Not sure where to ask an environmental question, so moderator feel free to move this to wherever.
Okay, so every Spring, without fail, small,tiny toads would cover the back of our property from our porch out to the creek. You had to walk carefully so you would not step on them. This would go on for a couple of weeks and then the toads would disappear into the hedge rows. NOT this year. No toads. Not a single one. After decades of this annual toad march. suddenly nothing. Why?
The same thing goes for the snakes. In June the garter snakes would be visible in the stone walls around the property. The racers would be out by the creek and the black rat snakes by the out buildings. Now, snakes freak me out so the lack of them at first was a blessing. I wasn't screaming as often. However, it is eerie that they too aren't around this year. Why?
As far as i know, there has not been any mass spraying of insecticide in this area and the water in the creek looks normal, though I haven't tested it.
Oh, also had all the butternut trees on the edge of the woods up and die. These are old, large trees.
Anyone have similar, oddities going on? It's like I need a Rachel Carson to explain this to me.