Jacquie, I understand your wanting to know the mystery answer. While I don't have the answer for you; I can relate my experience. I lived in south coastal Fl. & in 2004 we got a direct hit from Hurricanes Frances & Jeanne. Then in 2005 we got a direct hit from Hurricane Wilma. After 2004 our birds were GONE!!!!!! Zip, zilch, nada! Buzzards yes. Pretty much everything else was gone. And then when winter came & we usually get the birds who come to our area for the winter --- we didn't get them. Then came Wilma the next year. Very, very few birds were around -- near non-existant. Again we didn't get our winter birds. And for the next couple of years you would be hard pressed to go outside & even hear a songbird much less see one. It took till around late 2007 for a few to begin showing up. By 2009 our year round bird population was rebounding as well as our winter visitors. Now as far as why they weren't there???? I don't know other than to guess. They left to avoid the 'canes? They got killed in the 'canes? And there was no food for them after the 'canes stripped the trees bare -- that is the trees that did not topple. No food, no cover. If ones left to avoid the 'canes then when they came back they realized they couldn't stay as the couldn't support themselves. I can only imagine this has happened to a degree in your area from Irene. But you should rebound faster as our devastation was more severe in terms of food & shelter for the birds.
