Fall birding continues as we get into October

  • By Bruce Glick
  • October 2, 2013
  • 419
                        
Fall birding continues as we get into October Columnist Bruce Glick summarizes happenings in the local birding world. This week Bruce continues to follow the on-going fall migration. Read more about it in the "Gone Birding" column. The shorebird show at Funk Bottoms seems to be winding down, which is to be expected after the unexpected highlight of multiple Hudsonian Godwits, along with many other shorebirds over the last several weeks. Birders will remember this shorebird season for a long time. Meanwhile, the warblers are providing some excitement. At least one Mourning and one Connecticut Warbler were sighted in the Mt. Hope area but neither stayed around for other birders to enjoy. At the banding station operated by the Black Swamp Birding Observatory east of Toledo, they had an excellent day on September 30. Many Blackpoll Warblers and good numbers of Magnolias and American Redstarts were banded that day. However, the big surprise was the first ever Audubon's Warbler for the banding station. Although technically, this was a Yellow-rumped Warble, the western subspecies (Audubon's Warbler) is rarely seen in the east and is indeed a rarity. The same day, the first Hermit Thrush of the fall was banded, as well as the first Yellow-breasted Chat. Here in Goshen, Indiana where we are now living, I had a chance to do some birding with a group that birds together every Wednesday morning. We walked for several hours on trails through wooded areas along the Elkhart River. The group follows this same route each week, providing a good record of the birds encountered over the course of a year. The morning started off slowly with the typical fall reality - few birds are singing, although calling Yellow-rumped Warblers were numerous. At an opening in the woods, a tangle of grape vines provided nice habitat for Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Green and Magnolia Warblers. Then a Pine Warbler appeared briefly, only to disappear again into the vegetation. By then we had seen or heard all the woodpeckers except a hoped-for Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The walk also took us by the small lake and dam which are located just a couple blocks from our house. A few American Coots joined the normal crowd of Mallards and Mute Swans. Rough-winged Swallows were still hanging around in small numbers. A week or so ago there had been over 500 on the power line wires. When we got back to the interpretive center, some of us continued on to another location where there are four small lakes which at times are good for waterfowl and shorebirds. We found several Pied-billed Grebes, and both Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal. Along the fencerows were at least six Palm Warblers and one Blackpoll Warbler. I imagine this location will be very good later in the fall. Earlier in the week I biked along a nice river-side trail that yielded several Indigo Buntings, a female Scarlet Tanager, and a lots of Robins, Cedar Waxwings and Yellow-rumped Warblers. My favorite bird of the week was a migrant Peregrine Falcon that came overhead before heading on south. I never get tired of seeing Peregrines. Good birding! Bruce Glick birderbruce@yahoo.com 330-317-7798


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