fall migration 2015

This is likely to be the last post from me in a while as we have performed our own fall migration, closing up the East Quogue house and moving back to Brooklyn. Fall bird migration was not exceptional this year although we did get flocks of sparrows (mainly White-throated Sparrows but also Song and Swamp), American Goldfinches, American Robins, and Northern Flickers. Royal Terns, Great Blue Heron and Great Egrets continued on the creek and marsh right into November. And this was a big year for Blue Jays, due (no doubt) to the big acorn crop.

Best bird by far of the fall migration was a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER (a great rarity on Long Island). Olive-sided Flycatcher was another good bird frequenting the same habitat (mainly hurricane-killed Pitch Pines, closely resembling the burnt-over woods that they frequent in their norther homes). Amazingly enough, the flycatcher arrived in July and stayed most of the summer. A Golden-winged Warbler was a bird that I have not seen here in many years; other warblers included Commmon Yellowthroat, Am Redstart, Blue-winged, Yellow, Prairie, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green, Chestnut-sided, Blackpoll, Black-and-white, and Northern Waterthrush. Other northern visitors included Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Brown Creeper, Blue-headed Vireo and both kinglets.

Eric Salzman