It seems to me that autumn always tries to tiptoe in. A little less light in the morning when the alarm goes off. Twilight starts to creep in a bit earlier each afternoon. And then it seems like all of a sudden, fall has arrived. Wasn't I wearing shorts and sandals just last week? Now it's chilly enough at daybreak to need long sleeves.
The internal clocks of birds are vastly more fine tuned than those of us lowly humans. And their clocks are telling them it's time to move on. Migration has begun.
One of fall's first visitors, a White-crowned Sparrow
I hope you got to read the fantastic diary on migration that lineatus offered here Sunday before last. If not, go back and read it here and continue on into the comment thread where she ended up posting most of the diary since she was in a remote location and posting via phone. http://bit.ly/...
As she notes, migration is very much motivated by food and sex. Finding both explains why some birds move from one place to another and why others find they don't need to, depending on their location and habitat.
I thought I'd use today's diary to share photos of some birds we are already starting to see or can expect to see showing up in the weeks ahead. Please add your own and/or tell us which birds you hope to see soon in your neck of the woods -- and please tell us where you are. I'm in the West in Sacramento, CA and I saw my FOS (first of season) White-crowned Sparrow this morning.
I also want to share this very cool link to the ebird.org Regional Migration Forecast. http://birdcast.info/... This is a weekly forecast that shows you up-to-date movements in almost-real time (I think using Doppler radar, though I'm not certain of that).
Please enjoy and share!
Dark-eyed (Oregon) Junco
Golden-crowned Sparrow (older photo; none yet for 2013)
Black Phoebe (Year-round here but plentiful right now)
A Juvenile Red-necked Phalarope taken last Saturday
An American Avocet just starting to show its cinnamon-colored breeding plumage after a long winter of black and white
A whole flock of American Avocets mostly still in winter plumage. (Bonus points to whoever IDs the two ducks and the other common waterfowl species in this mix.)
A rather different from-behind view of a Black-necked Stilt. I'm seeing lots of stilts and avocets right now.
Another sort of unusual shot of a Killdeer taken last week, another year-round bird for me
The aptly-named Yellow-rumped Warbler, also affectionately known as a Butterbutt
Northern Flicker (red-shafted). Seen today, though this photo is from last season giving a good look at its red tail feathers.
Birders in my are also reporting lots of warblers of many varieties. I've seen Yellow Warblers and a Wilson's Warbler this morning, but I've no photos to share. I've also heard, but not seen, Cedar Waxwings. There are American Robins galore on nearly every lawn in my neighborhood. I've seen titmouses but no nuthatches yet. And week before last, much to my surprise, I had a Black-headed Grosbeak at one of my feeders for a few minutes, the first one I've seen in Sacramento.
How about you? Where are you located and what are you seeing?