Part 4                                          October>>     November>>     December>>
                                     Songbird Migration Revisited>>    Irruptive Migration>>

This is the fourth and last installment of this series dedicated to enhancing the knowledge and success of beginning and intermediate birders in Connecticut. The time period we will cover in this final article will be October through December. We will revisit the phenomena of Fall migration and so will discuss the month of September a little as well. This period is full of "little brown jobs", that is to say Sparrows. It also is the best period of the year for rarities. We will of course discuss the birding opportunities and strategies of the period. We will also cover Christmas Bird Counts, tips for advanced birders, and the informational resources available for Connecticut birding.

Songbird Migration Revisited
In the third installment we briefly discussed the phenomena of the Fall migration. It is very important to understand how that phenomena dictates our birding strategy so we will now revisit it in a larger context. Another migratory phenomena comes into play at this season as well, irruptive migration, which we’ll discuss later.

We often refer to species such as Warblers as "our" birds. In reality we enjoy their presence here for only a small portion of the year. These species are better described as visitors to our part of the world. Their instinctual task here is to reproduce and when that is accomplished they return to their primary wintering range. Most long-distance songbird migrants are nocturnal migrants, they travel at night. There are several reasons we are aware of for this behavior but probably the most significant is the atmosphere of the night sky is cooler and more stable and therefore prolonged flying is more efficient and navigation more accurate. Nocturnal migrants, particularly young birds, generally migrate on a "broad front", meaning they are essentially flying by compass direction rather than by following specific landmarks. When the conditions are right the night time sky can be full of these birds. An hour or two before daylight these travelers come back to earth to rest. If you think nocturnal navigation by birds is a miracle imagine landing in a tree in the dark without skewering yourself! When daylight comes many, but not all, of these species continue moving in a phenomena known as "morning flight". This little understood behavior turns these nocturnal migrants into diurnal (daylight) migrants and as such their navigational behavior changes as well. Diurnal migration is primarily accomplished by leading edge navigation. That is to say that they follow topographical features rather than a general compass heading. Morning flight occurs during the first few hours of daylight, after which the migrants feed and rest from their Herculean efforts. These briefly outlined facts are important to building a birding strategy in Connecticut. Nocturnal navigation is "broad-front" and directional so our east-west shoreline is a "barrier" to the southbound migration since these travelers must be over landmasses or be able to reach land when morning arrives, or they will perish. When morning does arrive the "morning flyers" will undertake leading edge migration, that is to say they will follow the ridgelines, river valleys, or the coastline as they continue to move in a direction that takes them closer to their winter homes. These facts help give us the "where" to best bird the fall migration. The most productive locations tend to be coastal parks or other shoreline areas of natural habitat, high ridgelines, especially around edge habitat such as powerline cuts, or river valleys and their associated wetlands. Virtually anywhere can be locally good on a given day however so if you can’t travel to bird you should at least be aware of when the "good" days are. If you know it’s been a good night for migration you can skip lunch and bird the park down the street. So what days are good days?

As discussed before adult birds generally migrate before their young. Their migratory experience also allows them to travel when weather conditions are not necessarily prime but acceptable. Their is some advantage to arriving on the wintering grounds early to stake out feeding territories first. So some migration occurs on every decent fall night. But the nights of heaviest movement are quite predictable. After a cold front passes the atmosphere is cooler and more dense. There is usually a northwest wind as well. These factors make the first clear night after a cold front passes a very good night for migration. On the subsequent nights the atmosphere is often just as cool and dense but with little or no wind. This makes for a more stable atmosphere which means more efficient flight conditions. So in practice, the first two or perhaps three clear nights following the passage of a cold front will see the most migratory songbirds in Connecticut. Knowledgeable birders eagerly anticipate these days and often call in "sick" to work when they occur, or so I’ve heard. If several days of inclement weather precede the cold front then the number of migrants moving will be higher. The months of September and October are THE months for these highlight events of the birding year. September cold fronts will produce the greatest species diversity and October, particularly early October, will produce the greatest number of individuals. The key is to be out early on these prime days, beat the sun to the birding spots and you will be amply rewarded. Fall mornings are beautiful by themselves but the addition of numerous migrants makes you truly appreciate being alive!

