A look ahead at what species to expect between now and Christmas
Peterborough Examiner – September 13, 2024 – by Drew Monkman
With the official change of season almost upon us, I’d like to look ahead to what birds are likely to grace us with their presence this fall. A big part of “seeing” is knowing what to expect, so get outdoors and enjoy the rich of diversity of birds that this wonderful season has to offer.
September
- Fall songbird migration is well underway. Watch for warblers and vireos in trees and shrubs along forest edges and rail trails. Quite often, they are in mixed flocks with chickadees and can be brought in closer by making pishing sounds. Remember, however, that many of the warblers are in fall or immature plumage, so identification can be tricky. Large movements of fall migrants usually occur just after the passage of a cold front.
- The most typical bird sound of September is the boisterous call of the blue jay. Most jays head to the central and southern U.S. in winter, especially in years when acorns are scarce.
- Local birders keep an eye open in the late summer and fall for great egrets. These all-white wading birds tend to disperse inland from Georgian Bay and Lake Ontario breeding colonies.
- Robins have now flocked up and a dozen or more can often be seen feeding together on suburban lawns. Strangely enough, they seem to take on the behaviour of a totally different species in the fall and often appear skittish, as if possessed by a restless urgency.
- Broad-winged Hawks migrate south over the Kawarthas in the middle of the month. September 15 is often when peak numbers are seen. You’ll need to scan the skies carefully, however, since these raptors are quite high up. It’s possible to see 50 or more on a good day. Sunny days are best.
- Ruby-throated hummingbirds abandon our feeders by mid-September and surrender to the urge to migrate. Most ruby-throats overwinter in southern Mexico and in Central America. The southward flight includes a remarkable non-stop crossing of the Gulf of Mexico of 18-20 hours.
- Large flocks of European starlings, red-winged blackbirds, and common grackles are widespread, especially in corn fields and wetlands. Smaller numbers of rusty blackbirds are also present.
- Large migratory flights of mostly Swainson’s and gray-cheeked thrushes pass over in September through early October. Their plaintive call notes are surprisingly easy to hear in the night sky. The Sound ID feature on the free Merlin bird app will identify them for you.
- Be sure to put your bird feeders up by late September. Nomadic flocks of purple finches often show up at feeders at this time.
October
- Large numbers of migrating turkey vultures are often seen in early October as they soar southward to overwintering sites in the southern US and both Central and South America.
- Most ospreys have left the Kawarthas by early October. Mangroves and coastal estuaries in the West Indies and both Central and South America will be their home until next spring. Paired ospreys do not overwinter together.
- Sparrow migration takes centre stage, making October one of the busiest months for backyard feeders. Try scattering finch mix or white millet on the grass under your feeders to attract these ground-feeding birds. Watch for white-throated, white-crowned and even the odd fox sparrow. By mid-October, dark-eyed juncos are also arriving.
- Watch and listen for tiny golden-crowned and ruby-crowned kinglets. Our local rail-trails are a great place to see these birds. Merlin Sound ID will come in handy for identification purposes.
- Although bird song is almost entirely absent in the fall, some species will utter a half-hearted, tentative song on sunny and mild October mornings. Among those heard most regularly are American robins and white-throated sparrows.
- On balmy days, ruffed grouse can sometimes be heard drumming. This is also the grouse’s “crazy season” in which young birds disperse from their parent’s territory and sometimes fly into windows and just about any other obstacle imaginable. There is some evidence that they may actually become intoxicated on fermented berries!
- In mid-October, northern saw-whet owl migration peaks. In a research study established by Dr. Erica Nol of Trent University, the owls are caught and banded at night using fine netting and a tape recorder playing saw-whet owl calls. A key finding so far is that these owls are very nomadic. Saw-whets banded by Trent students have been recaught in places as far away as Virginia, Maryland, Wisconsin and Missouri.
- The first “winter finches” like common redpolls and pine siskins sometimes show up in mid- through late fall. Unfortunately, an influx of these birds isn’t always an annual event and is difficult to predict. To learn which birds to expect this year, Google “winter finch forecast 2024-2025.” It should be available by late September.
- The last week of October usually sees the greatest numbers of migrating red-tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks, and golden eagles, especially on days with northwest winds. The height of land on Scriven Road, just north of County Road 2 near Bailieboro, is an excellent location to watch for them.
November
- Late October through November is the best time to see migrating diving ducks such as goldeneyes, buffleheads, scaups, ring-necked ducks, redheads and mergansers. All of these species stop over on our larger lakes. Small numbers of long-tailed ducks and all three species of scoters usually turn up as well. Some of the best viewing is at Pengelly Landing on Rice Lake and at the Lakefield Sewage Lagoons on County Road 33.
- November sees the arrival of snow buntings, American tree sparrows and northern shrikes migrating south from the arctic. Shrikes are well known for their habit of impaling prey items such as mice on thorns or barbed wire.
- Ring-billed gulls are one of the most commonly seen birds this month. They spend the night on lakes where they are safe from predators.
- Although many of our American crows depart for southern Ontario and the border states, a growing number overwinter in the Kawarthas. Woodstock has always had one of the largest winter crow roosts in all of North America.
- Some years, a few snowy owls show up in late November. There is sometimes also an influx of barred owls into Peterborough County. This may be linked to a decrease in rodent numbers in the north.
- Late November through early December is the best time to see migrating rough-legged hawks that linger in the Kawarthas as they move south from the Arctic. This large, usually dark hawk frequents open farmland and often hovers as it searches for small rodents.
December
- Almost all migratory birds that breed in the Kawarthas are now on their wintering grounds. Large numbers of robins spend the winter in South Carolina while many warblers overwinter in the Yucatan Peninsula.
- Every year, small numbers of glaucous, Iceland, lesser black-backed and great black-backed gulls show up on Little Lake this month.
- Ducks that linger here all winter usually include common goldeneye and both common and hooded mergansers. Some trumpeter swans remain, as well, especially on Lake Katchewanooka.
- A small number of common loons, mostly young-of-the-year birds, can usually be seen until freeze-up. Loons are gray – not black – at this time of year and have a white throat.
- Cooper’s hawks are quite common in the city during the fall and winter months. They often prey on mourning doves at feeders. Most years you can also see one or two peregrine falcons perched on the river side of the Quaker Oats plant in Peterborough.
- Our near-resident flocks of giant Canada geese (Branta canadensis maxima) depart when snow and ice cover their feeding and roosting areas. Most fly south to the northern US.
- December is the peak calling period for both eastern screech and great horned owls. A useful mnemonic to remember the latter’s call is “Who’s awake? Me, too.”
- Some robins are still present this month and throughout the winter. How common they are depends on the relative abundance of wild grapes and the fruit of both mountain-ash and European buckthorn.
- The Peterborough Christmas Bird Count will likely be held on December 15. Anyone interested in participating should contact Martin Parker at mparker19@cogeco.ca
