SamTheNewbiemanderLive
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re:Rare Late Fall Sighting - 2005/01/05 19:26
I could tell you, but just writing the number of zeros would make this message so big it would take you an hour to download it.. That's why "gezorkatrillions" is such a handy shorthand - it only takes 16 bytes. Anyway, when the Goldfinches around here all take to the air, it stays dark even in the daytime for about a week. 
The Evenings and Pines are of course cold climate birds. Over much of
North America, many southern species (Tufted Titmouse, Northern Cardinal, etc.) have been steadily expanding their range northward. We drown in
Cardinals now, but 100 years ago they were rare here in northern Indiana.
At the same time, many northern species such as the Grosbeaks are becoming much harder to find in what used to be the southern (and especially southeastern)
reaches of their winter ranges. Thus it is very tempting to say that the warming climate here over the past decades has been "the reason". But that is too simplistic. Temperature no doubt plays a role, but how much is hard to say.
Food supply is clearly key, and it is linked back to climate. Humans feeding birds may well play a role in the northern expansion of southern birds, too.
Here is a great link with an animated map showing what is happening to Evening Grosbeak populations:
http://www.birdsource.org/Features/Evegro/index.html
It also has an accompanying article talking about the possible reasons.
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Oddly enough, a few years ago, 1 cardinal was spotted in town an hour from here.... & never saw again. 
