To add to the mounting evidence:

A thin season up here in Sawnee Bean on the Thetford/Strafford line.

Feeders went up on Nov. 1^st; will come down sometime around April 15^th.  From apple trees in the yard we always hang two suet feeders and three tube feeders filled with sunflower chips and golden safflower seeds. No change in the feed offered this year.

I work from home and can see all the feeders from my desk and kitchen. While unsystematic in my observing pattern, I do keep a regular log.

Daily regulars throughout the season (in descending order of numbers present at any given time):

Black-capped chickadee

Blue Jay (which alert me to empty feeders by pecking on the house by my study window when they need a refill)

Mourning Dove

American Crow

White-breasted Nuthatch

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Occasional visitors:

American Goldfinch (Usually among our most numerous customers. Not observed this year until 2.24 and infrequently since – never more than 8)

Junco (In the past a daily regular in large numbers. Few and far between this year – observed once or twice only)

Northern Cardinal

Red-breasted nuthatch

Wild Turkey

Cooper’s/Sharp-shinned hawk (still trying to figure out which)

European Starling (a flock of 8 appeared in mid-February, made several-times-daily visits for a week and then departed)

Early Returners:

Red-winged blackbird (2.26 – appeared on 3.1 in 2016)

Common Grackle (3.28)

Regular visitors not observed at all this year:

House Finch

Purple Finch

Common Redpoll

Pine Siskin

Tufted Titmouse (not observed since April 2014.  In prior winters one of the top five visitors).

I concur that this has been a quiet winter in terms of variety. The Goldfinch drop is particularly startling, since last year we had flocks of 40-60 on a daily basis.

Vic Henningsen