a few birds, some Box Turtles and missing Monarchs

A few leftovers from last week's migratory influx are still around including a few Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers and White-throated Sparrows. Also small flocks of American Goldfinches, probably feeding on the Iva seeds (no Pine Siskins this year). The woodpecker influx of a few weeks ago also seems to have died down. I saw one Red-bellied Woodpecker with a large nut in his beak apparently looking for a knothole to stash it (something his Western cousin, the Acorn Woodpecker, would do).

Box Turtles have been out in the warm, damp weather feeding on the new crop of mushrooms. At least three different turtles with clearly marked orange-and-black, dusky orange-and-black and yellow-and-black markings.

I received several cries of anguish about the failure of the Monarch migration on Eastern LI this year. I wonder if this paucity of Monarchs is widespread in the northeast and, if so, what its cause might be.

Eric Salzman