Whatever, Rob, I think your question is about the most important kind
of question that we can ask for now.
Here at Telinga, I have recorded "soundscapes" since 1995. The number
of birds around have lowered to about a third over the last ten
years. All I need to do is count what is on my recordings. Some
losses (doves, woodpeckers, starlings) can be explained by looking at
the number of hollow trees that are gone with the forest companies
and changing agricultural methods (ortolan bunting) - other looses
have no explanation that I can understand.
Klas.
At 23:18 2014-07-19, you wrote:
>Hi--
>
>Thanks everyone.
>
>Not likely to be sprays at this location. I agree with Vicky that
>every year has its own personality. Its a very lush summer so far;
>rain has been good. A few years ago early and extended warmth led to
>several additional generations of hatches during the summer.
>
>No large grasshoppers here like Curt describes. Mosquitos below
>average (considering our rain), gnats above average, fireflies
>average. Frogs are no longer calling-- not even greens and gray
>tree frogs. No Katydids, no cicadas-- just marginal field crickets
>and some moths. My sister drove up from Arkansas (from the south)
>last week; her car had lots of insects on the grille.
>
>I ran through my log mentions over the last few years. Cicadas
>usually start singing by now with field crickets established and
>katydids coming on. I'm at a warmer latitude than Curt-- about the
>same as Greg,
>
>It does have a creepy "silent spring" impact to hear utter silence
>at night in July. My guess is some local uniqueness from the
>effects of the colder nights.
>
>Rob
>
>
>
>On Jul 19, 2014, at 10:49 AM, Curt Olson
>[naturerecordists] wrote:
>
> > We just got back from a couple days in St. Louis County, MN,
> north of Duluth. We heard some those grasshoppers that make a loud
> crackling sound when they fly (sorry folks, I don't know their
> name). Plenty of fireflies... and biting flies... and mosquitoes,
> of course! It all seemed pretty normal for mid-July in northern MN.
> I expect the racket should be increasing a lot over the next couple weeks=
.
> >
> > Curt Olson
> > MinnesotaSoundscapes.com
> >
> > Rob D. wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > Have others in the upper midwest US noticed almost no insect
> singing this summer?
> > > We had a very cold winter, a very slow fade-in spring and as
> yet no stretches of really warm days/nights.
> > > Could populations just be really low? I've seen only a few
> small crickets and small grasshoppers.
> > >
> > > Its very eerie to have the windows open at night in mid July
> and hear nothing except a single cricket chirp for 2-4 seconds and
> maybe again in 15 minutes,..
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > > Rob D.
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>------------------------------------
>
>------------------------------------
>
>"While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
>sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie Krause.
>
>
>------------------------------------
>
>Yahoo Groups Links
>
>
>
Telinga Microphones, Botarbo,
S-748 96 Tobo, Sweden.
Phone & fax int + 295 310 01
email:
website: www.telinga.com
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