There was definitely a notable absence of birds, at least in my yard, during the smokiest, haziest days last week. No birdsong really ( the goldfinches and bunting were markedly missing , being so prominent up to then ) Hardly any activity save for Bluebirds needing to tend to their nests and vultures circling overhead. Been out of town since Fri.and returning tomorrow, can’t wait to see if everything is back to normal… Robert Braunfield Hadlyme Sent from my iPhone

 On Jul 20, 2026, at 7:22 AM, robert braunfield via CTBirds
 <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:

I suppose it’s possible Rob, but of course many birds stop or reduce singing once nests are established. Chris Wood Woodbury, CT 203 558-0654 [1]C.S. Wood Photo Sampler On Jul 20, 2026, at 7:22 AM, robert braunfield via CTBirds <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote: There was definitely a notable absence of birds, at least in my yard, during the smokiest, haziest days last week. No birdsong really ( the goldfinches and bunting were markedly missing , being so prominent up to then ) Hardly any activity save for Bluebirds needing to tend to their nests and vultures circling overhead. Been out of town since Fri.and returning tomorrow, can’t wait to see if everything is back to normal… Robert Braunfield Hadlyme Sent from my iPhone To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or "leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing birders together statewide. Please support COA: https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/ CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For list rules and subscription information visit: https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/ References 1. https://www.flickr.com/photos/cswood-photos/albums/72157710313935571/

Interesting - sorry for your experience Rob - here in the northwest in I found rather the opposite - wood thrushes for instance resuming singing dawn and dusk after being quieter earlier this month, possibly because the smoke had lifted - last night three singing in different directions around my house, robins and a pewee too.  I'm in a narrow valley and the smoke was visibly swirling below the tree tops the last few days.  Dawn chorus also fairly intrusive - cat birds, house wrens, pewee as well. But things usually quieten down mid July as Chris says below. Angela DimmittNew Milford On Monday, July 20, 2026 at 07:52:38 AM EDT, C. S. Wood via CTBirds <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:   I suppose it’s possible Rob, but of course many birds stop or reduce   singing once nests are established.   Chris Wood   Woodbury, CT   203 558-0654   [1]C.S. Wood Photo Sampler     On Jul 20, 2026, at 7:22 AM, robert braunfield via CTBirds     <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:   There was definitely a notable absence of birds, at least in my yard,   during the smokiest, haziest days last week. No birdsong  really ( the   goldfinches and bunting  were markedly missing , being so prominent up   to then )  Hardly any activity save for Bluebirds needing to tend to   their nests and vultures circling overhead. Been out of town since   Fri.and returning tomorrow, can’t wait to see if everything is back to   normal…   Robert Braunfield   Hadlyme   Sent from my iPhone   To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join"   or "leave" in the subject or body to:   ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org   CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing   birders together statewide. Please support COA:   https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/   CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For   list rules and subscription information visit:   https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/ References   1. https://www.flickr.com/photos/cswood-photos/albums/72157710313935571/ To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or "leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing birders together statewide. Please support COA: https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/ CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For list rules and subscription information visit: https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/

I suppose it’s possible Rob, but of course many birds stop or reduce

 On Jul 20, 2026, at 7:22 AM, robert braunfield via CTBirds
 <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:

This struck me too - I have three birdbaths which I normally must flush at least twice a day, but on the two smoke-heavy days, I saw very little activity. Forty-five years ago I had done a study unit on avian respiratory physiology which is radically different from mammalian lung function due to birds higher oxygen demand, enabling flight. I guess that they would at least slow down but have no insight concerning mortality. Something to ponder – the smoke certainly challenged my aging hyperreactive lungs. Any avian physiologists out there? Frank Wilson New Haven (Morris Creek) On Mon, Jul 20, 2026 at 9:04 AM Angela Dimmitt via CTBirds < ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote: > Interesting - sorry for your experience Rob - here in the northwest in I > found rather the opposite - wood thrushes for instance resuming singing > dawn and dusk after being quieter earlier this month, possibly because the > smoke had lifted - last night three singing in different directions around > my house, robins and a pewee too. I'm in a narrow valley and the smoke was > visibly swirling below the tree tops the last few days. Dawn chorus also > fairly intrusive - cat birds, house wrens, pewee as well. > But things usually quieten down mid July as Chris says below. > Angela DimmittNew Milford > On Monday, July 20, 2026 at 07:52:38 AM EDT, C. S. Wood via CTBirds < > ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote: > > I suppose it’s possible Rob, but of course many birds stop or reduce > singing once nests are established. > > Chris Wood > Woodbury, CT > 203 558-0654 > [1]C.S. Wood Photo Sampler > > On Jul 20, 2026, at 7:22 AM, robert braunfield via CTBirds > <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote: > > There was definitely a notable absence of birds, at least in my yard, > during the smokiest, haziest days last week. No birdsong really ( the > goldfinches and bunting were markedly missing , being so prominent up > to then ) Hardly any activity save for Bluebirds needing to tend to > their nests and vultures circling overhead. Been out of town since > Fri.and returning tomorrow, can’t wait to see if everything is back to > normal… > Robert Braunfield > Hadlyme > Sent from my iPhone > To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" > or "leave" in the subject or body to: > ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org > CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing > birders together statewide. Please support COA: > https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/ > CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For > list rules and subscription information visit: > https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/ > > References > > 1. https://www.flickr.com/photos/cswood-photos/albums/72157710313935571/ > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or > "leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org > > CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing > birders together statewide. Please support COA: > https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/ > > CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For > list rules and subscription information visit: > https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/ > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or > "leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org > > CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing > birders together statewide. Please support COA: > https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/ > > CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For > list rules and subscription information visit: > https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/