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Irruptive Migration
We have discussed the annual migration of songbirds. An understanding of the how and why of this phenomena is essential to birding Connecticut. Wood-Warblers alone represent nearly ten percent of all the species ever recorded for our state. Another form of migratory behavior is not as predictable, the form we call "irruptive". Essentially all migration is tied to the availability of food sources. Neotropic migrants evolved to take advantage of the huge insect population in the northern hemisphere during our summer. A number of species occur to our north that also normally winter mostly to our north, such as Snowy Owl. These species irregularly, and unpredictably, move further south on years when their northern food sources are poor. They thus "irrupt" into our area. These species are typically either birds of prey, finches, or sparrows. Some western species fit this category as well, such as Bohemian Waxwing. The species that we can reasonably hope for on most years include Rough-legged Hawk, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Lapland Longspur, Pine Siskin, and Evening Grosbeak. Species that irrupt into our region less often include Gyrfalcon, Boreal Chickadee, Bohemian Waxwing, Northern Shrike, Pine Grosbeak, both crossbills, Common Redpoll, and Hoary Redpoll. On truly exceptional years we have had occurrences of Great Gray Owl and Boreal Owl as well. Predicting the years when irruptions occur is currently less scientific than astrological. The best way to find out when they will occur is to be aware when the are actually happening. Following rare bird alerts for states and provinces to our north is one way to anticipate them but perhaps the best way to find out is by word-of-mouth. Once again we assert that one of the best birding resources available is other birders.

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October
We left off our discussion in part three of this series in the middle of songbird migration. During October this event is still in mid stride. As the Neotropic migrants wind down the North American migrants pick up. This month the bulk of the sparrows will arrive. Sparrows are typically more terrestrial than Neotropic migrants and the habitat to search for them is therefore somewhat different. While the warblers are passing by you always seem to be looking upward but when the sparrows arrive you always seem to be looking down. Any areas offering seed such as edge habitat, fields, brush, gravel pits, and grass/dirt parking lots are prime spots for sparrows. Species to expect include Chipping, Field, Savannah, Song, Lincoln’s, Swamp, White-throated, White-crowned, and Dark-eyed Junco. Less common species to hope for include Clay-colored, Vesper, Lark, and Grasshopper Sparrow. Very rare possibilities include Henslow’s, Le Conte’s, and Harris’ Sparrow. Marshes, particularly salt marshes, offer other species such as Salt-marsh Sharp-tailed, Nelson’s Sharp-tailed, and Seaside Sparrow. The migratory behavior of sparrows is essentially the same as we discussed for songbirds in general so the methodology of predicting their occurrence is also the same. Many birders consider Sparrows to be an identification nightmare but they needn’t be. Take the time to study the common species such as Song Sparrow and Savannah Sparrow. A working knowledge of the common stuff is invaluable when you find yourself looking at the uncommon. When working an area that has many sparrows, such as an agricultural field gone to seed, you should work slowly and deliberately. Sparrows will give you good looks if you move deliberately and patiently. However, a good rule of thumb is that when you are sure you have seen every bird in an area, you haven’t! Work the spot again. With the recent advent of Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow being given species status many birders have searched for this salt marsh denizen. The one to expect here is the race that breeds in the north of New England and into the Maritimes of Canada. October is the time to find this dull, faded relative of our local breeders and you should search salt marshes for it, particularly at the high tide.

