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BIRD BEHAVIOR
August Migration
It isn't fall yet, at least not according to the calendar, but by August fall migration is well under way for certain types of birds. With the end of nesting season, such birds are beginning to move south toward their wintering grounds. This means that it's time to pick up your optics and forsake the comfort of the great air-conditioned indoors in favor of the great outdoors, where you will witness a spectacular annual avian rite of passage.
In late summer swallows begin to congregate in the hundreds of thousands as they gorge themselves on small insects. The sight of huge clouds of swallows swarming overhead in numbers too vast to count, literally darkening the skies as they pass by, is truly unforgettable. These swarms are as dense as the throngs of mosquitoes on which they feed. Farms, marshes, lakes, and open fields are likely places to observe gatherings of these birds, such as Bank, Barn, Rough-winged, and Tree Swallows. In addition, telephone wires often provide a perch for neatly arranged rows of swallows.
Late summer is a time for some warblers to begin migrating. Common early migrants include Bay-breasted, Black-and-white, Magnolia, Yellow, and Chestnut-sided Warblers, as well as American Redstarts and Common Yellowthroats. Mixed-species flocks of warblers can often be seen feeding as they move through the trees of northern forests. In general, warblers can be seen just about anywhere there are trees at this time.
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