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Re: feeder birds VS flooding



On Thu, 4 Nov 1999 Chirp50@aol.com wrote:
> 
> I work at a WBU store in Virginia Beach. Today I had a customer in the store 
> that lives in Franklin,VA where there was LOTS of flooding from the 
> hurricanes like what NC people suffered from. She has noticed that she has 
> had very few birds at her feeder. Most of the flooding was in the downtown 
> area and really didn't affect her yard. She was wondering if the flooding and 
> storms had anything to do with it. I told her I would ask other people in NC 
> that had been through similar circumstances. Any comments out there? 

I can only theorize. It is fairly well established that hummingbirds, 
although they will visit feeders, will not stay in an area with only 
feeders. If hummingbirds are around, there must be some flowers nearby. I 
would guess that seed-eaters operate in a similar fashion. They will 
visit feeders, but not feed only at feeders (disregarding winged vermin 
like Starlings and House Sparrows). The flooding most likely washed many 
plant seeds, plants and associated insects away, and caused much of what 
did not wash away to rot. Feeders alone are not keeping the feeder birds 
around, they are heading west where habitats with natural foods are more 
widely available. How's that sound?

Cheers,

Josh



Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Zoology

jsr6@acpub.duke.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~jsr6/