Late July is the traditional time for our first fall migrant songbird to return: Yellow Warbler. This vanguard foreshadows their days of larger movements throughout August, when they frequent patches of giant ragweed and other scrub. Yellows are especially cool because once you learn their subtle flight call (tssp) you will realize that they are pretty common to hear flying overhead, usually westward, on August mornings. They come from the northern states, and even Canada, and apparently head westward upon approaching the coast, to circumnavigate the Gulf.
Today an observer from farther northwest in the state reported five Yellow Warblers- the first of the fall, right on schedule. Migration is here!
Actually, they were beat by another songbird, a Bank Swallow reported last week. But Yellows are a more tractable sign of the coming migration, since they will become numerous as the season progresses!
Peter
for a copy of Birding Made Easy-New Orleans, email me at birding.made.easy.new.orleans@gmail.com, or look for it at the Maple Street or Garden District Book Shops.
No comments:
Post a Comment