View allAll Photos Tagged FallMigration
For the last month, I've been working nearby Kennesaw Mountain for early fall migrants. It is more challenging than my spring warbler work, and you really don't know what you might be shooting on any given day.
This species is moving south as early as August in our area. It doesn't breed in the Georgia mountain location where this image was taken. This appears to be subspecies albilora as opposed to dominica as the lores are white and the yellow doesn't reach the black or beak on the extreme upper chin area. Also note the buff wash in the flanks indicating this individual is likely a first fall male or fall female which can look similar. The subspecies that breeds in my area is dominica and on my Spring Tennessee trip we usually encounter albilora.
This little guy (a male) was one of several Eastern Bluebirds that were hanging out at a local park early last month, as a stopover during their fall migration, no doubt.
HWW & HBW
Adult female. The lack of black in the cap and face point away from an adult male, and the visible necklace makes a first fall female unlikely. The gray feathers appear gray (rather than brownish) in the area of the alula, and the greater coverts, as well as the edges of the primaries, further pointing to an adult bird.
Cochran Shoals. Atlanta area. 9/15/2017.
The necklace in fall adult males is often partially and sometimes completely veiled by white feathers. The thin white stripe above and behind the eye is characteristic of the fall adult male plumage. This species migrates southward earlier than most, and I begin looking for this species the last 10 days of July.
Kennesaw Mountain. Georgia. 8/15/2018.
About a month ago I was in south FL for a quick trip and had a few minutes to stop by one of my favorite birding sites in Ft. Lauderdale. I'd heard of a lifetime bird.....a Variegated Flycatcher, a rarity that had been attracting huge birding crowds and rarely seen in the USA. I arrived with light fading at Evergreen Cemetery late one afternoon to find several birding friends there from the area. As they were taking me to the spot where the flycatcher was usually seen I spotted this warbler...and loving warblers like I do.....couldn't resist shooting it while Lela and others tried to get my focus on finding the flycatcher! I'll post later if I saw the life bird before losing the waning light....
Member of Nature’s Spirit
Good Stewards of Nature
It's time for some backyard critters. Not in reality, but on my Flickr Photostream...
I hope I have the ID correct on this one. I didn't do a lot of work with small perching birds during my BC years (1972-2011), so many species that pass through my prairie village are new to me - or at least to my lens. Please let me know if I've misidentified any of these.
This little beauty gave me a 15 second photo op, and then was gone. But it was in the open, and the light was good, and it was close - so it was a great photo op!
Each year I look forward to the fall migration, because species stop here that I don't see in the spring. This fall was disappointing: my personal count was down. Nothing much happened. I don't know whether bird numbers were down everywhere. It's possible. Avian flu took a toll last spring, and we also had unseasonably cold weather in April, including snowstorms to the south that must have hit migrating songbirds very hard. Nothing seemed to be on schedule. However, I was dealing with a back injury in September - there were days when I could barely move - so it's possible that I missed some good things. And because movement was difficult, I wasn't refilling the bird baths regularly - water is a big attractant on the drought-stricken prairie.
Due to all the above factors, and regardless of whether I'm guessing right or missing something, I was shut out this fall, so the four bird shots in this set are all from last year. When the birding is good in Val Marie, it's very, very good.
Photographed in my backyard in Val Marie, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2021 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
A seasonal bird in a seasonal setting, this bird took a break from the flock’s relentless insect hawking.
A Black and White Warbler and a Blackburnian Warbler take a break from migration to bathe in a shallow waterfall on this warm day in late summer.
I know this image is awfully 'busy' to be considered good bird photography; I wanted to post it though, because I've never before caught two different warblers in one shot!
The Elderberry was a great addition to the garden, providing food for numerous birds, including the Cape May Warblers.
A cool fact from Cornell
"Despite its familiarity and widespread range, its tendency to nest in buggy bogs in the North American boreal forests make it one of the least-studied shorebirds on the continent."
This American Tree Sparrow recently arrived in southern Ontario from her/his breeding grounds further north.
10/7/2017. Hidden Pond Trail. Carter's Lake. North of Atlanta.
This lovely vireo can be found during a few week period beginning the last week or so in September as it migrates thru our area. This location is historically the best place to find this species locally, but this year it seemed to be findable in many other places as well.
The Northern Parula is one of only a few birds that nests in Spanish moss.
If you like this and some of my other images, I invite you to take a look at my wildlife/birding blog, which I try to update every few days. ... grenfell.weebly.com and my web page at www.tekfx.ca
I appreciate your feedback and comments! so feel free to contact me for any reason. I can be reached at billm@tekfx.ca or on Flickrmail
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From Cornell "American Pipits are among the very few species of American songbirds that nest in both Arctic tundra and alpine meadows." First time I've seen one, mixed in with some Yellow-rumped warblers.
In winter plumage these tough birds winter in Ohio looking cute. Here is on in Maumee boardwalk agreeing with me. Testing D50- vs D6 for warbler photography
Fall in the midwest includes migrating meadowlarks. This pair was enjoying the setting sun, making for a striking image.
Backlit during a late afternoon visit to some tangled shrubs on the edge of the Ottawa River, this bird hunted insects voraciously. It barely registered human presence - food was its sole priority. And then it popped down right in front of me - I had to step back to get it in the frame - we met briefly, and then it was on its way.
This species has already begun its southern migration and is my number one target during the month of August. Location of this find was in the Georgia mountains far removed from current breeding sites along one of the most southernly ridges of the Appalachians. From there it is a quick drop to the Georgia Piedmont and then onto the Florida coast from where most of this species will head to South American wintering sites. This probable adult female was accompanied by a first fall female and a first fall male and I was fortunate to get images of all 3. I've had this species in twos and only once before have I had 3 together in over 10 plus years. So it was awesome. From my experience this warbler not unoften appears to travel in partial family units usually consisting of the adult female with young and the adult male usually is notably absent. After accumulating several dozen 'fall' migrating CERW here in GA I'd say only about 10% of them have been adult males and that would be the easiest plumage to discern by far. This seems to suggest a possible different southern migration strategy for the adult male of this species perhaps being a more direct route from breeding ground to coast.