What? Fall migrants?
Yes, three Lesser Yellowlegs have been reported together in the northwestern corner of the state, fresh down from their nesting grounds in Canada.
Although it seems crazy, since we are barely past the solstice and into "summer," this is actually a pretty typical time for our first fall migrants to show up. And it is quite typically a shorebird species that leads the pack.
What happens now? Purple Martins are at peak numbers right about now in their pre-departure roosts (including under the Causeway bridge), and will be among the first breeders to disappear. However, things get started slowly- some martins will be around until the end of August, about the same time our Mississippi Kites vanish. At that point fall migration as a whole will just be getting up steam. The waves of Neotropical migrants (i.e., species that winter in the tropics in our hemisphere) will build in size through September. Around mid-October, movements will become dominated by species that winter in our area. Finally, major flights will end at the close of November, with just a small variety of species with atypical migratory patterns actively migrating afterwards, such as Yellow-rumped Warblers and Cedar Waxwings.
Changes are on the way!
Peter
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