Our two barn cats keep all rodents at bay around here. Heck, I have one that leaves large rabbits on the back step. There HAS been a larger number of birds this year (rural, SW Missouri), playing hell with my garden. There WAS a couple new groundhogs showed up as well. On top of that, just not been a good spring to get things growing.
I'm rural SW Missouri, also. The thing I noticed this past year is that the meadowlarks sang all winter long and they're closer to the house than in the past. Makes me think I've had a bumper crop of meadowlarks in the last couple years.
The last several years we've had March weather in May, Now it's June and we're having what used to be April and May weather and temps.
SW Missouri here too. It’s cooler is what I’ve noticed.
Our May rains are extending into June.
I refuse to complain so we don’t end up in a drought this summer.
Cold, wet rain kills most seed in the ground. Corn, beans, potatoes and others were planted 2-3 times this year. Major problems with birds eating the sprouts, too.
I don't live in a rural area at all, but for the first time in memory we have a lot of Blackbirds. This is really unusual. They came early and they're still here. Another weird thing is the number of rabbits and chipmunks. It's the first time I've seen so many in my area. I live in a small town, that's pretty densely populated.
Sound like to me , the Lord has provided you with food. Literally delivered to your front porch. Things get tough, give thanks, and take what’s offered.
I'm not a farmer, but I've become obsessed with gardening. I've been learning recently about how chemical fertilizers can be counterproductive, whether in a garden or on a farm. There are ways to help your soil by feeding the microorganisms in it, and this feeds the crops. I won't tell you how to do your thing, but look up the work by Dr. Elaine Ingham (not Bingham, not Ingram, Ingham). She's brilliant and quite entertaining. Lots of talks on YouTube. Check her out.
Rural downeast Maine. Songbirds, crows, doves, ravens, Canadian geese, wild turkeys, and seagulls like crazy. Bear sightings in town at night. They will wreck your bird feeders. The animals know us. The chipmunks will take peanuts from our hands.
Ditto on food and supplies prices. We are also having rats, they are not welcome.
We have had birds galore this year. Get a male Chihuahua they are the best rat and mousers around, ours will go crazy if he finds one and he will get it. You have to take it away but give a treat and they will keep your property pest free.
We lived here (very rural) Virginia for over 20 years before a bear showed up several years ago. He hung around everyone's yards, tearing birdfeeders and trashcans, until a neighbor got a bear dog to chase him away. We've had one a couple of times since, including this year. Try to make sure neither you nor neighbors have anything to draw them, including hummingbird or regular feeders and trash. They will rip open, drag off sealed trashcans or containers. This year the bear got into the bee houses. We see turkeys fairly often and one year had a pheasant hang around all summer. There are fewer birds because we took down all the feeders. The crows like to peck in the cut fields where neighbors are making hay and haven't rolled it yet. I think they're just easier to see right now.
I’m sorry you and so many are going through this. It’s a good thing you can recognize the positives in life during tough times.
Just curious, has a large section of woods been cleared near your home? That will push animals in different directions. When the woods were cleared a few years ago right by my house we had deer & baby deer in our yard all summer. The turkeys rarely come out in the open two acres behind my house. We saw a few when my husband dumped the last bag of deer corn this spring. (They hunt behind our house.)
I’ve noticed a large increase in bird activity.
Something that I can’t figure out. If you know please share. Seagulls come inland in around February & stay till late March, 2-3 hours (driving) from the coast of North Carolina. I’m in the Eastern/North of NC. They get in parking lots just like they do at the coast. In the fields & this year I saw a large flock following a tractor as it plowed.
I’ve searched online & can’t get an answer. I never saw this as a kid (70s) & I think it started about ten years ago. At least that’s when I noticed. It’s a puzzle I’d love to solve.
Here in eastern NC, I'm hearing birds twittering all hours of the night. They sound like mockingbirds, as their calls change a lot. I know the early bird gets the worm, but 1AM is ridiculous. They get loudest around 5AM. The swamp at the back of our property is full of hoot owls (barred owls). We have a ton of squirrels. We keep corn out so later on we can slingshot a meal or two.
