Very odd. No birds.

[nickolasanastasiou]

Wonderful. Thank you. They scold me as well (along with various woodpeckers) when I patrol the grounds during the daytime.

 

[E.Shell]

Been millions (seriously) of robins here in central Virginia. I don't think they ever really left, plus some northern birds stopped in.

They have been eating cedar and holly berries like crazy, and on the warmer days, digging worms in areas swept bare of snow by the winds. Seeing flocks of several hundred birds at a time, trading back and forth between food sources. I run 10 miles of VA-22 between US-15 and Louisa, VA and both sides are lined with cedars in many places, with robins running non-stop kamikaze missions back and forth across the 55 mph traffic. Surprised not to see more dead ones... They were doing the same thing up US-522 when I ran up to MD this past week. We got 20" of snow here and high winds, but the next day, the snow under the trees had exposed red holly berries laying on top from being shaken loose, like bird beacons...

Anybody have any recipes? Maybe some sort of marinate to get the worm taste out?

 

[WebSlave]

Yeah, the gold finches are here now in full force. I had to put up another feeder so they wouldn't be crowding the one by the house so much.

As for carolina wrens, if you want to put up some good nesting sites for them, just leave old boots out on the porch. They will make nests in the strangest places.

 

[BeauBoi]

We have only lived here (James Island, SC) for about 6 years now, but we are right on the coast with the ocean on the otherside of the street in front of our house and we have a really big freshwater pond in our back yard. Anyway, every winter we have had TONS of birds that stay in our pond which we feed and enjoy seeing, but this year they arrived REALLY late. No doubt it is due to the weird weather and all, but I was really worried about them when they didn't show up a couple of months ago. I am glad they are here now of course, but it is still worrying, as I can't help but to think that the weather is seriously affecting not only their migratory patterns but also their breeding season...
~Beau

 

[Lucille]

There are some birds here now, and hopefully the normal patterns will re establish themselves. The total lack of any birds earlier this year was not normal.

 

[WebSlave]

Yeah, we have tons of gold finches now, but the odd thing is that the males are already getting their bright spring color.

Interesting times we live in, it seems.

 

[BeauBoi]

Interesting times we live in, it seems.

Is that part of a Chinese curse supposedly? Lol You are right, though, it seems to become more "interesting" as time marches on...
Personally, I think it is time for us to just face the facts, that there are just way to many of us living on this planet, and to try to do something about it before we destroy it...but it doesn't seem to be a popular opinion....
~Beau

 

[Lucille]

there are just way to many of us living on this planet, and to try to do something about it before we destroy it...but it doesn't seem to be a popular opinion....
~Beau

I wonder why?

The gummint could simply issue vaccines to those it deems worthy, and set out a fatal contagious virus. Or perhaps genetically modified foods could be engineered to do away with a significant portion of the population by carrying more than just food genes.

That would certainly do what you propose, but what if YOU get the short straw?

 

[BeauBoi]

I wonder why?

The gummint could simply issue vaccines to those it deems worthy, and set out a fatal contagious virus. Or perhaps genetically modified foods could be engineered to do away with a significant portion of the population by carrying more than just food genes.

That would certainly do what you propose, but what if YOU get the short straw?

I get that the lawyer in you takes things to their "logical extreams", but REALLY???
When did I "propose" anything that you just suggested? Really, Lucille, please don't put words in my mouth.
If your curious, why not ask what I propose? Personally, I think that education is the answer. If you look at the numbers, the higher level of education a person receives, the more likely it is that they will have only one child or be childless.
~Beau

 

[Lucille]

When did I "propose"

Personally, I think it is time for us to just face the facts, that there are just way to many of us living on this planet, and to try to do something about it

What you said was 'try to do something about it' and did not elaborate. Leaving your post open to ideas/interpretation. I would think that I am not the first person to think that population control could be accomplished in a tyrannical, authoritative manner that would profit whatever regime is enforcing the control.

