I haven't done qualitative comparisons but there seem to be fewer violet greens around our house too. Usually they're competing for our nest boxes, but this year all the boxes are empty. Tree swallows began a nest in their box but have apparently abandoned it. The barn swallows are fixing up their nest in the usual spot in the carport, probably the same pair as last year because they are unusually tolerant of my presence, just like last year.
Brian

-----Original Message-----
From: Joanne Schmitt [mailto:jschmitt at olypen.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2003 6:02 PM
To: Tweeters
Subject: fewer migrants


I wonder if anyone else is seeing unusual patterns in the numbers of certain
species this year? Could the decline of some be due to West Nile Virus?
I have been noticing a sharp decline in the numbers of some migrants this
year. The most noticeable in my area is the small number of Violet-green
Swallows this year. Where I usually see large flocks of swallows flying
about or resting on the phone wires, I am seeing single birds or maybe 2-4
birds. The Barn swallows showed up late this year and are also present in
lower numbers than the past few years, although the decline is not as sharp.
Some other species are scarce or missing from my yard so far this year as
well: Kinglets (both species), Warblers of any kind (I have only seen one so
far this year), Bewicks Wrens (which are usually very plentiful), Black
Headed Grosbeaks, Black Cap Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers and several more.
I know that some species simply by-pass some areas some years and are more
plentiful than usual in others. I am hoping that is the case here, since I
really miss my feeder friends. On the flip side, I had a huge number of
juvenile Golden Crown Sparrows spend the winter and now have many White
Crown Sparrows nesting here. The Song Sparrow population is at an all time
high and I saw their first fledglings a full two weeks earlier than I
usually do.

Yours,
Joanne Schmitt
Between Sequim and Port Angeles, on McDonnell (aka McDonald) Creek
jschmitt at olypen.com