Written on 4/13/2024
On any given night, between the months of April and May, tens of thousands of birds will fly overhead, making their annual journey from their southern wintering grounds, to their nesting sites to the north. To see this spectacle take place, one can train a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope on the full moon, and watch as birds migrate past the circular backlight. Every morning, the Cornell Lab’s BirdCast site shows migration data, posting the number of birds that flew through a given location during the previous night. Personally, I love to regularly check my favorite hotspots, and see how the species composition changes day by day, watching the birds that have touched down for food and rest. By the time the first insects hatch, and the spring seeds sprout, most of the migrants will have arrived. This is a spectacle that is not to be missed.
Ducks, geese and shorebirds come first, beginning in late February. After that, the swallows, hawks and vultures arrive, all spectacular aerialists in their own way. The last to get here are the passerines, whose bright colors and sweet songs are the harbingers of summer. Many species seen on migration are only passing through. Some can only be found in a given area once or twice a year during spring and fall flights, so it’s best to spend a little extra time in the field during these months.
It’s amazing what a difference a week can make. Last weekend, Desert Lake in Emery County, Utah, was full of waterfowl. Redheads, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Ducks, Northern Shovelers, Canvasback, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Gadwall and Bufflehead packed atop the freshly thawed oasis. The diving ducks leapt off the surface of the lake, arched their bodies, and then plunged bill-first underwater, searching for fish and aquatic invertebrates. The dabbling ducks hung out at the edges, where the water was shallow enough that they could reach aquatic vegetation by rocking their heads to the silty bottom of the lake, and paddling with their webbed feet in order to stay submerged. This week, the wetland birds arrived. Yellow-headed Blackbirds sat atop cattails and gave their calls that sound like the slow opening of a door with creaky hinges. Snowy Egrets and Great Blue Herons hunted the edges of the water with weapons that are built onto their face. Franklin’s Gulls imitated swallows, floating open-mouthed through dark clouds of whining-winged midges, eating on the fly. American Avocets, Black-necked Stilts, Long-billed Dowitchers, Greater Yellowlegs, and White-faced Ibis all probed mudflats with bills that have been perfectly adapted to each species’ style of feeding. The ducks remained, but dozens of non-duck-species had arrived since my last visit seven days prior.
The more I anticipated spring migration, the longer winter seemed to drag on. This year felt particularly cold and wearisome. As the ice melted, and the birds returned, I felt my inner landscape similarly thaw. Now I am ecstatically waiting for the return of the warblers, sparrows, vireos, tanagers, orioles and flycatchers.
This is the beginning of the best time of year. It’s time for Dodger baseball, the birds are starting to come back, and I’ll be out camping and hiking within a few weeks. I have always marked my true start of spring with the arrival of Yellow Warblers during the first two weeks of May. The vanguard has arrived, and the remaining migrants will be here soon. The time that exists between the excitement of the early arrivals, and the later appearance of the first Yellow Warblers, can stretch into an intense yearning, so I just have to keep reminding myself that the best is still on its way.
It’s a wonderful time to be outside, watching the birds that are moving through. I hope that everyone is able to join me this year in one of the greatest spectacles on earth. Visit wetlands now, looking for shorebirds and ducks. After that, start to listen for the sugary sounds of songbirds that will be back shortly.
I too am grateful you shared the Birdcast link - I was not aware they were providing such terrific information in real time! I'm on the Pacific Flyway in Seattle and the numbers of birds flying overhead is already awesome!
Thanks for providing that Birdcast link, Carl - I'd forgotten about that map. I'm in Ottawa Canada, about 90 minutes north of the border with Ogdensburg New York State. I can use this to predict when the birds will be arriving.
We've had a few warblers reported the past week or two (Pine Warbler and a Yellow-rumped Warbler.) I'm looking forward to the Yellow Warblers as well - such a striking colour. Also looking forward to American Redstarts, but for us here in Ottawa, they tend to come a little after the Yellow Warblers.