Knowledgeable bird folks-help.

[amazingflapjack]

Hi everyone, our birds, at least for the majority, have disappeared (!?) We have 2 feeders, and live in an area that typically has a lot of birds of all kinds. Specifically, we have had a large group of Cardinals for many years, as well as wood peckers, and assorted small birds, but they just aren't around. Even the crows are mostly gone. Is this a seasonal deal? We have been here a long time, and can't recall this happening before. We are close to Ocala, Fl. in north central fl. What's up? We would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.

 

[Faulkner]

This is bird migration season. Even birds that don't typically migrate (like cardinals and wood peckers) often change their feeding habits this time of year because of the competition with the migrant birds.

I'm seeing similar activity as to what you describe here in the Ozarks, it'll likely settle down in mid December. We have robins year round here, but right now we have about 4 or 5 times the summer population as the northern robins migrate through. Seems I have not seen the resident blue birds, cardinals, and downy woodpeckers since the robins moved in, but as the robins move on the resident birds will filter back.

 

[6518John]

Non-migratory birds will frequently move within regions. It's similar to irruptive migrations (where typically year-round northern birds move south for food).

Irruptions

Faulkner pretty much nails it.

 

[coltle6920]

Personally I could do without the kind of birds that frequent my area.Most of them are screaming Blue jays and crows as big as a cat.

Lived here 28yrs and have yet to see or hear a bird that could carry a tune!

 

[ParadiseRoad]

...see if you see a hawk in the area...all of our feeder wildlife disappears if there's a hawk around...

 

[TIMETRIPPER]

...see if you see a hawk in the area...all of our feeder wildlife disappears if there's a hawk around...

Cats will cause the birds to disappear too. They like the hunting opportunities found around a bird feeder!

John

 

[rwsmith]

My wife thinks....

My wife thinks that heavy development can run the birds off. Maybe not a big reason, but a reason. Our neighborhood can get pretty birdy. The geese got rid of the ducks, but there always birds moving through here to farther south regions. That's one thing about being in the 'flight path' rather than a migratory destination. Anything can crop up. Some years back so many birds showed up in my back yard one Saturday morning that I ran to the bookstore and got a book to try to identify most of them. We even had a painted bunting along with goldfinches, a grackle and a dozen other types. Never seen that before or since.

 

[6518John]

Some years back so many birds showed up in my back yard one Saturday morning that I ran to the bookstore and got a book to try to identify most of them. We even had a painted bunting along with goldfinches, a grackle and a dozen other types. Never seen that before or since.

Was this Saturday morning in the spring?

 

[amazingflapjack]

Thanks everyone.

 

[rwsmith]

Yes.....

Was this Saturday morning in the spring?

Yes, I remember it well because my wife had gone with a friend to watch the ladies tennis at Hilton Head. I was baching it and got like, oh man, nobody's going to believe me so I did my best to identify all the birds so I would sound like I knew what I was talking about instead of, "There were a whole lot of different birds out there!"

 

[6518John]

You experienced what is called a "fallout." Exhausted, migratory birds heading north in the spring run into storms or high winds high up in the sky where they are flying. This causes them to be pushed to the ground until the storm passes.

Migrating Songbird Fallout On Machias Seal Island (Guest Post By Lighthouse Keeper Ralph Eldridge) — The Naturalist's Notebook

 

[rick1085]

I've had a year round feeder for more than 30 years.
Several good explanations here. Having said that.

ALL my money goes on a cat that you haven't met yet!

 

[wilkoi]

Nesting hawks, my guess.

 

[BAM-BAM]

LOL.... we have 2 feeders front and back...... more than once ..... looked out to see a hawk "just sitting" in a tree about 15-25 yds away.....not another bird or squirrel in sight!!!


Our cat can sit in the front window and be ignored by the birds 5 ft away!

 

[Salty RI]

...see if you see a hawk in the area...all of our feeder wildlife disappears if there's a hawk around...

A while back we had a Sparrowhawk in the tree we have a feeder, I kept chasing him out, after three days he didn't come back but the birds stayed away from the feeder for two weeks.