A silent summer | Bird decline, insect decline and neonicotinoids

Bert van Ingen is an avid bird-watcher with a special interest in songbirds and other conspicuous birds. He fears several types of these birds are on the decline: "I am a child of the 1960s and graduated from wildlife biology at Carleton University in the 1970s. I have always been fascinated by birds. Travelling in eastern Ontario throughout the 1970s, I couldn't help but notice the almost mathematical precision with which I could expect to see colourful birds en route. In farm country you could count on seeing a meadowlark atop every 20th fence post and equally expect to find a bobolink (a pretty blackbird) perched on a strand of fence wire. This is my third summer of extensive rural driving during which I specifically have been devoted to seeking out meadowlarks and bobolinks. I have so far not seen even a single one of these birds."

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