I have been banding birds at the same site for 20 years on Canyon Mountain.
The last couple of years have had low numbers of birds with virtually no
young of the year. This year so far has been super low... lowest yet.
Adult birds not even in breeding condition and low on fat reserves (based
on general observation). We too have noticed the lack of insects... silk
moth caterpillars especially used to fill the trees. It dawned on us today
while out there... we haven't seen the caterpillars the last couple of
years. And we are not even getting eaten up by mosquitoes and no-seeums
like we used to... which, though we are not complaining about it in terms
of their being a nuisance, but it is a concern in terms of food sources for
the birds.
*Liz*
*Elizabeth I. Gayner*
*Lead Wildlife Biologist - Swiftwater Field Office*
*OR/WA BLM Peregrine Falcon Technical Coordinator*
Bureau of Land Management - Roseburg District Office
Phone: (541) 464-3381; egayner@xxxxxxx
On Wed, Jul 3, 2019 at 1:33 PM Mary Anne Brown <majbrown54@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Our cliff swallow's nest have been falling this year & the insect/food
supply is weak, over the last 10 years the small moths are virtually gone.
This years crop is not promising...anyone else experiencing that?
Mary Anne
