Nature Notes for
September 26, 2014
The rhythm of the
seasons continues with fall migration. Although the cool summer season probably
delayed the nesting of some birds, they did nest. This may be delaying the
southward passage of migrants as the young birds need time to mature before
they leave the natal area.
As well, the weather
has not been conducive to migration of small birds. Winds have been very strong
and out of the south, west and east. There have been many cloudy and rainy
nights, too. Most small birds migrate at night, so this hasn’t helped them.
They have to wait for clear nights with light northerly winds.
Nevertheless, the birds
are moving. The southern Ontario hawk watches are up and running. Finally, this
week, they are reporting good numbers of birds. Until Monday, September 22,
Hawk Cliff on the Lake Erie shore south of St. Thomas had reported 75,803 birds
for the season, with 683 passing on the 22nd.
The flight line for
hawks leaving southern Ontario in the fall is south to the north shores of
Lakes Ontario and Erie and then southwest, to cross the Detroit River in the
Windsor/Detroit area. They then continue south through the Mississippi basin.
Some travel as far south as South America.
This week, there has
been a noticeable flight of Blue Jays. They follow the same flight line as the
hawks, but generally stop for the winter somewhere in the continental U.S. Like
the hawks, they move during the daylight hours, so readers who live near the
Lake Ontario shore may have noticed this flight.
In my neighbourhood,
another sign of fall is the flock of Turkey Vultures that have again taken up
roosting atop the water tower on Dorset St.W. These birds time their arrival
with the arrival of the spawning salmon in the Ganaraska River. After the fish
spawn, some die, which provides an ample banquet for the vultures. Last year,
there was a report of about 200 Turkey Vultures along the Ganaraska between
downtown Port Hope and Corbett’s Dam.
There was one unusual
avian visitor on Port Hope’s west beach which appeared on Sept. 13 and stayed for
a few days. A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was
found feeding on the algae alongside the Sanderling. Buff-breasteds are usually
found on drier parts of the beach or in fields with short vegetation, so this
was an odd location to find one. They nest on the tundra and travel to
wintering areas in South America.
Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Port Hope west beach.
© Rob Lonsberry Photography
Last Saturday was
Alderville Black Oak Savanna’s annual Prairie Day celebration. The high winds
concentrated the landbirds in the shelter of the wooded valley on the property.
In addition to a large number of Black-capped Chickadees, some of which may
have been migrants, there were many other migrants in the woods: Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, American Redstart, Nashville Warbler,
Tennessee Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throatedGreen Warbler, Black-and-White Warbler, Northern Parula, Winter Wren, BrownCreeper, Philadelphia Vireo Red-eyed Vireo and Ovenbird.
In the past week, the
first few White-throated Sparrows have turned up in my garden. They will soon
be joined by Dark-eyed Juncos and perhaps the first few winter finches.
All these departures
and arrivals reflect the change of the seasons.
