The Nature of Things

In my weekly roundup of news about birds and the environment, I've reported here about the arrival of two of our three winter warblers, the Orange-crowned and the Yellow-rumped . What is odd about that is that usually the first of the three warblers to show up in my yard is the Pine Warbler , but so far this fall, I had not seen one there. Until this week. Yep, they're here! I saw one at my feeders yesterday, so our complement of warblers is now complete. Moreover, I had begun to wonder whether we were going to have any Rufous Hummingbirds wintering with us this year as we have had for the last three years. Several passed through earlier in the fall but they kept moving and it seemed like our winter this year might be hummer-free. But wait! Sure enough, right on cue, a female Rufous has showed up at the Cape honeysuckle over the last few days and now she's visiting the feeders as well, so it looks like she might be staying. Finally, I generally do not see Cedar Waxwings ...

This is one of the two most exciting times of the year for birders. The first, of course, is spring migration when wave after wave of bright and noisy songbird migrants pass through on their way north to their nesting grounds. The second is fall migration which is a much quieter affair. Fall migrants do not bear the bright colorful feathers that they wore in spring when they were ready to attract mates and get on with nesting. Moreover, they are much more silent for the same reason. They are not looking for a mate; they are looking to safely get to their winter homes. They are entirely focused on that goal. The result is that, unless one is out specifically looking for the birds, thousands can easily pass through unnoticed in a matter of days. Most of the fall migrants pass through relatively quickly. They don't tarry with us for long. Hummingbirds are something of an exception to this rule. They may stick around for days or even weeks while they fatten up to ready themselves for t...

For the past few years, we've been fortunate enough to have Rufous Hummingbirds spending the winter in our garden. They're here again this winter. There are three of them that spend time in and around our yard. One of them was patient enough to pose for pictures. Wonderful little birds! I'm so glad they choose to spend their winters with us.

My backyard has been an exceptionally quiet and boring place in recent weeks. The garden that for most months of the year is filled with birdsong and bird activity has been mostly deserted by the birds. All of the permanent resident birds of the area, except for the Carolina Chickadees , Downy Woodpeckers , Carolina Wrens , Red-bellied Woodpeckers , and ( sigh ) House Sparrows seem to have totally disappeared. Even the usually ever-present Northern Cardinals and White-winged Doves and the raucous Blue Jays have been absent. This Great Abandonment is an event that happens every year in early fall. I have theorized in the past that it coincides with an abundance of wild food being available so that the birds do not feel the need to visit my feeders. I don't know that to be the case, but it seems reasonable. This year, however, the GA has lasted longer and has been even more complete than in other years, and I am really at a loss to know why. Watching the feeders on Sunday afterno...

The first of the migrant male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds has arrived in my backyard. And that means that, for the moment, I have two species of hummingbirds in my yard. The female Rufous that wintered in the yard is still here today, but probably will be leaving soon. If the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have arrived, can the Chimney Swifts be far behind?