Spring migration is heating up! Here’s what Birdcast says we can expect this week (7-14 April) in western Pennsylvania.
Watch for arriving ruby-crowned kinglets (Regulus calendula), blue-gray gnatcatchers (Polioptila caerulea), and many kinds of swallows.
Ruby-crowned kinglets (above) are tiny hyperactive birds with a song that sounds like a carolina wren + winter wren tossed with a chatterbox. Click here to hear.
The blue-gray gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) is another tiny hyperactive bird who’s often heard before he’s seen because of his unique “bizzy” sound. Listen for this call and watch for the small bird pictured below.
Northern rough-winged, tree, and barn swallows are all on the move. Click on their photos for identification tips and the calls of these species. Northern rough-winged swallows are easiest to identify by sound because they make a spitting noise.
Meanwhile, you may not have noticed that dark-eyed junco migration has peaked and they’re on their way out.
Goodbye, juncos!
(photo credits:
Ruby-crowned kinglet and blue-gray gnatcatcher by Steve Gosser
Northern rough-winged and tree swallows by Chuck Tague
Barn swallow from Wikimedia Commons)
We had about a half-dozen juncos still coming around to our yard and feeder over the weekend. We were hoping to make sure they got nice and properly fat for their migration (and maybe even keep them around a few extra days). However, we haven’t refilled it since it emptied on Monday, so even when we refill I expect they won’t be coming back to our yard anytime soon. On the other hand, we’ve had a few chipping sparrows come down now, so that’s exciting. Sara’s seen a ton of those over by her workplace.
Today, 4/12, I saw ruby-crowned kinglets, blue-gray gnatcatchers and northern rough-winged swallows at Friendship Hill in Fayette County.
I was wrong! We put food out yesterday, and…. we still have juncos! 🙂