August 26, 1982 - Migration on the MoveAugust 26, 1982 Irbe ouf f olk VTgtg
Migration on the Move
Have you noticed any strange or
unusual birds around your place lately?
How about when you were down at the
beach -- did you notice any small birds
running up and down the water's edge?
Perhaps you've seen swallows milling
around in the air and finally settling in a
string on the telephone wires. One person
reported six hummingbirds at once in their
yard, along with other migrating birds. I
know you've noticed the difference in the
temperature.
Well, all these are signs of our annual
fall migration in full swing at this time of
year. Flocks of blackbirds will soon be
seen heading west and the sharp eye will
see hawks gliding by on cool northwest
winds that make their journey so much
easier and swifter..
Two years ago, I remember, the
swallows congregated in such numbers
they took on the appearance of a huge
cloud from a distance and when they lit
they used every available perch in the
area. When I was a ranger on Fire Island,
we'd see this migration as a steady stream
heading west along that barrier beach.
Often they'd rest at one of the marinas and
alight on the rigging of the sailboats and
railings and decks of anything that floated.
Most were tree and barn swallows, with a
sprinkling of roughwing and bank
swallows. All were on their annual
pilgrimage to warmer climates where
insects thrive and will provide them with
nourishment throughout the winter. Then
it will be back north again next summer
where the flying insects will provide food
for their young.
No Flying Insects, No Swallows
As the cooler weather approaches, this
insect food supply diminishes. By then
most of the swallows have passed through
and only a few stragglers will be seen
hurrying to catch up. Those who linger too
long and find their food supply gone will
perish. They will not be around next year
to pass that mistake on again.
The brightly colored little birds you are
seeing in the bushes around your home and
in the woods nearby are warblers. They
come in such a wide variety of colors and
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are found in such a wide variety of places
that it takes an expert with a field guide in
one hand to identify them. The problem is
that the juveniles do not look like their
parents the first year and they seemingly
never stand still. Their nervous jittery
actions are characteristic of the species.
Just the other day down at our pond we
had a flight of redstarts settle in. They
were easy to identify by the spots of yellow
and orange in their tail and wings and like
all warblers their life is busy, busy.
There's never a moment to waste in their
never - ending search for insects.
Also in the cool damp area around the
pond, I saw another migrant -- a water
thrush. This sleek brown bird, with its
speckled breast, gives you one other mark
of identification -- its tail continually bobs
up and down. Most warblers raise their
young in the cool conifers of the north,
which accounts for us not seeing them in
the summer.
Most small birds travel by night and rest
during the day. It's then that they forage
for food to replace the energy they have
used and will need again for their flight
south. Often a keen ear can pick up their
twitterings as they pass overhead in the
darkness. On moonlit nights, with a little
patience and a pair of binoculars, they can
be seen clearly as they pass in line with the
moon.
Birds Blown Off Course
Often these birds will be blown off course
and find themselves far out to sea. Others
deliberately head across large bodies of
water, such as those birds heading to South
America. Many's a ship at sea that has
reported these gallant little fliers that
alighted aboard to rest.
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Page 13
RUBY - THROATED HUMMINGBIRD - -Along with the many migrating
birds we see at this time of year, there are always a few that will bump
into picture windows. This one revived itself and continued on its way.
Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
Even the tiny ruby- throated hum-
mingbird makes that non -stop trip
each year. How can such a midget store
enough energy to last that grueling flight?
Lindbergh's flight was great, but I wager
he would have bowed to the hummingbird.
(Lindbergh, by the way, was my boyhood
hero and a picture of him with his flying
helmet on hung over my bed for many a
year. In later life, I've appreciated both
him and his wife even more, for both had
infinite wisdom about the world we live
in.)
Soon our young ospreys that have been
learning their flying and diving lessons
will be on their own. They, too, will follow
our island westward and then south to
spend the winter in warmer climates.
Some will stop in our southern states while
others will spend the winter fishing along
the Amazon. Talk of adventure and travel!
Each of these millions and millions of
migrating birds has its own story to tell.
Some will make it, some will not.
Each year their adventure becomes
more difficult. Many of their winter
feeding grounds have been destroyed,
their habitat has been uprooted and torn
apart, roads riddle the countryside, oil
wells pop up like mushrooms in their
nesting ground, forests are cleared.
Pollution of one sort or another is
everywhere. Man has literally changed the
face of the earth. What effect will this have
on world temperature, rainfall, clean air
and water? We, like the birds and all other
living things, have only this world to live
on. There is no magical land we can
retreat to when we've used this one up.
Time is running out. .
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