Birds, What we are not watching for: Do you still have birds of any kind in your area?

Has most of this been since December 21...the day of the eclipse and winter solstice on same day? AND massive sun action.

This morning in N. NJ, I was flock of mixed birds flying in a chaotic fashion....sea gull, pigeons, sparrows, and starlings.I never seen different kinds of birds together like this before. They were also flying erratically with near midair collisions. Freaking weird.

South central Indiana, I just hadda go take a look around my town. Felt a little silly really..Now I'm getting a little spooked.. No birds..Should have seen a couple hundred here and there..NONE..

I live in subdivision. This place is like bird central. Birds in trees, on rooftops, on the ground,everywhere... Even drove downtown..No birds..The ducks and geese are still around but not many..Smaller birds are missing.. Still looking..

I have noticed birds of prey hunting in the streets on 2 occasions. I don't usually see them hunt so close to people. Otherwise everything seems normal.

Has most of this been since December 21...the day of the eclipse and winter solstice on same day? AND massive sun action.

Exactly.
Nice One.
I really think the "lack" of activity was post the eclipsed winter solstice. Is there meaning there?

I live in Florida and have a 4th floor view of the river and a rookery where hundreds of white egrets come each night to roost and sleep and leave out every morning. Tonight I counted no more than 25 that came home, and they are deep in the mangroves instead of on the branches. This is disturbing. And what's more, a lone bald eagle was with them, and he flew away.

I saw one cardinal and one robin around noon.
Not much activity.

I live in Florida and have a 4th floor view of the river and a rookery where hundreds of white egrets come each night to roost and sleep and leave out every morning. Tonight I counted no more than 25 that came home, and they are deep in the mangroves instead of on the branches. This is disturbing. And what's more, a lone bald eagle was with them, and he flew away.

So, what is the estimate you would normally see nesting?
I know it has been colder than normal in Florida, just like the other areas of the country, would this be part of behaviour changes in Florida birds?

I live in the Rocky Mtns. so I am not familiar with the southern birds and their habitats.
We do have bald eagles and golden eagles, though. ;)

I live in Florida and have a 4th floor view of the river and a rookery where hundreds of white egrets come each night to roost and sleep and leave out every morning. Tonight I counted no more than 25 that came home, and they are deep in the mangroves instead of on the branches. This is disturbing. And what's more, a lone bald eagle was with them, and he flew away.

So, what is the estimate you would normally see nesting?
I know it has been colder than normal in Florida, just like the other areas of the country, would this be part of behaviour changes in Florida birds?

I live in the Rocky Mtns. so I am not familiar with the southern birds and their habitats.
We do have bald eagles and golden eagles, though. ;)


As I stated above, there are normally hundreds. The mangroves normally at sundown look dotted with white dots as they perch on the branches to sleep. We have had very warm weather the last week or so, mid 70s, but cold before that. We also had that last year and it did not seem to affect these birds. Right now I see none, as the few who came home are deep in the mangroves. They leave at sunrise and I will monitor them again in the morning. It is not unusual to see bald eagles here, but not lone ones flying with egrets. He flew away as if he realized he was in the wrong place.

This morning in N. NJ, I was flock of mixed birds flying in a chaotic fashion....sea gull, pigeons, sparrows, and starlings.I never seen different kinds of birds together like this before. They were also flying erratically with near midair collisions. Freaking weird.

I live in Florida and have a 4th floor view of the river and a rookery where hundreds of white egrets come each night to roost and sleep and leave out every morning. Tonight I counted no more than 25 that came home, and they are deep in the mangroves instead of on the branches. This is disturbing. And what's more, a lone bald eagle was with them, and he flew away.

I live in Australia on the 35deg south latitude and have noticed that over the past two summers that there has been a host of tropical species roosting in the area. I have lived here for 25 years and it has only been the past two years that these tropical birds have flown in for a short duration, usually during the hottest periods over summer.

Some of the birds of paradise from the New Guinea region have been noted and it has many ornithologists in a quandary as to the reasons for this migration. Maybe the solar extremes (short wavelenght UV) are excessive in the tropical regions and the birds migrate to escape these maximums. It is well known that short wavelength ultraviolet can destroy optic sensory ability and the animals may sense these damaging rays...just a theory.