by Connie Oswald Stofko
Although the cause of the mysterious illness that was killing songbirds this summer is still a mystery, birds are no longer getting sick. You can put your birdfeeders and bird baths back up, according to an updated statement on All About Birds from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
To try to prevent the spread of the illness, home gardeners were asked to take down birdfeeders and bird baths so birds wouldn’t congregate there. The cause of the illness hasn’t been identified.
There were no confirmed cases of the illness in New York State.
It’s always a good idea to regularly clean your feeders.
Thanks for all that information. If you have more questions, you could contact the Buffalo Audubon Society or the Audubon Community Nature Center in Jamestown.
I had a lot of Baltimore orioles this spring, then during nesting very few. I was told to put out mealy worms. Then after fledglings we had them back until birds started to molt.(Molting is energetically expensive—as is migration and breeding. So, birds make sure these three activities don’t overlap. For many of our North American songbirds, that sweet spot in the calendar is July into early August) I had Orioles again until Labor Day.
They were in Clarence until mid August which is typical. I was very pleasantly surprised to see 1 high up on a Walnut late in August after I thought they had ALL left!
CONNIE, OUR BALTIMORE ORIOLES CAME IN, MAY 1ST., AS USUAL…..BUT WERE COMPLETELY GONE, BY JUNE 20TH.!!!! THEY USUALLY STAY UNTIL THE END OF SEPTEMBER OR SO…. THEY LOVE GRAPE OR STRAWBERRY JAM OR JELLY, AND WE HAVE TO BUY A CASE OR MORE, TO KEEP THE BIRDS FULL!!! MAMA’S, DADDIES, AND ALL THEIR YOUNGINS!!! WHAT HAPPENED?? SAME THING HAPPENED WITH FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, ALL OVER TOWN…..HAMBURG/N. BOSTON AREA…