“Are you seeing fewer birds in your neighborhood this year?” The sad question came from our dinner guest. “Wrens used to nest in our yard, and ducklings used to waddle to a nearby pond. This year we’ve got nothing.” As others considered their responses, I thought about similar questions I’ve seen online. While it may be too early to say for sure, a disturbing number of correspondents think we’ve now got fewer birds than in previous years. Certainly there is reason to pay attention. On one hand, some notable species are in a remarkable rebound from just a few decades ago. Bald Eagles soar over our lakes and waterways and Ospreys once again nest near metropolitan lakes, due to concerted recovery efforts for state and federal wildlife agencies. Trumpeter swans declare their presence in marshes and lakes, and Sandhill Cranes trumpet their resurgence, again due to the diligent attention of wildlife officials. But Red-headed Woodpeckers have declined by as much as 80 percent in the la...
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