5 replies to this topic

[Quincy]

I have been hanging three feeders in our backyard for the past 5 years: 1 with mixed seeds, 1 with thistle and one with Suet.

This year however, I have not seen a single sparrow or gold finch. In the past, we usually see House Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Tree Sparrows and White-Throated sparrows, Gold, Purple and House Finches at the feeder all the time, but not this year. I wonder if anyone else has noticed this in the Maryland Area?

Regular visitors include - Cardinals, Tufted Titmouse, Nuthatches, Chikadees, Carolina Wrens, Dar-eyed Junkos, Brown Creepers, Downey Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker and Mourning Doves.

On a positive note, this year for the first time, I have Eastern Bluebirds and Northern Flickers visiting on a regular basis.

[JimBob]

May be they found a different feeder that was less busy or something.

[dklucius]

i live in southwest colorado. i am getting most of the regular winter birds that i normally get But in smaller numbers than normal. It has been a pretty much open winter with scattered snow showers but no real snow cover. in a snowy cold winter i get tons of birds with the nasty weather and lulls between srorms but this year mostly lulls with some busy days when its storming. the few varietys that i get only when its real bad like towhees and white crowned sparrows and cassins finches have not showed up this year so far, the juncos and finches and siskins are here but a handfull at a time and not the large flocks i see some years.

[Quincy]

Maybe - but I dont know of any other feeders in the immediate vicinity. I have not noticed any decline in the numbers of Chikadee's or Titmouse's visiting my feeders and so thought it was strange that no sparrows and finches were showing up.

We have had an inordinately wet sommer and fall - i wonder if that could be a contributing factor?

 I think I will have to pay more attention while walking the dog through the woods to see if I spot some in there.

[Jackdad66]

I think they are all at my house.  I live in Northern Virginia not far from the Potomac river.  I have several feeders up.  One with the thistle in a tube feeder that had finches all over it in the summer.  I also have a couple of hopper feeders up one with just sunflower seed and one with a mix of seeds.  Yesterday I had no fewer than 10 golden finches and a couple of house finches.  They were eating the thistle and the sunflower seeds.

Sounds like I get pretty much the same visitors as you except I can't say I've ever identified a brown creeper here.  I have not seen a bluebird here and have only once seen a Northern Flicker here.  We don't get a lot of sparrows here but I have seen some song sparrows and just today for the first time a white throated sparrow.

[cabirds]

I can ship you a few hundred White-crowned, Golden-crowned, and Juncos if it makes you feel better.  They're eating me out of house and home this year... ;)