Fall migration

We've been enjoying some really great early Autumn weather around here for the last few weeks, and the birding has been pretty nice. There's nothing quite like spring migration, but fall migration has it's appeals too. One thing that we always enjoy is seeing the Monarch butterflys. We do see them all summer, and Pamela and I always point them out to each other, but in the fall when they are migrating south, they seem to be everywhere. Beautiful bright spots that can bring some color to the dullest of overcast days.

And as all the fall warblers move through, we are left with the stalwart yellow-rumps. Jumping from branch to branch, usually in good numbers, very responsive to pishing, and you have to look through all of them if you want to find something unusual.
Red-breasted Nuthatches, although a year-round bird here, always seem to be around in larger numbers for me in the fall. Maybe it's just where I go birding this time of the year...

And, of course, when fall comes around, many start thinking about sparrows - those seed-specialist little brown jobs that can be confusing for many beginning and even experienced birders. Go to your local community garden this time of year (when everything is going to seed) and it's a sparrow bonanza. And as a bonus, they seem to be more responsive to pishing this time of the year - popping up to check you out for a few seconds, letting you get a relatively good look at them, and maybe even a photo or two if you are quick (or lucky) enough. For me, it's all luck!

Savannah Sparrow

Swamp Sparrow

Lincoln's Sparrow