Re: [cobirds] Where have all the swallows gone?

I think to be that emaciated, they had to have been struggling before the storm, and the storm was just the last straw. Fires destroy insects, climate change destroys insects, insecticides - ditto. I think they were already struggling that year. The insect population has been decreasing for awhile now 

Just my two cents, but since we don't make pennies anymore, that's my nickel's worth.

Susan Rosine 

Brighton 

On Mon, Apr 27, 2026, 11:04 AM T. Luke George <t.luke.george@gmail.com> wrote:

Studies of many dead birds in NM showed that many of the aerial insectivores were emaciated. That is more consistent with the hypothesis that the birds died because of the inability to feed on aerial insects due to the early snow storm that passed through just prior to that, not due to the smoke from fires.

Luke George

On Sun, Apr 26, 2026 at 2:24 PM Ira Sanders <zroadrunner14@gmail.com> wrote:

Remember the migration after the fires when millions of birds died? Many in NM? A lot of them were swallows.

Ira Sanders

Golden (for another day)

On Sun, Apr 26, 2026 at 7:31 AM Mary Kay Waddington <waddingtonmk@gmail.com> wrote:

Arapahoe County.  

From my records I should have had a few Tree Swallows about a month ago.  The Northern Rough-wings should have arrived a week ago and been looking for nest sites in the creek bank.  Violet-greens and Barns should be flying by every evening.  Nada. Not one swallow has shown up.

Where have all the Swallows gone?  Long time passing.

Where have all the Warblers gone?  Long time ago.

Where have all flycatchers gone?

Lack of insects every one.

When will they ever learn?

When will they ever learn?

Mary Kay Waddington

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Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

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