Here in my neck of Port Townsend, I'm still getting a good message from a neighborhood Olive-sided Flycatcher in the morning, with it's loud "quick - three- beers " call. The not so great message is when you don't hear anything, as Tweeters have recently pointed out.
Maybe some of your neighborhood Olive-sided's have moved on to daily six-packs of beers, being depressed (and desperate) about lack of winter habitat and/or the poisoning of their insect food supplies. When the fat flycatcher stops singing, I guess that opera is over. But not quite yet.
It's sad, and increasingly obvious to long time nature observers to witness the loss of natural diversity. When the birds stop singing, you could be next. It's a dichotomous world we are now living in - more information about nature and more ignorance at the same time.
I have a subscription to Netflix online, and just recently noted that they are streaming "The Messenger", the excellent documentary about the plights of migratory songbirds around the world that came out this spring. The "messenger" being the "canary in the coal mine" - the message being singing or silence. The movie is saved from being totally depressing by the many stories from people (scientists and others) who are actually bringing some light to the situation, and doing something about it, as they can.
While the message is somewhat a downer sometimes ,yet our world is still incredibly rich with life, which I continue to enjoy and share, and help as I can, before i do the last croak myself.
Jeff Gibsonstill croaking in Port Townsend Wa