In a message dated 4/9/2006 1:37:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
steve.bershader@xxxxxxx writes:
So why haven't the Purple Finch gone? We have never had this many, or
any number this late.
I assume it's a continued lack of food supply further north. Below is an
excerpt of a 10/15/05 Birdchat posting entitled Winter Finch Forecast 2005-06,
by
Jean Iron, an ornithologist in Ontario:
2. Purple Finch: Most Purple Finches should leave Ontario this fall to
winter farther south. They began moving south in early October. Tree seed
crops are poor in southern Ontario so any Purple Finches that stay will be
at bird feeders where they prefer black oil sunflower seed and nyger
(niger) seed. Numbers have declined in Ontario and North America. Breeding
Bird Surveys indicated a 50% decline from 1966 to 1996 in the northeastern
United States and southern Canada. The cause is unknown; it probably is not
linked to the spread of House Finches because Purple Finches declined even
where House Finches were absent.
(end of excerpt)
It is hard to believe that their population is down based on how ubiquitous
they have been in our area this winter but probably we are just experiencing
more than our share this season. Besides still having many at my feeders,
there
were at least 30 at Great Falls NP this morning feasting with Goldfinches in
the budding treetops.
Ralph Wall
Great Falls, VA