I’m in Eastern NC also. I discovered birds singing before daybreak a few years ago. It was during a terrible sleeping problem & I was staying up till 3-6 AM. I’ve never heard it in my bedroom because there’s not any trees up next to the back of the house.
I’ve always been a stay up late get up late person so I thought nothing of the predawn singing. Your comment got me thinking, is this normal?, is it a pattern change?
Birds usually sing their dawn choruses at 4 am or an hour before sunrise. The exact timing in which birds start singing depends on their bird species and the time of the year. If daylight comes earlier, they will adjust their dawn choruses to fit accordingly.
They've always sung very early, in the 5AM or earlier range, but hearing them at midnight or 1AM is unusual. I don't know if this has happened in the past and I was just too dead to the world to hear them. But I notice everything now.
Eastern NC here. We’ve seen a shift in wildlife around here. Edge of national Forrest, wildlife displaced by several large (20+acre) nearby tracts of land cleared for timber and also new homes. Bipasses being constructed in the county take out huge amounts of land and limit migration of animals. Sad.
"WELL.... how much of this is man-made and how much is just "natural" ?"
Never underestimate the ability of leftielibs to rationalize their delusions. My hard-left sister complains constantly about high gas prices, but she insists that it's all caused by "corporate greed."
Our two barn cats keep all rodents at bay around here. Heck, I have one that leaves large rabbits on the back step. There HAS been a larger number of birds this year (rural, SW Missouri), playing hell with my garden. There WAS a couple new groundhogs showed up as well. On top of that, just not been a good spring to get things growing.
I'm rural SW Missouri, also. The thing I noticed this past year is that the meadowlarks sang all winter long and they're closer to the house than in the past. Makes me think I've had a bumper crop of meadowlarks in the last couple years.
The last several years we've had March weather in May, Now it's June and we're having what used to be April and May weather and temps.
SW Missouri here too. It’s cooler is what I’ve noticed. Our May rains are extending into June. I refuse to complain so we don’t end up in a drought this summer.
Cold, wet rain kills most seed in the ground. Corn, beans, potatoes and others were planted 2-3 times this year. Major problems with birds eating the sprouts, too.
I don't live in a rural area at all, but for the first time in memory we have a lot of Blackbirds. This is really unusual. They came early and they're still here. Another weird thing is the number of rabbits and chipmunks. It's the first time I've seen so many in my area. I live in a small town, that's pretty densely populated.
Sound like to me , the Lord has provided you with food. Literally delivered to your front porch. Things get tough, give thanks, and take what’s offered.
I'm not a farmer, but I've become obsessed with gardening. I've been learning recently about how chemical fertilizers can be counterproductive, whether in a garden or on a farm. There are ways to help your soil by feeding the microorganisms in it, and this feeds the crops. I won't tell you how to do your thing, but look up the work by Dr. Elaine Ingham (not Bingham, not Ingram, Ingham). She's brilliant and quite entertaining. Lots of talks on YouTube. Check her out.
Rural downeast Maine. Songbirds, crows, doves, ravens, Canadian geese, wild turkeys, and seagulls like crazy. Bear sightings in town at night. They will wreck your bird feeders. The animals know us. The chipmunks will take peanuts from our hands. Ditto on food and supplies prices. We are also having rats, they are not welcome.
Sounds like a plan but I hope they explode outside to avoid a mess. You can kill ants with grits. They die when they eat grits because grits expand.
Diatomaceous earth destroys ants.
Sprinkle it around areas where you see them.
Sometimes it's one and done. Do it one time and they go and never return.
Use food grade so you can take it yourself if you choose.
Do you know if this works with fire ants?
Thanks, I got the same advice yesterday from a neighbor.
We have had birds galore this year. Get a male Chihuahua they are the best rat and mousers around, ours will go crazy if he finds one and he will get it. You have to take it away but give a treat and they will keep your property pest free.
