Abundant crops of acorns, beech nuts and berries are providing wildlife across parts of the Northeast with an unusually bountiful Thanksgiving feast.
The volume of nuts and berries in the woods this fall is so great in some areas of New England that birds are staying away from backyard feeders, prompting calls of concern to experts.
But there's nothing wrong. Experts say the birds are just finding plenty to eat in the woods, so there's no reason for them to visit feeders.
Wildlife special projects coordinator Robert Cordis says it also impacts the food web. In northern New England, the small animals feasting on the nuts and berries are also becoming food for the animals that prey on them — foxes, coyotes and bobcat, as well as pine martens, mink and fisher.
One potential downside is that the tick population may grow next season.
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