Where are the birds?

I have never seen this many ripe Juneberries on my trees.

A quick way to assess bird populations is to survey "ice cream" foods.  You know bird populations are high when they are stripping the Juneberries before they ever get ripe.

Conversely, you know that populations are lower when you find a few ripe berries.

And you know populations are in-the-tank when you find the bushes loaded with luscious, ripe fruit.

These Juneberry trees are in Charlotte, North Carolina and were loaded with ripe berries on May 26.  That tells me that there are very few birds on North Irwin Avenue between W. Trade and W. 5th Street.

An alternate explanation involves predators.  It is possible that I have a Cooper Hawk in the neighborhood and that keeps the starlings and mourning doves away.

That is why you need to compare notes with other folks in the area.