Dear Patti and Tweeters,
It is not an expert opinion, just an observation in my yard, but this is the most birdless September I have ever experienced in my yard. I just checked my data for the period September 1 through September 7 for the years 2004 through 2017. I have kept careful check on the birds in my usually very birdy yard over those years. The average number of species is 29. This year, I have found only 15. Previous low was 21 species. There is no comparison. I don't have time right now to check numbers, but the number of birds I am seeing is also low, with the exception of Starlings. The usual fall flock of 500 or so Starlings continues to swirl about from cornfield to cornfield. Other than that, I might as well go birding in a parking lot somewhere!
I do think it's the smoke. It is horrible around here.
Yours truly,
Gary Bletsch

From: Patti Brent <pdbrent at gmail.com>
To: tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, September 6, 2017 9:45 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] Wildfires and their effect on migration

Any experts on Tweeters who can give us the latest trends in how birds are moving along on their migrations routes? Are numbers usual, abount right or low? Are birds redirecting they routes. Is the ash having a profound impact and are younger birds surviving? Do we have empirical evidence to support the ash fallout does affect migration or it doesn't? I think it's an interesting topic of research.

Patti Brent
Sent from my iPhone_______________________________________________
Tweeters mailing list
Tweeters at u.washington.edu
http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters