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Post by Gord on Jul 28, 2006 14:23:45 GMT -8
I know Jeff and fouram noticed a lack of hummingbirds at their feeders this summer. I've certainly noticed this out in the field as well. Has anyone else noticed this? Usually at Cheam Ridge you see at least 15 in a day. I havnt seen more than 3 or 4 in a day this year. Same for Cheam Lake and other usual hummingbird hotspots.
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Post by kastern on Jul 28, 2006 15:43:19 GMT -8
Over here, in late June everyone was asking 'where are all the hummingbirds?' I even wrote about their 'lack' in the monthly birding column I do for our newsletter. About the time the newsletter came out the question had changed to 'where have all the hummingbirds come from?' because all of a sudden they were everywhere - people were filling their feeders several times daily (except for me because I had given up and taken mine down). The abundance of them only lasted a week or so though and we are now back down to just a few. Any time I spend out in my yard, which has a number of hummingbird freindly flowers in bloom right now, I usually see a couple out there, sometimes as many as four.
What I did notice though was that the several times we have stayed at Tunkwa Lake Provincial Park (north of Logan Lake) this year I have seen more hummingbirds there than I have ever seen before. In fact, there, I was filling my hummingbird feeder every day.
I have a personal theory on this - probably completely unscientific but here goes anyway. I am wondering if, with all the clearing of pine beetle dead forests, resulting in large expanses of grass lands, and therefore wild flowers, with live trees well spaced throughout these new 'meadows' - that the hummingbirds aren't finding these areas to their liking and are therefore more spread out than they were before. Certainly that seems to be the case as it pertains to my favorite spot in the world - Tunkwa Lake.
Kathy
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Post by Gord on Jul 30, 2006 22:15:02 GMT -8
Interesting theory, Kathy, and the best Ive heard of yet.
It will be interesting to see what next year brings. Glad to hear there are lots in other places though for this year.
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