By late September, the tide of migrant shorebirds is beginning to wane and the first migrant waterfowl, including cinnamon and blue-winged teal, appear on the wetlands. The ducks and grebes will increase in number and variety through late October, to be joined by noisy flocks of geese in November.
The fall songbird migration, on the other had, is peaking in late September as insectivores and nectar-feeding birds escape the threatening chill of autumn. Warblers, orioles, flycatchers, hummingbirds, house wrens and other summer residents are making their way to southern climes, never to experience the cold and snow of a Midwest winter. Primarily travelling at night, they stop in our woodlands to rest and refuel during the day; less vocal and colorful than they were in the spring, they are far less conspicuous among the late summer foliage. Indeed, to the casual naturalist, these September migrants often go unnoticed.
On the heels of these fair weather residents, hardy Canadian visitors, such as dark-eyed juncos and white-throated sparrows, begin to populate our yards, joining the cardinals, chickadees, titmice, woodpeckers, blue jays and other permanent residents that, like us, must adapt to the varied seasons. As winter sets in, we will envy the flocks that headed south and admire those that stayed behind to face the elements and brighten our lives.