We are blessed. We were called to be here in 2017. I am 62 years old. "It's a hard life to live but it gives back what you give."
We lived here (very rural) Virginia for over 20 years before a bear showed up several years ago. He hung around everyone's yards, tearing birdfeeders and trashcans, until a neighbor got a bear dog to chase him away. We've had one a couple of times since, including this year. Try to make sure neither you nor neighbors have anything to draw them, including hummingbird or regular feeders and trash. They will rip open, drag off sealed trashcans or containers. This year the bear got into the bee houses. We see turkeys fairly often and one year had a pheasant hang around all summer. There are fewer birds because we took down all the feeders. The crows like to peck in the cut fields where neighbors are making hay and haven't rolled it yet. I think they're just easier to see right now.
Winnie the Pooh?
Not hives. Houses. The bear was after the larvae, not honey. No honey bees here.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Nature-s-Way-Better-Gardens-Large-Bee-House-Yellow/1001097350
I’m sorry you and so many are going through this. It’s a good thing you can recognize the positives in life during tough times. Just curious, has a large section of woods been cleared near your home? That will push animals in different directions. When the woods were cleared a few years ago right by my house we had deer & baby deer in our yard all summer. The turkeys rarely come out in the open two acres behind my house. We saw a few when my husband dumped the last bag of deer corn this spring. (They hunt behind our house.) I’ve noticed a large increase in bird activity.
I’ve searched online & can’t get an answer. I never saw this as a kid (70s) & I think it started about ten years ago. At least that’s when I noticed. It’s a puzzle I’d love to solve.
In the UK we have had a huge problem of seagulls taking up residence on industrial estates.Their habits have changed over the last thirty years. I used to only see them along the coast but now we have huge flocks of them many miles inland. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210615-why-sea-gulls-are-making-their-homes-in-our-cities
That’s interesting and good information. Any other bird I probably wouldn’t notice. I love the coast & sea gulls. They are funny.
Have you looked into the Greg Judy model of regenerative grazing?
Here in eastern NC, I'm hearing birds twittering all hours of the night. They sound like mockingbirds, as their calls change a lot. I know the early bird gets the worm, but 1AM is ridiculous. They get loudest around 5AM. The swamp at the back of our property is full of hoot owls (barred owls). We have a ton of squirrels. We keep corn out so later on we can slingshot a meal or two.
I’m in Eastern NC also. I discovered birds singing before daybreak a few years ago. It was during a terrible sleeping problem & I was staying up till 3-6 AM. I’ve never heard it in my bedroom because there’s not any trees up next to the back of the house. I’ve always been a stay up late get up late person so I thought nothing of the predawn singing. Your comment got me thinking, is this normal?, is it a pattern change?
https://birdingoutdoors.com/why-birds-chirp-in-the-morning-a-simple-explanation/
They've always sung very early, in the 5AM or earlier range, but hearing them at midnight or 1AM is unusual. I don't know if this has happened in the past and I was just too dead to the world to hear them. But I notice everything now.
I know what you mean about noticing everything! It’s amazing when you take off those rose colored glasses.
Apparently, they are reacting to changes in the makeup of the electromagnetic spectrum, which may or may not be visible to humans as "light."
Most likely related to the pole shift.
Thanks for the info. Some things like this are out of my scope education.
Eastern NC here. We’ve seen a shift in wildlife around here. Edge of national Forrest, wildlife displaced by several large (20+acre) nearby tracts of land cleared for timber and also new homes. Bipasses being constructed in the county take out huge amounts of land and limit migration of animals. Sad.
The crows know and look for death. Wait until the vultures start roosting.
Interesting.
Wonder if they smell the spikes in the walking dead.
"WELL.... how much of this is man-made and how much is just "natural" ?"
Never underestimate the ability of leftielibs to rationalize their delusions. My hard-left sister complains constantly about high gas prices, but she insists that it's all caused by "corporate greed."
God is sending you food and you are letting it walk it away.
Maybe the bear is trying to tell you to feed the birds