Curious Where All The Birds, Squirrels Have Gone

It's a backyard mystery that's prompted a lot of questions.

Beverley from Westford wants to know "where all the squirrels, birds and chipmunks have gone."

And Pete from West Concord says "My feeders have been quiet."

Is it disease, climate change, or something else?

"The absence is noticeable," said Boxboro resident and avid birdwatcher Cindy McCauley. "I have 6 feeders in my yard."

But this season those feeders hang, mostly unused. Some of the seed is actually sprouting.

"Some of it has been sitting here since Labor Day weekend," Cindy said.

That's because the birds that are typically here at this time of year, aren't.

"Normally it would be like the Downtown Crossing train station here. There would be so many birds and squirrels and so much activity, and now it's like a Sunday drive on Rt. 2, there's nobody out here. Where did they go?" Cindy asked.

We're not the only ones fielding these questions.

Folks at Mass Audubon's Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary in Natick have received hundreds of phone calls and emails, all with the same theme, where are the birds?

Wayne Petersen studies birds for Mass Audubon. His theory about the lack of backyard activity is that the wet summer resulted in a big, natural food supply of berries, fruit and seeds. The birds would rather eat that out in the woods than visit feeders.

"It may be that the weather affected local food supplies in ways that make it possible for these birds to literally not be as dependent on feeders as they might be otherwise," said Petersen.

And because of a huge crop of acorns, the same goes for chipmunks and squirrels, munching out in the woods instead of ripping off bird feeders as they prepare for the winter.

The rainy summer may also mean some bird species had trouble nesting.

"In which case there are fewer birds in the population," said Petersen.

But overall, don't worry. It's probably a cycle, and not a disaster.

"They're going to come back to feeders," predicted Petersen.

As they use up the berries and fruits, they'll find their way to your backyard. So keep your feeders clean and stocked and your patience should be rewarded.

There's plenty of information about birds on the Mass Audubon website.

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