Changing Wildlife Patterns

[RayIN]

I once read the results of a study_with calculations, saying if all the birds in the world suddenly disappeared, in 20 minutes there would be so many bugs humans could not survive outside.
I wonder how that would turn out today?

 

[kenmbz]

We see 50 year rain storms every other year. We had one 7+ inches 2 years ago that killed people in our town, first time.
We had 2 drought years in between. Last year was the first time I have to water the bushes and trees to stop them from dying. Most are decades old.

We have less frogs, but that varies year to year, we have fox that started to come by about 5 years ago which reduced a lot of things, like squirrels , rabbits etc.

We have emerald ash borer, since we are mostly ash and maple, there are a lot of gaps in the forest now. We lost hundreds of trees from a few years old to 70+ years old

Temperature for us has fluctuated and we have had some normal, some colder and some warmer winters.

We have an overabundance of deer, see about the usual snakes, mice and Turkeys.
We did not have song birds one year, but they came back pretty strong last year.

Have only seen one coyote since I have been here on the trail camera 2 years ago.

Lost of vultures (see deer above) and red tails. Still see some blue herons, and a rare spotting of eagles here/there.

We have a lot of invasives like autumn olive, multiflora rose and many items that were planted by someone and migrated around, like worts etc.

Still seem to have plenty of bats and mosquitos and hummingbird populations seems stable here.

The biggest invasive here is the Japanese Stilt grass. It is everywhere and even comes up through bushes and berry brambles. It's in the forest tracked in by animals and wipes out the other grasses when it falls over in the fall, gets to over 2 feet tall. We also just started getting mustard garlic, but that is mostly just on the edges and so far hasn't won over other weeds/plants.

We have lots of new bugs (EAB is the worst), lantern flys are being controlled as lots of critters are eating them, so that was a big worry that has not affected crops here.

Bees seem to be coming back after a long absence . Lots of new hornets and wasps, but not in uncontrollable numbers. Still have around the same number of lightning bugs and butterflies/moths.

Have not seen grey frogs in years, used to climb up my pool fence and umbrellas, miss them.

See some box turtles and snappers, lots of snappers down by the river about two miles from me.

Dead ash shatter when they fall, a big mess.

 

[big bubba]

I just shot a beaver tonight, he went under so not sure until he shows up or floats up. I get one or more every spring, except last year. Only time in 18 years we did not have one move in.

glad to pay my neighbor 100 bounty to shoot my rogue beaver. tried numerous times to steel trap @ base of aspens & J maple. caught a paw that's all, beavers are hard to trap. think the effective traps are the accordion type that clasp the entire body.
rogue SOB destroyed 2k+ in landscape trees.

1st one i've seen on Ozark Mt top in 48 yrs, think the torrential flooding & rains attracted the boar to higher places. changing times, all we can do is observe for the most part, regards

 

[RayIN]

I wish I could say that!

Never before in the previous 60 years do I ever remember even knowing for sure what a chigger was.

Having bought several wooded acres in East Texas a few years back I have learned to hate them and love Deet. When I get bit it lasts for at least a week and it itches like crazy. I can't figure out how the natives dealt with them!

Chiggers - Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Learn about chiggers, the immature stage of certain mites that cause itchy, summertime bites after walking outdoors through grassy or brushy areas.

agrilifeextension.tamu.edu

 

[big bubba]

deet mostly does the trick on those & seed ticks.

 

[1 Old Man]

deet mostly does the trick on those & seed ticks.

Mostly, yes. But it's that one single chigger that gets past the Deet and bites the underside
of your scrotum ...... then the hate for chiggers will manifest itself.
Spring and early summer I am a Deet wearing, spraying, slathering it on guy.

 

[MossRoad]

We should have had some Robins migrate up to us by now, especially being that it has been so warm. ???

Our Robins never left all winter. It's been that way for quite a few years now.

 

[MossRoad]

I'm originally from Michigan and can agree on the Turkey.

When I was a kid back in the 60's Ring-necked Pheasant was common. Now you almost never see one.

The Deer have exploded up there, my father counted over 40 in a farm field down near Marshall, and it's not uncommon to see them in the suburbs.

Supposedly, the Black Bear are increasing as well.

I'm in Texas now and have been for over 30 years. And, have learned to despise Hogs.

I've only seen maybe 10 pheasants here in my entire life. So few they are memorable. Now about 20 years ago we drove through the Grasslands in South Dakota. I've never seen so many pheasants in my life! They had round bailed and every single bale had several pheasants on our around it. They were walking along the fences, and we ducked a couple times as they flew across the road and almost hit the windshield. It was a true spectacle.

 

[drumminj]

Interesting thread!

Regarding frogs & amphibians, we have a small pond on our property that is home to many frogs and salamanders. This is..year three I believe, but the first year I've noticed hawks hunting the frogs. They've decimated the population in just a few days with much carnage left around the pond edge.

There's plenty of tadpoles in there so I think their population will survive, but frog "singing" season seems to have been shut down very shortly after it started.