As has been widely reported by others, we also are seeing mind-boggling numbers of birds with more then 300 juncos and 150 goldfinch and lots of other species as well. As we wonder at this phenomenon and ponder its meaning, it may be worth reflecting on the common observations earlier this season about the paucity of birds and the resulting speculation about the implications of those observations of scarcity of birds.

 

Perhaps one logical conclusion is that while we should continue to enjoy watching and counting birds and even speculating about why the numbers vary, we should keep in mind that there are a lot of different factors at play and it seems unlikely that based on only on the observations at our feeders that we can draw valid conclusions on the reason for our observations. To understand why the numbers  are varying requires a lot of additional  information, and while our observations may be a helpful part of the story, they probably are not sufficient to draw valid conclusions.  

 

Hal & Ann

278 River Road

Lyme