Date: 2/22/26 6:40 am From: Jerry Tangren via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Lower bird counts at Union Bay this past winter?
My thought is because of the overall weather this winter, the birds are not concentrated into the usual areas they need to for survival. Here in East Wenatchee, I can count on one hand the number of nights the temperatures have dropped below 20 degF, and also the number of days with more than a trace of snow cover.
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Jerry Tangren, East Wenatchee, WA
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From: Tweeters <tweeters-bounces...> on behalf of Hans-Joachim Feddern via Tweeters <tweeters...>
Sent: Saturday, February 21, 2026 8:11:21 PM
To: Constance Sidles <constancesidles...>
Cc: Julia H <azureye...>; tweeters <tweeters...>
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Lower bird counts at Union Bay this past winter?
There seems to be a general decline in bird numbers except maybe for gulls and crows. Even my non birder wife has commented on it lately. Numbers of birds on our feeders appear to be lower than in previous years - except for juncos. Interestingly enough, introduced species such as House Sparrow and European Starling numbers are way down and I have yet to see an Eurasian Collared-Dove in the Seattle/Tacoma area this year. Not all of this decrease can be explained with global warming or habitat loss.
On Sat, Feb 21, 2026 at 4:42 PM Constance Sidles via Tweeters <tweeters...><mailto:<tweeters...>> wrote:
Hey tweets, I've noticed the same thing that Julia mentiones in her tweet, namely, numbers of birds seem in general to be down at Montlake Fill. This includes land birds as well as waterfowl. I have no explanation. - Connie, Seattle
> On Feb 21, 2026, at 2:26 PM, Julia H via Tweeters <tweeters...><mailto:<tweeters...>> wrote:
>
> This is pure anecdata, but I feel like Union Bay Natural Area has been less "birdy" overall this past winter. Numbers have been down both in terms of species count + raw number of birds the past two months I've led my bird walk, compared to Januaries/Februaries of the prior years, and the usual giant-raft-of-coots-and-wigeons that habitually forms in Lake Washington has been much smaller as well.
>
> Has anyone else noticed this / does anyone have any theories for why this might be?
>
> Good birding,
>
> Julia Hasbrough
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