For the last few years I have been staying close to home and photographing
insects as well as the birds in my yard. This year a late freeze damaged
much of the early flowering plants and the cold wet spell that followed
seemed to cause a big setback in the insect population. I had very little
activity around the plants and the blacklights attracted far fewer moths
than I had in previous years. I have had almost no butterflies and only the
one type of bumblebee in any abundance. The flower flies and small bees have
been almost nonexistent. At the blacklight I have seen some small insects
but for only a short time in July and they are no longer being seen.
Leafhoppers and spittlebugs have been everywhere in previous years but are
only seen at the blacklight this year.

Probably as a result, I have far fewer birds in the yard all year even
though the berries and bitter cherries have been drying up on the bushes and
trees. The waxwings and robins are about the only takers, the tanagers left
early and I have had almost no warblers.

Blame the weather, the sprays, lack of habitat or whatever you will, it is
certainly a real thing.



Joseph Higbee

Spanaway, WA

Mailto: jvhigbee at gmail.com

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