Too quiet

The woods around Roundtop have been oddly quiet this week, as have I. For the second week in May, the dawn chorus is lackluster to say the least. I have the usual range of ovenbirds and wood thrush, the pewees and cardinals, an oriole or two. But those danged warblers have been virtually nonexistent. One exception is the yellow-rumped warbler—I’ve heard a couple of those, not many. For the rest, nada.

I did think I heard a red-eyed vireo for a bit, but it was distant, with background sounds interfering and by the time it was quiet enough to hear the bird, the singing had stopped. I suppose I could blame the lack of migrants on the odd spring weather, and that may well be the case. But I must confess that I’m suspicious that is not the answer or at least not the full answer. Too many others—from birders to nature centers to bloggers—are reporting the same thing for me to be satisfied with the spring weather answer. I’ve also heard many reports about reduced numbers of dragonflies and moths, as well as the birds.

I have yet to see a dragonfly this year, though I think I’m at least fairly well-stocked with moths, if the ones that gather by my porch light are any indication. Still, the apparent low number of avian migrants is something that nags at me and likely will for some time.