This Month in Bucks Birding

Fall plumage Yellow-rumped Warbler

Fall migration is still going on! In the East we are lucky to be in a zone through which neo tropic migrants lazily move through on their way to the wintering grounds. As well as the returning songbirds, there are lingering shore birds, returning ducks, and sparrows visiting some of their usual haunts. The raptor show continues. While Broad-winged Hawks are essentially finished (except for those caught between storm cells), others like Cooper’s Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks, and the coveted American Goshawk are possible at hawk watches as well as falcons and Eagles. At the end of the month, into November is the best time to get a Golden Eagle. Northwest winds are the most desirable for aiding migrants.

For those of you who rely on your ears for birding, it is more difficult. The warblers primarily keep to chip notes over songs. If you hear Chickadees and Titmouse, watch to see if their migrant friends are joining them. Be sure to check all habitats and expect the unexpected. And of course, tell everyone you know to dim the lights and leave their yards messy!