Fall Migration is Here

We are definitely seeing birds moving out, moving through, and moving in to our area. With that I went to Post Park, south of Marathon by about 5 miles. On the road to this Brewster County park I happened upon this individual at one of the cottonwood creek crossings:
Mississippi Kite, juvenile, (Ictinia mississippiensis)

This young kite is making its way to South America during our winter.




But for the moment, well at least last night and this morning, it spent some time just south of Marathon.

There were several neo-tropical migrating songbirds once I arrived at Post Park.



American Redstart, female (Setophaga ruticilla)

This redstart was actively foraging as they almost always are. This bird is extremely quick, never stopping long enough to allow me to photograph her.  At this particular moment, she was well up in a tree..



The rest of her.  Ha, what a great warbler to observe even when less than cooperative for a camera.



Plumbeous Vireo (Vireo plumbeous)

This vireo, in the same group of trees as the American Redstart, doesn't have nearly as far to go as that Mississippi Kite up top does.

Generally, this species is heading to the Pacific Coast of Mexico having just spent the spring and summer in the Inter-Mountain West of the U.S, which includes certain areas of the trans-Pecos of Texas.



Cassin's Vireo (Vireo cassinii)

This Cassin's Vireo is also headed to Mexico for the winter.

Certain bird species are arriving that just may stay the winter, our winter.



Clay-colored Sparrows (Spizella pallida)

Clay-colored Sparrows spend the spring and summer in northern portions of our continent including the Great Lakes region, the Dakotas, Montana, and the Interior Provinces of Canada.

We'll begin seeing and hearing a lot more of them during the fall migration season.  These were the first of Fall for me.  A few will stay the winter in certain portions of the trans-Pecos, but most are headed to Mexico and Central America.

There were other winter-residing sparrow species that were seen for the first time this Fall during the morning at Post.

The following is a list, generated by ebird, of the birds I saw, heard, and identified at Post Park this morning.  Happy Fall Migration!

As at any point in this lifetime: Look around.  Listen around.

1	Mallard (Mexican) Anas platyrhynchos diazi orange bill indicates female Age & Sex Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown Male Female 1 Sex Unknown
25	Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
1	Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii
1	Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
3	American Coot Fulica americana
10	White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
15	Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
1	Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus
2	Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri Archilochus sp. female. Age & Sex Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown Male Female 2 Sex Unknown
5	Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
4	Western Wood-Pewee Contopus sordidulus
5	Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus
2	Bell's Vireo Vireo bellii
1	Plumbeous Vireo Vireo plumbeus FOF
1	Cassin's Vireo Vireo cassinii
10	Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
1	Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus
2	House Wren Troglodytes aedon 2 heard, from opposite ends of the park (opposite ends of the creek) one showed itself. Fairly round, drab-ish brown wren that lacked a distinctive supercilium. Fairly short tail. FOF in TX
2	Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris two birds in separate locations respectively of the park, deep in reeds. Both vocalizing to make presence known. FOF.
2	Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
1	American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla Age & Sex Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown Male Female 1 Sex Unknown
5	Wilson's Warbler Cardellina pusilla
2	Canyon Towhee Melozone fusca
3	Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina FOF
4	Clay-colored Sparrow Spizella pallida FOF
2	Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii first heard vocalizing with the fairly distinctive, solid/firm "chip" . One popped out of creek to perch on fence as they both continued to "chip." FOF
3	Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
3	Lazuli Bunting Passerina amoena Age & Sex Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown Male 1 Female 2 Sex Unknown
2	Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea 2 females hanging around with a female PABU Age & Sex Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown Male Female 2 Sex Unknown
2	Painted Bunting Passerina ciris Age & Sex Juvenile Immature Adult Age Unknown Male Female 1 1 Sex Unknown
10	Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
3	Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
2	House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus