Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) invasion
A Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) invasion is underway with birds expanding across a sizable swath of the United States. On some conducive flight mornings it is hard to go outside without seeing or hearing some flying south! Have your feeders been swamped with hungry new arrivals? If you do not have them yet you may soon.
Read MoreCommon Redpoll (Acanthis flammea)
One irruptive bird species we can anticipate seeing many more of soon is the Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea). Ron Pittaway’s 2014-15 winter finch forecast projected the species to make a “moderate to good flight” this fall and winter due to “variably poor to average” birch seed crops in the boreal forest. It can often take until December to really see them on the move but the forecast is already coming true in northern areas of the U.S. Get your thistle feeders ready now! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreNorthern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)
This tiny bundle of Halloween fear and dread was photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser as he had a very successful night of netting and banding Northern Saw-whet Owls (Aegolius acadicus) earlier this week in New Jersey. They are definitely on the move well now in the Mid-Atlantic.
Read MoreRed-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)
Have you seen any more Red-breasted Nuthatches than usual at your feeders or in your area? I have not seen many as of yet this fall, and this photo is from a previous winter. It seems unlikely that we will have more than average in many places in the Northeast this autumn and winter, and we will be without an irruption. During some of their major movements there are often birds heading south middle of the summer, even July, with the returning earliest warblers. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreSong Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
Here’s one of the what feels like thousands of Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) that I saw this weekend. It’s incredible to see how much they vary from individual to individual, subspecies to subspecies, when you get to see so many migrating through the area. There are apparently 24 recognized subspecies and 52 described forms of Song Sparrows! I wish I had more time to be able to learn how to readily tell them some of them apart. Like that Red-shouldered Hawk this bird thought hiding in the shaded branches of an oak tree would make it invisible to me. Close enough! Sparrow...
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