<p>When I was a teenager and living in Southern Arkansas, we’d see thousands of them at night. We see very few now days in our suburb north of Houston. This spring I did see a few and was very surprised (and pleased) because it had been so long since I’d seen them here.</p>
<p>Way less monarch butterflies this year. Birds are down. I do have a praying mantis population reproducing in my yard and no, I did not buy and release them.</p>
<p>Birds and butterflies are both about habitat destruction. </p>
<p>Birds have another stressor, and would be doing much better if we outlawed domestic cats. Google on “songbirds cats” for some sobering information on the tens (some say hundreds) of millions of birds killed by cats in the US each year. Perhaps the spread of coyotes will have some positive affect on the environment by keeping the feral and non-controlled pet cat population down.</p>
<p>Cats can not be “outlawed”. A major domestic war will begin if someone outlaws cats. If more cat owners would not let their feline companions roam outdoors, we’d have many more birds taking care of mosquitoes and other nasty insects. It benefits the cats, too! This summer I’ve seen at least several “Lost Cat!” posters on my street; and it is a very short street. People, your kitty will do just fine indoors. He/she will live longer. BTW, I have cats and my yard is a major bird habitat. My cats watch the birdies “on the big screen” (through the window :)).</p>
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<p>Maybe you can catch and sell them. Help with college expenses…</p>
<p>lol</p>
<p>Sapling is still home (til 16th) and last night we went out in the yard together. In just a few minutes we had four praying mantis. Three the same size (one green, two brown) and one bigger one, beige. </p>
<p>Does anyone have any tips on helping the mantis overwinter?</p>
<p>I don’t think I have ever seen a firefly. I thought maybe I saw one a year ago in Ohio, but I wasn’t sure. We don’t have them out here.</p>
<p>I live in Michigan. We have actually noticed a lot more fireflies than in recent years. They must like the smell of lost jobs & foreclosed homes!</p>
<p>There was one evening here in the northeast where there were so many in our yard that my kids called me outside to see. It really looked like fireworks!</p>
<p>I agree with kelsmom - we’ve had a bumper crop of fireflies in MI this summer!</p>
<p>From the 'burbs of Long Island, yes-- way fewer fireflies than last year, even.
Other “fewers”-- cicadas, bumblebees and butterflies.
Huge increase in yellow jackets, though. Usually we’ll find one or two nests in the lawn each summer. This year it was 10 or 12.<br>
I live in the same town I grew up in, and the biggest disappearances since childhood have been the flying squirrels, bobwhites, pheasant, salamanders, toads, snakes and especially box turtles. Every summer we’d find an “annual turtle” or two. Haven’t seen one in probably 10 years now. All the old estate acreage is now covered with McMansions. So depressing. Foxes came back for a few years, then went. Raccoons continue to thrive, as do wild turkeys (trace back to some released birds, probably), and white tailed deer, of all things.</p>
<p>Also a big year for red-tailed hawks here. Lots of fat suburban bunnies and squirrels for them.</p>
<p>Plenty of cottontails in my neck of the woods… I’m tired of catching and releasing them at an “undisclosed location”.</p>
<p>Added: red-tail hawks made a nest in the trees behind my house, which took care of the noisy crows, but the bunnies… nothing seems to deter them!</p>
<p>No robins (zilch) in midvalley Oregon. Fewer swallows. Fewer doves and city pigeons. Quieter nights-no tree frogs.
Something’s happening.</p>
<p>never seen a firefly, but noticing fewer migratory birds.
[MediaGlobal:</a> Drop in migratory bird numbers indicates widespread biodiversity loss](<a href=“Media Global – Influence People Widely”>Media Global – Influence People Widely)</p>
<p>Where we live in south Jersey, we have fireflys early in the summer and well into July. Our backyard flows into about 75 acres of woods, so there are all kinds of creatures back there…lately it is all about turkeys
I have a large butterfly bush near my front porch and it loaded with bees, butterflys and humming birds . It is my favorite place to sit and apparently my neighbor’s grandchild loves it too because she has to visit the bush when she is here !</p>
<p>Fireflies: Now that you mention it, where are they? We did have some back in June. I am getting a lot of mileage out of the praying mantis, they are very droll. Easy to find, they seem to be on the same plant the next day.</p>