was during the past 20-25 years that I thought I noticed an increase. Maybe I'm just imagining it. BTW, the blue jay song (not the alarm shriek) is one of my parrot's favorite things to mimic.
In the 70's we used to see massive numbers of birds flying up the potomac river, murmeration stretching for miles.
Huge numbers of starlings roosting in the trees. Then almost nothing by the mid 80's
The flyway moved, maybe. The flocks dwindled in size.
I hadn't noticed a Jay decline until the 2000's.
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There is a massive decline in bird populations since the 60s and 70s. Habitat destruction is the number one factor among many. A lot of it is in their wintering grounds in South and Central America.
Chad
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So damn cold here. All I see is chickadees and doves (they never leave). Oh, and ravens. No crows, just ravens. We never used to see ravens.
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
We had a visit from some turkeys in the fresh snow today.
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The other day I heard a noise from a nearby tree that I'd always attributed to squirrels. I looked and I believe it was a yellow-bellied sapsucker, based on looking up info about various woodpeckers with photos.
No, it actually sounded more like the Acorn Woodpecker here https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/...pe/Woodpeckers but I'm not anywhere near that bird's known range, and it looked like the YBS.
So I was watching a vid of the college baseball game interrupted by an osprey losing a fish to an eagle. Went down the rabbit hole and found this video.
I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'- Bob Newhart
That's amazing! I'd leave a box of fish in the back of my car too, if I thought I could attract a trunkful of Eagles.
An adult bald eagle flew over me on the Connecticut River today. The family nests here all winter. It was likely eyeing the hooded mergansers and eider ducks traveling home on the river.
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I'm hearing this bird call over and over now - not sure how to describe these but to me it sounds like "Cheeew Pip Pip Pip Pip Pip Pip Pip Pip." The Cheeew sound sort of descends, and there are always about 8 or so pips after.
Probably nothing too exotic, but the bugger is sticking around making his sound for quite a while. This is in the Lower Hudson Valley of New York. Any ideas?
Northern Cardinal. They start their "laserbeam" calls in the late winter/early spring.
Chad
Listen to call #4, for your "Cheeew" sound...
Regards,
Duncan
Merlin is cool, but it's not meant to be a true birding guide, so yes, it is not comprehensive. There is a lot of focus on the Merlin ID and Photo ID functionality in there. However, it was certainly a big help to me in Costa Rica since I could download just the Costa Rica module and have only those birds listed.
Go to eBird and listen to the second sound recording for Northern Cardinal, https://ebird.org/species/norcar
screenshot1766.jpg
Chad
Yeah, that's definitely the long sound from the beginning his call.
So this morning it was very surprising how suddenly a load of birds had appeared in our yard. Well, not a load but obviously the cardinals and blue jays too suddenly appeared. Then the temperature went up to 71 degrees (!), so I guess the birds knew Spring was in the air. Although it's going back down to the 40s tomorrow. But still, it's coming.
The red-winged blackbirds are making their presence known again. Spring is certainly almost here.
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Grackles all over the place too.
Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.
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^^ Really?
I see them all the time.
grackle.jpg
"The White Zone is for loading and unloading only. If you got to load or unload go to the White Zone!"
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