Migratory stopover
Birds! Twenty nine species of birds were observed this morning. The NEMT Forest is a migratory stopover for warblers, thrushes, vireos, kinglets, juncos, and sparrows among many others, as they make their way down south to as far as Central and South America. With habitats disappearing around us, each and every patch of woods is crucial for the survival of these species. Here are a few photos. From left to right - Golden-crowned Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Hermit Thrush.
Above: Birds on their way south photographed at the NEMT Forest on October 22, 2022. Below is a description of each bird in order from left to right.
Golden-crowned Kinglet - tiny and fiesty, and when challenged or during courtship, the male flashes his crown of golden-yellow feathers. They will be wintering here in the forest.
White-throated Sparrow - whether they sing 'Oh Sweet Canada' or 'Poor Sam Peabody', their song is melodious and beautiful. They will be here from September through May.
Orange-crowned Warbler - relatively scarce in the east, but seen migrating during late spring and late fall in October.
Blackpoll Warbler - During summer, they nest in the boreal forests of Canada. During the fall migration, they feed and forage at forests along the way before flying non-stop from the East Coast for 3 days over the Atlantic Ocean to South America. 1800 miles! What an honor to see them at the forest before their epic journey!
Hermit Thrush - an early spring and late fall migrant; they forage on the ground or near shrubs with berries. In spring and summer, they fill the forest air with their fluty melancholy song which sounds like - oh, holy holy, ah, purity purity eeh, sweetly sweetly.