Where are the finches this year??? Haven't had ANY at my thistle feeder.....😢

[a kennedy]

I love those birds…..

[Wingus Dingus]

1. I have had fewer lesser-goldfinches this year--also have a thistle feeder.

Normal amount of house finches though.

[jaxexpat]

2. I found a dead gold finch in my driveway last week.

Don't know if there's a finch holocaust going on or not. There was no sign of violent predation on the carcass. Coincidence, here in N. Fla.?

[hunter]

3. Hopefully they are all at my house.

I've been most disturbed by the scarcity of Monarch butterflies.

[bluestarone]

4. North Dakota here

Gold finch's have been lot lower count at our feeder as well.

[Bayard]

5. We've had tons of them here on our feeders

They are also partial to the dead cone flower seeds.

[a kennedy]

6. Hmmmmmm, dead cone flower eh?? Might have to invest some of that.

[Paper Roses]

7. Not only are the finches not here but a lot of other creatures not showing up.

Few butterflies, no Junco's, no other birds except sparrows. Maybe a Blue-jay once a week.
Never saw a mosquito, hardly any flies(thankfully), no bees.
This has been a strange summer here. Horrible weather, too much rain and very little sun. Never saw a summer like this. If you are from Mass., you will agree.

We've screwed up the planet.

[czarjak]

8. Had some in the spring.

[Walleye]

9. Head finches around all summer yellow ones and red ones. Now waiting for the juncos

Still have two juvenile purple finches coming around for the thistle seed I put on the deck rail and the feeder. Didn’t have a whole lot of hummingbirds but they were around.They left about the last week of September. I miss them

[a kennedy]

13. Me too, I love the hummers. ♥️

[happybird]

10. Haven't seen any finches this year

What we do have is turkeys. Lots and lots of turkeys. I’ve never seen so many dang turkeys! They are fun to watch walking through the yard and their calls still crack me up.

[FuzzyRabbit]

11. Very few flying bugs at my place this summer.

No house flies, no wasps, no bees to speak of, no butterflies, etc.

Very few birds, but not very good bird habitat to begin with.But some stellars jays, which I have not seen here before. Fewer hummingbirds than usual.

The times, they are a-changin'.

[Submariner]

12. Wildlife Researchers Urge Bird-Lovers to Remove Feeders

In August this article came out. Do you live near an affected area?

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/wildlife-researchers-urge-bird-lovers-123245820.html?guccounter=1

Brandi Fuller
Wed, August 4, 2021, 8:32 AM·2 min read

Several state wildlife agencies are urging residents to take down their bird feeders as a mysterious illness continues to spread among songbirds.

The illness was initially reported in late May in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. More recently, reports have come in from Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.

Birds like common grackles, blue jays, European starlings, American robins, house sparrows, Carolina wrens, and other songbirds have been affected.

Sick birds may present neurological symptoms like dizziness, tremors, or falling over. Their eyes may be swollen and have discharge or crust on them.

Though researchers have been studying the birds to find out what exactly the illness is, they don't have an answer yet. They have ruled out a few common pathogens, like Salmonella and the avian influenza virus, both of which have not been detected in the sick birds.

There is an investigation to see whether Brood X cicadas are somehow involved with the illness, but it seems unlikely that there is a connection, ornithologist Allysin Gillet told Indiana Public Media. "There are so many things out there that could possibly be causing this," Gillet said. "I think mystery is a good term to use for this because we really need to look at all the different angles of this disease."

To prevent birds from congregating in one place and potentially spreading the illness, wildlife researchers recommend taking down your bird feeders. If you have bird baths, spread them out and clean them every few days with a diluted bleach mixture.

Avoid touching birds, whether they look sick or not. If you have to handle one, be sure to wear gloves or use plastic bags to cover your hand. If you have pets that go outside, keep a close eye on them to make sure they don't come into contact with any birds.

Contact your local wildlife agency if you encounter a sick bird.