While October is the month to tally your sparrows for the year, they are not the only birds to look for. As a general rule you will always find other interesting birds while you are looking for sparrows. Be alert for little gems like Sedge Wren, Blue Grosbeak, or Dickcissel. This is a time of transition from the birds of summer to the birds of winter. This transitional period is the time to look for species that pass through Connecticut on their way to winter quarters. Long Island Sound should be watched for Loons and Grebes, Northern Gannet (uncommon), Great Cormorant, Brant, Scoters, and Forster’s Tern. Virtually all other Terns are gone by now. Coastal marshes and shorebird habitat should be checked for American and Least Bitterns (both uncommon), returning ducks especially Blue-winged Teal and Northern Shoveler (rare), Northern Harrier, Common Moorhen (rare), late shorebirds such as juvenile Long-billed Dowitcher (rare), Dunlin, Short-eared Owl (irruptive), and Eastern Meadowlark. Open marshes or agricultural habitat should be watched for Northern Harriers or Rough-legged Hawks. Woodland species worth looking for include Long-eared Owl and Northern Saw-whet Owl. These birds often roost within fir trees or in tangles of vines and brush. Please be very aware of the negative impact that birders can have on owl roost sites. The disturbance caused to these birds in the past by birders has led to many sightings of these birds now going unreported. Please bird ethically when owling, the goal is to NOT FLUSH the owls. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and if your lucky Red-headed Woodpeckers, are possibilities now. One of the most reliable places to see Red-headed is the Lighthouse Point Park hawkwatch in East Haven. They are usually flyby birds here so know the back pattern to recognize these woodboring missiles as they bound by. Winter Wrens are passing now as well, listen around brush for a call note similar to Song Sparrow but doubled up. Both species of Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler (uncommon), Dickcissel (uncommon), Eastern Towhee, Rusty Blackbird, Purple Finch, and the first Evening Grosbeaks (irruptive) are all species to expect in October. This is a great month for hawk-watching and the big birds are moving now. To the mix of Red-tailed Hawks and Red-shouldered Hawks you can hope for Bald Eagle or even Golden Eagle to spice it up.

So as a general strategy for the month you should bird the songbird migration as you did in September. Start the month looking for the Neotropic species you have missed so far as well as the start of intra-North American migrants. Warblers early in the month, Sparrows starting in the middle of the month, and waterfowl and water associated species at the end of the month. Check edge habitat regularly this month, as well as fields and agricultural habitat. Wherever you find flocks of Yellow-rumped Warblers, and you will find flocks, sift through them for other species. Many an Orange-crowned Warbler has been found among a hoard of Yellow-rumps. On any day with northwest winds think hawk-watching. This is one of the most pleasant months of the year to be out birding. Enjoy.

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November
Hello Old Man Winter. Every year I am struck by the stark change in our natural world that occurs by the month of November. Woodlands full of singing Warblers and Flycatchers seem almost a dream now. So bundle up and lets go see what we can find.

One of the species that we hope to find in Connecticut annually, but don’t, is Tundra Swan. Their migratory route usually does not include Connecticut. If they show up here at all this is the time to look for them. In recent years the lower Connecticut River has been a relatively good spot to find them. A word of caution however. Other species of swans are now being raised, or "hacked", in the northeast and Canada by conservation organizations trying to replenish and reestablish dwindling species such as Trumpeter Swan. When you find a species of Swan with a black bill, be sure to identify the species properly! Other waterfowl are moving in at this time and this the best time to find certain species in our area. Snow Geese are moving through and any flocks should be scanned for Greater White-fronted Geese. They should also be carefully scanned for Ross’ Goose, a species not yet recorded for Connecticut. This is a particularly good time to look for Scoters in Long Island Sound. Later in the season they will be less in evidence. Black Scoter is the most difficult Scoter to find in Connecticut waters and are best looked for in the eastern sound. The area around the mouth of the Thames River in Groton/New London has been very reliable for these elegant ducks. This area is also a good bet for Common Eider, a species once extremely rare in southern New England but now increasing significantly here. Another prized find in Connecticut is Harlequin Duck, and November is prime time to search for one. Rocky outcroppings or jetties are often where these rarities turn up. And while you are searching those spots check the rocks themselves, there’s a decent chance there will be Purple Sandpipers clinging to them. Birders residing inland should be aware that waterfowl which winter on salt water are sometimes found on inland bodies of water. Any lake or large pond should be checked for these species. Bantam Lake in Litchfield is one spot that has a long list of good waterfowl sightings. Gulls also play a role in November birding with Iceland and Glaucous being the expected visitors. Be alert to better finds however, such as Thayer’s (very rare), Black-legged Kittiwake (rare on the sound and extremely rare on shore), or dare I mention it, Ross’ Gull. Have a free morning? How about spending it on a landfill, like Manchester’s? Yum, Yum, a smelly, dirty landfill! Best place for Lesser Black-backed Gull and as yet the ONLY place for Thayer’s Gull in our state. The area of gull identification is a rapidly growing part of birding and we are seeing some very interesting gull discoveries in the northeast, such as Black-tailed Gull in Rhode Island. Sparrows are still going strong in early November and American Tree Sparrow will be around by now. Open areas such as grass/gravel parking lots and agricultural fields may have Snow Buntings, Horned Larks, and Lapland Longspurs (uncommon). Watch carefully for other Longspurs such as Smith’s or Chestnut-collared, very rare here but possible. Large flocks of Blackbirds are moving southward now as well and if the opportunity arises you should watch for Yellow-headed Blackbirds in the mix. They are quite uncommon but probably occur annually in Connecticut. Rusty Blackbirds sometimes winter in Connecticut in very small numbers and you should be alert to their possible presence in wooded swamps and fresh water marshes.

