Not so many birds

I live almost due north of Raleigh, North Carolina and birds have been in short supply this winter.
Probably have had about one tenth as many as previous winters. Last winter I counted 21 male cardinals in one small tree, this year there have been 3 at most. Other kinds have not shown up at all. Does anyone have any ideas what could be wrong?

This message was edited Dec 31, 2007 3:23 PM

Hi 10lizzy,

Have you noticed Hawks or stray cats around?

Is the food in your feeders less than 6 months old?

Thanks for the information.

Pelle :-)

pelletory,

No cats at present. There was one who would hide under the azaleas and pounce on ground feeders but I made his bed so uncomfortable with mounds of pinecones that he gave it up. I'd scare him away from other parts of the yard. I'm scary when I want to be. I have seen a hawk one time but no telling how many times it's been around and not seen.

Food up-to-date and feeders clean. I put out a variety of food so it should attract many different kinds of birds. Last summer before dove hunting season, we had a lot of doves and they kept the ground clear of fallen seeds. They were so fat they could hardly fly. Now there are only a few.

Thanks for your suggestions.

How about cover for birds to hide in near your feeder in case a Hawk comes; like evergreens or bushes?

pelletory,

Yes, lots of cover in parts of yard, mostly near feeders, one side open where I grow veggies. My deck is fairly open but birds congregate there when I put food in the flat feeder and on deck railings.

LOL, I'm not sure what else to think unless you can think back to something in your area (not necessarily your own yard) that has changed.

BTW, what type of bird seeds are you using?

Bird watchers in our neighborhood are reporting low counts of birds too. Maybe it has to do with the late April freeze here killing off many of the buds and fruits/nuts so the birds have gone elsewhere...?

We had our County Bird Count this past weekend and it will be interesting to see how the pattern is compared to other years...

A couple things come to mind. First there has not been much cold/snow/ice weather north of you yet. As long as there is natural feed they may well have just not arrived yet. The second is I have heard over and over how dry it is in the SE. Guessing the natural foods didnt do well there this year and they bypassed you.
I know I'm bummed when our regular winter birds dont show up.
Doug

PELLETORY
AKDOUG
TABASCO

Thanks for all your suggestions. We have had extreme drought in our area since late last winter. I had wondered if that was at least part of the problem. I'm bummed too. Hoping for better luck next season.

10lizzy