Larry mentions Bats. I could have thrown them in also. In the early,
abundant, swallow days bats were fairly common. Nowadays I see about 1 bpy.
One bat per year. They're gone also.
Bob OBrien
On Tue, Jun 23, 2020 at 8:10 PM Larry McQueen <larmcqueen@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Further: Maybe there is enough research to ascertain bird specialization/
insect prey. I haven’t done a search. Stomach contents used to be top
drawer with preparing specimens. I do know that ground Caprimulgids
(Poor-wills,etc.) specialize in large moths, witch are also not so
populous. I would guess that most of insect prey tends to be not so
selective (if in fact that should be the case), but does anyone know if
there are more specialists, that is, avian dependents on certain species of
insects? This information I would expect, would be fundamental to
conservation attempts.
I was just raising the question. And what about bats? Each species of
flying insect has its own circadian clock and season.
Complexity is what we are given to unravel.
Larry
On Jun 23, 2020, at 3:31 PM, Robert O'Brien <baro@xxxxxxx> wrote:
I agree completely with Larry. This is serious, and has been recognized.
A recent article in National Geographic details what has happened to insect
populations over recent decades. As usual it mostly uses human interest
aspects, rather than 'the big picture'.
The major organization trying to combat this, in this case with respect to
pollinators, is Xerces. http://xerces.org/
An uphill battle. And, as Larry states, pollination is just the tip of
the iceberg. A great many birds depend upon insects, whether they
pollinate commercially important crops or not. And I suspect Xerces has
just focused on pollinators because it is currently a matter of widespread
discussion. Environmental work over decades has brought back the Wolf.
More or less. Insects will be much more difficult. But infinitely more
important.
Bob OBrien Carver OR
On Tue, Jun 23, 2020 at 12:08 PM Larry McQueen <larmcqueen@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
It is the same situation in my neighborhood. Swallows and swifts are no
longer seen and heard in the sky, when in the recent past they were
seasonally omnipresent. There is no more enjoyable spring-time chattering
of Violet-greens at 3 a.m.
Kill off the insects and guess what happens! This trully, is serious.
Larry
On Jun 22, 2020, at 11:02 PM, Robert O'Brien <baro@xxxxxxx> wrote:
I've been watching swallows nesting at my place for 40+ years. Their
numbers have greatly declined over this period. At one point there were
barn, tree, VG.
The tree dropped out first, then the barn, leaving VGs in decline. Here
is the pattern I see for VGs (and perhaps the others but there are none to
observe).
They show up with 'good weather days' i.e. no rain, and start
investigating our many birdhouses. if good weather persists they commence
nest building, etc.
In good years young are produced. In most years a multiday rainy period
occurs, and after some days they simply abandon the nest and don't nest
that year.
That happened again this year, but, as Darrel says, with the good weather
of recent days they are flying around the nests again, which had been
partially built.
It's still early in the nesting period, so likely enough time to be
successful. We live about 1/4 mile from the Clackamas River and the
riverine area undoubtedly provides lots of insects, maybe even during rainy
periods. Our swallows could and probably do feed there, but nevertheless
prolonged rainy periods terminate nesting. I'm not suggesting this
phenomenon occurs elsewhere but it certainly happens here. Perhaps
swallows nesting in other areas are successful every year weather
notwithstanding?. ,
On Mon, Jun 22, 2020 at 12:22 PM <t4c1x@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
Has anyone else noticed a recent reduction in swallows? A few weeks ago
there were about six or eight pairs apparently preparing to nest here at
Thornton Creek, (Lincoln), but now there are only a couple pair each of
Barn Swallows and Violet-greens. It could be that the females are sitting
on eggs, but it looks more like some birds simply left the area. It stayed
cold and wet here right up to the end of last week, and I wonder if some of
the birds just departed to more suitable places.
Darrel