November is also the month for irruptions and rarities. It is prime time to search for Rough-legged Hawks and Snowy Owls. Open areas are best, such as marshes or large fields. These irregular visitors are usually young birds since the adults will attempt to stay as close to the breeding grounds as possible. Open coastal habitat may even turn up a Gyrfalcon. If you find one of these, buy a lottery ticket on the way home since your luck is running so high! Winter finches will be arriving now, if at all. Watch feeders or trees with catkins for the roving flocks. Better yet learn the flight vocalizations of these hardy little birds, they will most often be encountered as fly- overs. Another way to watch for winter finches is to "fish" for them with bird feeders. Black oil sunflower and niger seed feeders might just "land" that big one in your yard. Besides, there is no better way to study the common birds than to have them come to you!

So as a general strategy for November; search edge habitat and open areas often for sparrows, buntings, and finches; start looking for the species of waterfowl that you have missed so far this year; look for Owls such as Long-eared, Short-eared, Saw-whet, or Snowy; and watch feeders and listen for irruptive finches. Most definitely you should always search through any Yellow-rumped Warblers you find, eventually you will find something good in with them. Most importantly, ask other birders what they are seeing, this is likely to be your first clue that irruptive species are moving on a given year. And lastly, always watch the sky, something cool might just be flying over your head, like a Sandhill Crane!

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December
The last month of the year! One thing experienced birders have discovered is that this month can sometimes be a bit boring for listers. There will usually be few new species to add to your year list during this month. The thing to do is to actively search out the glaring misses on your list, such as Eastern Screech-Owl or Lapland Longspur. If irruptive species are around you can search for them as well. Chasing rarities found by other birders is something most of us engage in quite often this month. It is after all the season of Christmas Bird Counts. Not infrequently these counts turn up a goodie such as Townsend’s Solitaire or Ash-throated Flycatcher. I strongly suggest you participate in these annual counts. It is a great opportunity to learn from more experienced birders and it is really quite enjoyable. These bird censuses are held throughout North America and beyond and are important sources of information on bird populations. December is also a good time to chase rarities in neighboring states. If an Ivory Gull shows up in Maine (again), then traveling there to observe it will increase your experience and skill and make your Connecticut Birding that much more successful in the future. By the end of this last month your species list for the year should exceed 200. How much it exceeds the double-century mark depends upon how much of an effort you made. It is possible to routinely exceed 270 in Connecticut, but that requires quite a commitment. The real measure of success is whether you had fun birding this year. If when all is said and done you are happy with your effort, then what difference does it make if you saw 100 species or 250? When listing becomes too stressful because of the species you haven’t seen, you are birding the wrong way!

The general strategy for December; well let’s see, what are you missing? If it’s Canada Warbler then better luck next year. If it’s White-winged Scoter, then go search the sound. If the going is slow then take time to study whatever is around, this knowledge will serve you well in the future. The strategy for this final month of a Connecticut birding year is really that simple. Fill in whatever holes in your list you still can; participate in Christmas Bird Counts; talk to other birders about possible rarities or irruptions; and finish your Christmas shopping. And oh yes, when you are welcoming in the new year with a glass of champagne on New Year’s Eve, remember that a new birding year starts tomorrow. You WILL be getting up early in the morning, or better yet, just head out after midnight and start looking for owls!

