Peregrine Falcon Resting
One of the most exciting aspects to fall birding is the surge of raptors that push through much of the U.S. on their way south. Some of these species may be moving a few hundred miles, getting to a more temperate region or dispersing from the nest to find their own place, while others will travel thousands of miles and leave the continent. These predators face many of the same perils as songbirds during migration, but they are also flying at the same time as these passerines, making their own journey easier as they can hunt at the same stopover sites for weakened, confused, and fatigued...
Read MoreField Sparrow
The Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) is an underrated little bird! Look at that bold eye ring and those beautiful brown tones with a pretty pink bill. Whenever I see those Fields in numbers in October it always suggests we are nearing the end of autumn avian migration. If we are lucky we may be able to spot one or two overwintering in the region, perhaps on a Christmas Bird Count, but most will be seeking less snowy quarters so they can enjoy easy to reach seeds all winter long. Nevertheless, if there aren’t any fields, grasslands, farms or other open areas – or if these habitats...
Read MoreInjured Rusty Blackbird
I am a huge fan of the Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus), something you may have learned by reading my posts over the last few years here at RTPI. Beyond fandom I am also a member of the International Rusty Blackbird Working Group and help to coordinate spring migration blitzes to record the species with birders and the public to learn more about vital aspects of their biology in an attempt to save one of the fastest declining birds on the continent. October is a great time to spot them heading south for the winter in wooded wetlands, marshes, ponds and agricultural areas. They may be...
Read MoreWhite-throated Sparrow
They’re back! Yep, the White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) have returned here, there and everywhere as one of the symbols of fall migration was seen much more frequently birders in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic during the past couple of weeks. Have they joined you in your yard yet? Winter is indeed coming…
Read MoreAutumn Ovenbird
This little Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) was a great little sighting a couple of weeks ago even though it was doing a typical Ovenbird thing – skulking around in the thick brush and staying out of sight. I was able to snap off this one photo before it instantly moved, and it would have been a wonderful shot if not for the dark conditions and the fact you can see the gray chain link fence that I was shooting through from afar. This was a migratory hotspot and not the middle of the woods! That was probably the best pose that any of the species has given me when not belting out a song....
Read More
