As you’ve no doubt noticed, the fall migration is underway. In my neck of the woods, White-crowned Sparrows are the first to arrive, faithfully showing. up on September 20 or 21 every year. They have little calendars in their heads.
To me, seeing a White-crowned Sparrow means fall has arrived. It still is going to be 93 in Sacramento today, but at least we’re beginning to see leaves falling and the mornings are tinged with that little bit of chill just lurking around the corner.
The next group of birds to arrive each fall right behind the White-crowned Sparrows are the Dark-eyed Juncos. We have the Oregon subspecies where I live. I’m always happy to see them because they’re such cheery little birds.
There are quite a few subspecies of Juncos besides the Oregon, including the Slate-colored, the White-winged, the Gray-headed, the Red-backed, and the Pink-sided. Juncos are a type of sparrow which I always forget.
Because birds move at night during migration, you can’t really see what’s going on. Not to the naked human eye, anyway. But they are moving at a rapid clip. Here’s a migration map that’s a snapshot of what was happening on September 25.
All those little green dots are radar stations picking up the movements. Note in the lower left corner the display that says 53.5 million birds in flight. All of this happening while you’re sitting on your couch watching Netflix.
Bird migration forecast maps show predicted nocturnal migration 3 hours after local sunset and are updated every 6 hours. Colorado State University and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology currently produce these forecasts.
For tonight, September 26, the forecast shows that 271 million birds will be in flight. It’s an astonishing number, really just too big to comprehend.
Here’s a link that hopefully works to take you to a video you can launch in real time if you look in the lower left corner. birdcast.info/…
But thanks to migration, we’re already seeing the return of the wintering ducks, the Snow Geese, even Sandhill Cranes. Best of all, the warblers have been arriving steadily. Some of my friends have had warmlers stopping in their backyards and bathing and drinking in their bird baths. Here is a series of warbler photos taken either by me or my friend Melissa Lea who traveled east last year and got photos of warblers we don’t have here.
One of the first warblers that arrives in my area is the cute little Wilson’s Warbler. The female has no cap, but the male sports this adorable black beret.
Another early arrival here is the Yellow Warbler. A long distance migrant, Yellow Warblers breed across central and northern North America and spend winters in Central America and northern South America. They migrate earlier than most other warblers in both spring and fall.
When I took this photo I misidentified it as a Townsend’s Warbler and if you look at the next photo you’ll see why. Sometimes the female of a particular species will resemble the male only duller and paler. So I pegged this as a female Townsend’s. Wrong.
I had to resort to eBird for this photo because mine were simply too crappy. But the Townsend’s Warbler is another early migrant. This is the male and I think he’s very dapper.
The Black-throated Gray Warbler is a striking yet monochrome warbler that wears only a tiny spot of yellow just above and in front of the eye. Its black throat and gray back give it its name, but its bold black-and-white striped face is equally eye catching. The Black-throated Gray Warbler frequents pine and mixed pine-oak forests west of the Rocky Mountains and spends the winters farther south to Mexico. I took this photo on my birthday several years ago and I really like it. Such a striking bird.
All of the photos up until now have been my own with the exception of the Townsend’s Warbler. Now I’m going to share a series of great photos taken by my friend Melissa of birds I’ve not seen here in my area. Not that they don’t migrate through here, I’ve just never been able to catch them myself. I have local friends who are seeing all kinds of warblers they generally never see. Some sort of bonus year, I guess.
What a stunner! Notice that white patch on the wing which is very distinctive and a good identifier. This is the male, of course. The female looks nothing whatsoever like this. She is a very drab olive gray with a faint white stripe that runs through her eye somewhat like a Bewick’s Wren or a female Red-winged Blackbird. Drab, drab, drab.
One of my all-time favorite warblers, Black-and-white Warblers are fairly common and often intent on foraging along tree limbs, so they don’t tend to be shy. Watch for them creeping fairly rapidly on, around, and under larger branches of taller trees. Black-and-white Warblers are also quite vocal. Their song is thin, almost squeaky, but penetrating, so it’s a good way to find them.
Cornell says, “Stay around clearings, road edges, or other disturbed sites with young deciduous trees to find Chestnut-sided Warblers. Look for this bird foraging, often with its tail raised and wings drooped, among the outer branches of shrubs and small trees, often lower than other warblers. They often come closer to investigate quiet pishing sounds.”
Last but not least, how can I not include this little “butterbutt” who was perched on a branch about two blocks from my home. I tend not to see these little Yellow-rumped Warblers until later the the fall, November and December, but they are hugely entertaining and I’m always happy to see them whenever they arrive.
I’ve barely touched the variety of warblers out there and many more are showing up in yards and bird baths everywhere. Have you seen any? What are your fall migrants in your area? Do share if you’re so inclined.
The floor is open. What’s going on in your birding world?