Warblers, Shorebirds, Hawks - Birds on the Move

Nature Notes for September 30, 2011

In rambles around various parts of Northumberland County over the past two weeks, fall migration is very much in evidence. It seems, however, to be a week or two behind schedule.

The mix of warblers present at Presqu’ile Provincial Park last Sunday (Sept. 25) was what might have been expected at least ten days earlier. Black-throated Green Warblers dominated the flocks of warblers which we saw. They were accompanied by Blackpoll Warblers, Magnolia Warblers, Black-throated Blue Warblers, Nashville Warblers, Northern Parula, AmericanRedstart, and Chestnut-sided Warblers, all species which move earlier in the migration season.

Among the warbler flocks, Philadelphia Vireo, Red-eyedVireos and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were also seen.

Perhaps the rainy, windy weather in late May and early June caused these species to lose their first nest. If they re-nested, there would be a corresponding delay in the growth of their offspring. This could be one reason for the late movement. The warm, wet weather may also have caused some birds to linger longer in the north.

Mixed in with the tardy migrants were the first of the later ones. A few Ruby-crowned Kinglets and White-throated Sparrows were found. The kinglets are en route to the southern U.S. and Mexico. A few White-throated Sparrows may winter in southern Ontario, but most winter south of the Great Lakes in the continental U.S.

Lincoln’s Sparrows, a secretive bird which breeds in the boreal fores,t has been in evidence in Northumberland this week. Several SwampSparrows, could be found today (Sept. 27) in field hedgerows, far away from the marshes in which they breed. Both of these sparrows also winter in the continental U.S.

Today we found our first Dark-eyed Junco of the season. This species also breeds in the boreal forest and is a common wintering bird in our area. Many often frequent backyard bird feeders throughout the winter.

Birders continue to scan the beaches at Presqu’ile for shorebirds. The most numerous species last Sunday was Sanderling. This little black, gray and white shorebird can be found scurrying along at the edge of the water searching for insects in the algae collected there.

As well as the Sanderling, there were the smaller Semipalmated Sandpipers, Least Sandpipers, White-rumped Sandpipers, the similar sized but quite differently shaped Semipalmated Plovers, a few Black-belliedPlovers and a single Dunlin.

Owen Point at Presqu’ile is an excellent place to study these species since observers can be quite close to the birds.

On Sept. 15 and 16, all Ontario hawk watches reported good migration numbers. On Sept. 16, Hawk Cliff, on the Lake Erie shore south of St. Thomas, 50,537 hawks were counted. Of these, 49,830 were Broad-winged Hawks. Locally, the numbers of hawks passing were much smaller. On the morning of the 16^th, we observed a couple of groups of Broad-winged Hawks, totaling 42 birds, passing north of Cobourg. Since then, winds have been primarily east and south-east, so the raptor migration has stalled. Look for another large passage of hawks on the next northerly wind.

The one thing constant about migration season is that the birds are always changing. To get a good idea of what is passing through, it in necessary to visit the same location many times.

Fall Migration 2011

Nature Notes for September 16, 2011

Migration – a time that is dear to the hearts of any birder. During migration, birds frequently turn up in places where they shouldn’t be, prompting a flurry of activity amongst birders in the know.

Fall migration is a rather protracted affair. As long as there food is available, there is no rush.

The first southbound birds are on their way by early July. These are the shorebirds which nest in the high Arctic and winter in South America. They travel huge distances, usually along a different path northbound and southbound. These paths reflect availability of the foods they need to fuel these journeys.

The first to move are the adult shorebirds. They stay in the north only as long as it takes to incubate the eggs. The young are then on their own and follow as much as a month or two later.

Right now, many birders are frequenting the Owen Point Trail at Presqu’ile Provincial Park. If there are concentrations of shorebirds anywhere in Northumberland, they are usually here. The make-up the flocks of sandpipers and plovers which stop here changes constantly from hour to hour. This is an excellent place to study shorebirds, since they can be quite close.

Next to start to move are some of the small songbirds. Yellow Warblers begin to migrate by late July. There follow waves of other warblers and such things as flycatchers, Scarlet Tanagers and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks on each good northerly wind.