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Advanced Birding Tips
During the month of October much is happening in the avian world in Connecticut. Birders need to be alert. One area of opportunity is the nor’easter. At this time there are many Laughing Gulls in and around Long Island Sound. In recent years it has come to be understood that a number of Parasitic Jaegers get into these flocks. As many as six Parasitic Jaegers have been seen off Montauk Point Long Island recently. A nor’easter has the potential to drive these Jaegers into Connecticut waters. The author has seen just this very thing happen while watching from the eastern Connecticut shoreline during a storm. Any strong storm with persistent easterly during this three month period offers rare pelagic opportunities for us. October holds the potential for Leach’s Storm-Petrel, Northern Gannet, Parasitic Jaeger, or something rarer. November may yield Northern Fulmar (if it is a truly nasty storm and you are a very lucky person), Northern Gannet, Common or King Eider, Pomarine Jaeger (same comment as Fulmar), Black-legged Kittiwake, Thick-billed Murre (lucky again), or Razorbill. While it is true that Long Island Sound can be a very "unbirdy" place, it still has the potential for some of a Connecticut birding years best highlights.

Conclusion to series
This article brings this series to a close. I hope it has been of some small help to some of you. When I undertook this effort I didn’t truly appreciate how difficult it was going to be to cover an entire year in four short installments such as these. I hoped to pass on as much of what I have learned as I could. All I can say is that I have done my best. There is one fact that has been borne home to me on more than one occasion, the more you learn about birds and birding the more you realize how ridiculously little you know. Always keep an open mind and open eyes, the natural world will have something new to show you as long as you live. And when a new birder walks up to you and asks for help, do the best you can to pass on a little of what you have learned. It is the right thing to do. I bid you all "Good birding!"

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Informational Resources Available
The first ornithologists and naturalists who came to the new world had no guide to tell them what species they would find here. They had to observe the unknown birds for countless hours and collect many specimens to begin to understand what the different species were. Indeed, so little was known of the birds of the new world that on a number of occasions female birds were first thought to be a different species than the males. Thankfully we do not have to work as hard as those early explorers did. We now have many resources available to help us find and identify the different bird species of Connecticut. It isn’t necessary to obtain every field guide or audio recording on the market but some are essential for successful birding.

Field Guides: National Geographic’s Field guide to the Birds of North America is an excellent all round guide considered by many to be the bible of North American birders. However the recently published The Sibley Guide to Birds by David Sibley may well be the single best identification guide on North American birds yet published. These two texts should be the foundation of your birding library. The next field guide you purchase really depends on personal preference but you should chose from one of the following: The Peterson Field Guides series Eastern Birds; Golden Guide’s A Guide to Field Identification Birds of North America; An Audubon’s Handbook’s Eastern Birds; or Stokes Field Guide to Birds Eastern region. As your birding library grows you can start to add some of the superb, but sometimes pricey, references such as Shorebirds an Identification Guide by Hayman, Marchant, and Prater; The Sparrows of the United States and Canada by James D. Rising; or Peterson Field Guide’s Warblers by Dunn and Garret. There are numerous other tomes available now dedicated to particular bird families such as Gulls. One book that is a good inexpensive addition is Peterson Field Guide’s Advanced Birding by Kenn Kaufman, it’s really not just for advanced birders. For information specifically about Connecticut birds and where to find them you should check out Connecticut Birds by Zeranski and Baptist, Connecticut Birding Guide by Devine and Smith, and Finding Birds in Connecticut by Rosgen and Billings. Another text I would recommend is Birds of Storrs, Connecticut and Vicinity by George A. Clark, Jr. The species accounts as well as Christmas Count and Breeding Bird Survey data included is broadly applicable to interior Connecticut.

It is highly advisable that you purchase and study audio references as well. Essential to Connecticut birding is the Peterson series Field Guide to Bird Songs-Eastern/Central North America. This is the single most important audio reference to start your library with. Next you should chose one or more of the following; Guide to Bird Sounds by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology; Birding by Ear; Guide to Bird Song Identification and More Birding by Ear: Eastern and Central both by Walton and Lawson. One last highly recommended addition for Warbler enthusiasts like myself, Songs of the Warblers of North America by Borror and Gunn. New sound recordings are becoming available every year and you should consider a sound library of your own to truly advance your birding skills and enjoyment.

All the above resources and more are available at birding stores and through mail order catalogs such as the American Birding Association’s The Birder’s Catalog. Within Connecticut three locations are particularly knowledgeable and helpful for birding resources; The Audubon Shop in Madison, The Fat Robin in Hamden, and Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton. Once you have acquired some of these references you can start your studying! Remember the saying, chance favors the prepared mind. It really does!