4 ms·

I remember being a kid in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s. Whenever we went to a pond or lake in the woods, there would be little frogs and salamanders every

I remember being a kid in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s. Whenever we went to a pond or lake in the woods, there would be little frogs and salamanders everywhere in the water. Now there aren't and I find this mass extinction right before my eyes really, really disturbing. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/amphibians-declining-alarming/ https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/am...

novaleaf 8y ago
Going to a Pacific Northwest beach today vs 30-40 years ago, You may also notice a lack of seagulls on beaches. I remember Kalaloch on the Olympic Peninsula used to have thousands of the vermin. Go there now, and you are lucky to see 10 in an entire day.
- brohee 8y ago
  In the case of seagulls, it may be better trash management since they love to strive on the stuff...
  - novaleaf 8y ago
    exactly what I was wondering! My hatred of them stems from being pooped on as a kid every summer. Perhaps thats why I remember them so well.
- tjr225 8y ago
  While I find all of this stuff totally disturbing - claiming that you'd be lucky to see 10 seagulls at Kalaloch Beach is insane. I used to live in Olympia and would visit Kalaloch/Ruby Beach on a monthly basis - even camped there a couple weekends ago. There are seagulls(and Bald Eagles, and even Pelicans) all around there to this day. I even have photographic evidence(shot on a medium format toy camera right in front of Kalaloch Lodge earlier this year): https://i.imgur.com/hMwDuXs.jpg https://i.imgur.com/hMwDuXs.jpg I'm not sure what these birds' patterns are wrt to collecting food but a cursory dig in my photos shows that I've captured pictures of anywhere from a handful to hundreds of birds on this strip of coast on different occasions over the course of the last year and a half or so.
  - novaleaf 8y ago
    To elaborate on my observation: aprox 30 years ago in the summer you would see thousands of seagulls on Kalaloch. Perhaps 50-100 in eye view at all times. Over the last few years I've gone to Kalaloch in summer you are lucky to see more than 2 at a time. Seagulls still exist obviously, but there numbers are drastically smaller. As they are basically rats with wings, perhaps it's just better trash management, but the observation still stands.
    - tjr225 8y ago
      You said something far more alarming and also flat out wrong - that's what I'm refuting. This 2 or 10 or whatever tiny amount of birds at a time thing you are claiming to experience...doesn't match my experience whatsoever. I can provide more photographs if you don't believe me. I can't speak to the pacific northwest 30 years ago so I'll take your word for it that there were more birds on the coast then.
      - novaleaf 8y ago
        Sorry you don't believe me. Here's my own photo evidence from South Beach in July 2017. https://photos.app.goo.gl/JzporX8XmFFswgSu8 https://photos.app.goo.gl/JzporX8XmFFswgSu8 I didn't go in 2018, but 2016 and 2017 I was there for about a week. same empty beaches both trips. You being there in Nov may be why you see seagulls, I never have been there in winter. I don't have any photos handy from the 1980's to scan, but it truly is a stark difference.
        deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
flagstaffaz 8y ago
Thanks for the link, I hadn't thought about my similar experience and that's terrifying to see in a lifetime.
acdanger 8y ago
I grew up on a small family farm in Virginia that was named after the frogs that resided in and around the small spring at the base of a hill. At the peak of summer, the ground would "hop to life" as frogs jumped out of your way. Now, you could go the entire summer without seeing a single one. It troubles me deeply every time I visit in the warm months.

novaleaf 8y ago

Going to a Pacific Northwest beach today vs 30-40 years ago, You may also notice a lack of seagulls on beaches. I remember Kalaloch on the Olympic Peninsula used to have thousands of the vermin. Go there now, and you are lucky to see 10 in an entire day.

brohee 8y ago
In the case of seagulls, it may be better trash management since they love to strive on the stuff...
- novaleaf 8y ago
  exactly what I was wondering! My hatred of them stems from being pooped on as a kid every summer. Perhaps thats why I remember them so well.
tjr225 8y ago
While I find all of this stuff totally disturbing - claiming that you'd be lucky to see 10 seagulls at Kalaloch Beach is insane. I used to live in Olympia and would visit Kalaloch/Ruby Beach on a monthly basis - even camped there a couple weekends ago. There are seagulls(and Bald Eagles, and even Pelicans) all around there to this day. I even have photographic evidence(shot on a medium format toy camera right in front of Kalaloch Lodge earlier this year): https://i.imgur.com/hMwDuXs.jpg https://i.imgur.com/hMwDuXs.jpg I'm not sure what these birds' patterns are wrt to collecting food but a cursory dig in my photos shows that I've captured pictures of anywhere from a handful to hundreds of birds on this strip of coast on different occasions over the course of the last year and a half or so.
- novaleaf 8y ago
  To elaborate on my observation: aprox 30 years ago in the summer you would see thousands of seagulls on Kalaloch. Perhaps 50-100 in eye view at all times. Over the last few years I've gone to Kalaloch in summer you are lucky to see more than 2 at a time. Seagulls still exist obviously, but there numbers are drastically smaller. As they are basically rats with wings, perhaps it's just better trash management, but the observation still stands.
  - tjr225 8y ago
    You said something far more alarming and also flat out wrong - that's what I'm refuting. This 2 or 10 or whatever tiny amount of birds at a time thing you are claiming to experience...doesn't match my experience whatsoever. I can provide more photographs if you don't believe me. I can't speak to the pacific northwest 30 years ago so I'll take your word for it that there were more birds on the coast then.
    - novaleaf 8y ago
      Sorry you don't believe me. Here's my own photo evidence from South Beach in July 2017. https://photos.app.goo.gl/JzporX8XmFFswgSu8 https://photos.app.goo.gl/JzporX8XmFFswgSu8 I didn't go in 2018, but 2016 and 2017 I was there for about a week. same empty beaches both trips. You being there in Nov may be why you see seagulls, I never have been there in winter. I don't have any photos handy from the 1980's to scan, but it truly is a stark difference.
      - deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]

flagstaffaz 8y ago

Thanks for the link, I hadn't thought about my similar experience and that's terrifying to see in a lifetime.

acdanger 8y ago

I grew up on a small family farm in Virginia that was named after the frogs that resided in and around the small spring at the base of a hill. At the peak of summer, the ground would "hop to life" as frogs jumped out of your way. Now, you could go the entire summer without seeing a single one. It troubles me deeply every time I visit in the warm months.