As far as education, if you will look at population in Utah, there are above average size families at every education level, this may have to do with culture/religion. I think education is a good idea, however, I think that many people here in the US are already paying exorbitant property taxes, much of which goes to the local school districts.

 

[Casey Hulse]

Lucille, do you have any oil/gas wells nearby? Sometimes they vent awful stuff out of the ground (methane, ethane, hydrogen sulfide etc..) Depending on the wind direction, maybe the birds are avoiding the "plume" ?
I hope not.

 

[JButera]

Why did this thread turn so disturbing? lol.

 

[BeauBoi]

What you said was 'try to do something about it' and did not elaborate. Leaving your post open to ideas/interpretation. I would think that I am not the first person to think that population control could be accomplished in a tyrannical, authoritative manner that would profit whatever regime is enforcing the control.

As far as education, if you will look at population in Utah, there are above average size families at every education level, this may have to do with culture/religion. I think education is a good idea, however, I think that many people here in the US are already paying exorbitant property taxes, much of which goes to the local school districts.

Ok, if you are just in a mood to argue with someone, please leave me out of it. "Open to interpretation" and you automatically go the "me proposing genocide", that isn't realistic or fair.
As far as Utah goes, have you ever been there? I have. A degree from a Siminary University results in about the same level of "education" as possessed by my neighbors here is SC who went to the Babtist Bible College. Furthermore, those statics in Utah are RAPIDLY changing as the milinniall generation separate themselves from the Mormon Church. In fact, those numbers are rapidly changing nation wide due to the under generation separating from religion period. Which many social scientists attribute to them having access to information via the Internet--education.
Earlier, you posted that you hope that the birds return to their normal migratory patterns soon. Am I to take that to mean you hope they die next year because their normal migratory patterns will put them in harms way due to the changed weather patterns? No, I didn't suggest that you were advocating the mass extinction of avian species, because that would be as crazy as..oh, saying I was advocating genocide because I said we need to take overpopulation seriously.
~Beau

 

[Lucille]

Lucille, do you have any oil/gas wells nearby? Sometimes they vent awful stuff out of the ground (methane, ethane, hydrogen sulfide etc..) Depending on the wind direction, maybe the birds are avoiding the "plume" ?
I hope not.

That is a good idea, never thought of it and yes, there are some in the area. My inside birds remained healthy, but perhaps, given a choice if the air was tainted, they might have left. Birds are sensitive to air quality.

 

[chkadii]

Here's an interesting article I found about North American land birds and El Niño:

http://www.meteo.psu.edu/~sbf1/papers/elnino.pdf

 

[Lucille]

That is interesting. Even more so, because of the mention of El Nino and variables in bird population relating to snake predation, could there also be a tie-in between years of lower wild snake population and weather?

 

[Lucille]

saying I was advocating genocide

Straw man. I'm not biting

 

[WebSlave]

Lucille, do you have any oil/gas wells nearby? Sometimes they vent awful stuff out of the ground (methane, ethane, hydrogen sulfide etc..) Depending on the wind direction, maybe the birds are avoiding the "plume" ?
I hope not.

Yeah, could be......

 

[WebSlave]

Is that part of a Chinese curse supposedly? Lol You are right, though, it seems to become more "interesting" as time marches on...
Personally, I think it is time for us to just face the facts, that there are just way to many of us living on this planet, and to try to do something about it before we destroy it...but it doesn't seem to be a popular opinion....
~Beau

Apparently some governments find that war is a handy solution to population issues. Throw some biological warfare into the mix, and problem solved.

 

[Lucille]

Throw some biological warfare into the mix, and problem solved.

The gummint could simply issue vaccines to those it deems worthy, and set out a fatal contagious virus.

It is difficult to know these days whether a disaster is an act of God, or engineered by man.
And sculpting disaster is far more complex than simply population control- war boosts economies, for instance, and funding after a disaster can have political influence.
I certainly think there is much more going on behind the scenes than is evident, and I believe much of it is not in the best interests of the ordinary working person.