fall migration already?

Does fall migration really begin in early to mid-July? The informed answer would seem to be 'yes'. As we saw on Sunday, some shorebirds are already on the move (Short-billed Dowitchers arrive in these parts as early as late June). And the Tree Swallows that we saw in considerable numbers are the advance guard of a huge migration; hundreds of thousands will pass by along the barrier beach in late August and early September (on their way to Florida, Cuba, Mexico & Central America).

But wait a second; the situation may be more complicated than we think. We usually think of fall migration as a north-to-south movement from breeding grounds to winter hangouts. But the Royal Terns that are arriving here in mid July come from breeding grounds to the south and they usually arrive with newly fledged young of the year which they are either still feeding or at least teaching how to find their food. Some of the July arrivals heading south -- not only terns and shorebirds but also passerines -- may stay here for a period of weeks, fattening up or fattening their offspring as they get ready for the greater rigors of moving to their southern wintering grounds. This is an interesting summer interlude where these birds look for a rich summer habitat -- richer perhaps than their northern breeding grounds -- as an intermediate step on the way south. I've always thought that this summer visitation ought to have a liitle more recognition on its own (I even wrote about it in BIRDING Magazine a number of years ago).

And now the news. Clapper Rail was preening in the open area of the marsh before disappearing into the Spartina and Phragmites and uttering his signature call. And a Ruby-throated Hummingbird appeared on a high perch at te head of the marsh, an area where it might breed (but still not showing at our new hummingbird feeders). I looked for yesterday's mystery bird but didn't find it. The Am Robin nest, where the male tried to feed the eggs, now has at least one active chick being fed by its parents.   

Eric Salzman