Over the past three weeks, we have encountered mixed species flocks of warblers in a number of wooded locations. Although the warblers themselves can be very quiet at this season, they often travel with Black-capped Chickadees which are noisier. If you find a chickadee flock, it is worth looking it over. There may be other birds with them. Most warblers will have left by the end of this month.

The early migrating thrushes, such as Wood Thrush and Veery have mostly left. Swainson’s Thrushes and Gray-cheeked Thrushes are moving now. Hermit Thrushes will be passing soon. They are often abundant at about Thanksgiving.

Swallows have mostly left southern Ontario by now. Many winter as far south as Brazil, although many Tree Swallows only go as far as the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

Although most Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have left, today (Sept. 13) we saw 4 during a walk in a local woods as well as two at our backyard feeder.

The first push of  sparrows and kinglets usually comes around mid-September and continues through much of October. Some will probably arrive on the next cold front.

The southern Ontario hawk watches have started up. From late August until about the first week of November, at several points along the north shores of Lakes Ontario and Erie, volunteers sit out in all weathers to record numbers and the species of hawks flying over. They also sometimes record numbers of other diurnal migrants such as Blue Jays and American Robins.

To add to the excitement of migration, the weather can blow strays our way. The winds of a Hurricane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee didn’t come close enough to bring Ontario any exotic tropical species. Although they didn’t bring anything tropical, they did ground southbound migrants and slowed migration for a several days.

During migration, the number and species of birds present in an area can vary tremendously from day to day. One never knows what the next day may bring.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds

Nature Notes for September 2, 2011

I heard the squeaking sound as I scanned the garden this morning. A Ruby-throated Hummingbird was complaining that I wasn’t prompt enough at getting the feeder out.

There are flowers it can nectar on: three hanging fuchsias, a few late flowers on the weigela, the hosta. In natural areas at this date, they are often found nectaring on the orange flowers of jewelweed in damp areas along streams and the edges of marshes. Earlier in the season, they feed on different flowers such as forget-me-not, currants, scilla and maple flowers.

As well as nectar, hummingbirds feed on very small insects – aphids, thrips, mosquitoes – as well as small spiders and spider eggs. They are sometimes seen flycatching. That is, they perch on a branch and make forays into the air to capture passing insects. They also glean small insects from tree leaves and buds.

They are known to feed at Yellow-bellied Sapsucker “wells”. These woodpeckers drill rows of small holes into living trees. Like the woodpeckers, hummingbirds feed on the sap and also on the insects trapped in it.

They need extra food now to store energy for their long migration to Mexico and Central America. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are known to fly across the Gulf of Mexico.

Most will leave our area during the last week of August and the first week of September. A few may hang around until early October.

Hummingbirds occur only in the New World. There are about 320 species of hummingbirds, but the only one which breeds in eastern North America is the Ruby-throated.

The male is named for his red throat. This red is a iridescence, not a pigment. It only appears red if the angle of the light is just right. The back and sides of both sexes is green. The female has a pale throat. Young males may appear almost the same as the females, although a few individuals may have a red feather or two if the observer is lucky enough to get a close look.

Hummingbirds do not pair up to raise their young. Male hummingbirds defend a feeding territory during the breeding season. The males try to mate with any female which enter their territory. The female then returns to her own territory to build a nest, lay the eggs and raise the young by herself.

The male will defend his territory from all comers. In our garden, I have watched him chase Black-capped Chickadees, European Starlings and sometimes even Blue Jays.

The nests are incredibly small. A penny will fit very nicely into one. They are made of plant down, stuck together with spider web and covered on the outside with  lichens. The nest looks very much like a small bump on a branch.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds typically lay two eggs, each about the size of small pea. They may nest twice in a season.

If you see a hummingbird in late October or November, it might not be a Ruby-throated. Take a very careful look at it. That is the time when vagrants from western North America sometimes turn up. The most common vagrant is the Rufous Hummingbird.

Several years ago on a Christmas season visit to New York, I saw three species of hummingbirds. One was probably a Ruby-throated. One was a Rufous Hummingbird. The third was a Calliope Hummingbird. None of these should have been there at that date.

To learn more about hummingbirds, check out www.ontariohummingbirds.ca