The Forgotten Fall Bird Migration

The Official Newspaper of the Galveston Ornithological Society
Volume 14, Issue 2
Fall 2013
The Forgotten Fall Bird Migration
Talk to most folks who watch birds in our
area and one thing comes from them: spring
bird migration. The reds of tanagers, the
blues of buntings and the orange of orioles.
And of course, the dizzying array of warblers. Indeed, I’ve listened calmly to many
local folks who wax on eloquently about the
gorgeous birds of April (curiously putting
up their binoculars on May 1!), and not a
word about the fall migration. Why?
Well, first of all, it’s hot in late August and
September, without a huge amount of change
in much of October these days. Second, the
birds are in their “fall” plumages, though for
many, that is simply not true. Then there are
myriads of excuses like football, poisonous
snakes, beginning of the school year and the
all-important “mosquito” excuse.
OK, I’ll admit there are more bugs in fall
than spring, it is warmer in the first half of
fall and some of the birds are less colorful
than in spring. But there are many reasons
fall is an outstanding time to birdwatch
and I’d love to tell you a few. Four good
examples of the first reason are named
Canada, Mourning, Nashville and Wilson’s
(Warblers).
Those wonderful four species mostly
migrate inland in spring, scattered all over
the woods from hitcher to yon, and more
importantly, hard to find on the coast. But
in fall, the first two gems are fairly easilyaccessed in coastal wood lots like Laffite’s
Cove, with Wilson’s and Nashville becoming nearly abundant within 2-3 weeks.
Female American Redstart:
Death on Flying Bugs
Male Canada Warbler: Common
around Labor Day
Maybe you like a challenge. All five of the
notorious Empidonax flycatchers pass our
way in early fall, just waiting for some poor
soul to try identifying them! Or try your
hand at certain of the female warblers, or
tricky accipiters, fall peeps, molting ducks,
or even swallows glimpsed as they streak
past ninety-to-nothing.
Did you perk up when I mentioned
hawks? Folks, we have an opportunity for
hawk migration that is truly amazing! Kites,
accipiters, buteos like the ubiquitous broadwings, harriers, falcons and other raptors,
the Smith Point Hawkwatch Tower is one of
the truly amazing experiences in the local
side of San Luis Pass can be outstanding!
A few sandpipers travel down the Atlantic
Ocean in fall, but many more head right
through the UTC and delight birders with
their diversity and tame nature. August and
even July are good shorebird months, and
you can study them from the air-conditioned
confines of your car. Plus, nearby Brazoria
NWR and Bolivar Flats add to the numbers
and species.
Immature Cooper’s Hawk:
Songbirds Beware
Wilson’s Phalarope:
Drab in her Fall Colors
bird realm. Located at the tip of Smith Point,
raptor migration builds from the two kite
species in late August and early September,
to Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned Hawks by
mid-September, to the hordes of Broadwinged Hawks toward the end of September
and early October. Please see page 8.
If your thing is shorebirding, the bay
By October, we’re getting cool fronts,
which not only cool down temps more, they
also usher in loads of trans-Gulf migrant
birds, as well as winter residents. Ducks,
sparrows, more shorebirds, new hawks and
much more fill our woods and waterways
with winter splendor. Indeed, if you like avian diversity, you’re gonna fall for autumn!
GOS Offers several new Activities for those interested in Birds
It is hardly surprising that on an island with so many birds, there are quite a few people
wanting to learn about them. Even just “regular” people recognize Sandhill Cranes, Great
Blue Herons, Laughing Gulls and various doves. This has led the GOS to reach out to these
folks and offer some activities they might enjoy.
The biggest step is creating a new club, the West End Birders, which begins in October.
The WEB will meet monthly and also have periodic field trips on the Island. There are also
other opportunities to bird, such as Christmas and Spring Bird Counts, GOS trips abroad,
Galveston Audubon meetings (409) 683-4101 and other incidentals.
Resurrecting what was once a very popular program, Jim Stevenson is going to offer inexpensive birding tours on Sunday and Wednesday mornings, 9-noon. Mornings will be $25
Sandhill Cranes:
Island Residents in Winter
and cover most of the Island’s West End. Participants will meet at the parking lot, overlooking the Gulf, at the west end of the Seawall, at 9am. Reservations: (409) 370-1515.
Folks going on the Sunday morning trips may expect to see woodland birds around
the Laffite’s Cove Nature Center, and at the potty stop on Jim’s property. September and
October will see fall migrants, like various warblers and migrating sandpipers. November
through February will be mostly wintering birds, such as various shorebirds and waterfowl
(no trips in December), and March through May will see the spring migration.
There are many longer trips offered by the GOS which are open to any participant. They
are detailed on page 3 and you may get additional information by calling Jim at
(409) 370-1515, or e-mailing [email protected]
Baltimore Orioles: Common
Migrants on Galveston
Marbled Godwit:
Common Galveston Shorebird
Gulls n Herons
Page 2
National Bird is Comeback Kid in America
While I have only seen one Bald Eagle on
Galveston Island, and they are pretty scarce
in the entire County, our National Bird has
come from the brink of extinction in most
places and America once again has its
Emblem.
Bald Eagles are powerful fliers with
Broad Wings for Great Lift
The trials for this great bird largely began
in the late 1950s when our species started
using DDT in large amounts to control crop
pests. The chemical caused birds to lay eggs
with thinner shells and they were easily
crushed by the incubating parents.
Amazingly, the forces of good prevailed
in Congress, in part due to Rachel Carson
(who was vilified by the “other” faction) and
DDT was outlawed. Of course, American
companies weren’t stuck with it; they just
sold it to South American countries and our
migrating birds picked it up in the winter.
Along with Bald Eagles, who ingested DDT
through the fish they ate, Ospreys declined
significantly up to this time. However, both
have done well in their recovery and are off
the Endangered Species List. Better still,
environmental legislation followed and now
the Government exercises more scrutiny
with chemicals.
The Bald Eagle is one of several in its
family worldwide with a white head, and
most like Australia’s White-bellied Sea
Eagle and the African Fish Eagle also eat
fish. The white head is characteristic of
aquatic eagles while most terrestrial species
are more brownish, like our Golden Eagle.
Our Bald Eagle actually begins by looking
a fair amount like a Golden Eagle and many
immatures have been mistaken for this
mountain-loving species. They are brown
with some white in the wings and tail, just
not as sharply contrasted as the Golden Eagle’s pattern. But any eagle around a large
lake or the sea is probably a Bald.
Some have questioned this bird’s status
as our National Bird on account of it often
being a scavenger (as Goldens will). This
is not to say they can’t or won’t catch live
fish, or other creatures, but the majority of
their diet probably comes from already-dead
meat. Ben Franklin wanted the Wild Turkey
as our National Bird, though, and one can
only imagine the jokes that would have
ensued. My only thought is the possible
connection between so many countries with
strong militaries and National Birds being
raptors.
Immature Bald Eagles are mostly All
Brown for Two Years
nests in summer, for obvious reasons.
Bald Eagles are roughly the same size as
Goldens, but like most raptors, the females
are larger than the males – and have a larger
bill (not referring to credit card bill). While
eagles have a wingspan close to eight feet,
their bodies are much smaller than several
of our birds, like pelicans, swans, Canada
Geese and cranes. Also, their dimensions
are not even close to the condors, the great
buzzards of the air.
Locally, Bald Eagles are on the increase.
They are now nesting in Baytown, and have
been successful around Eagle Lake and
Lake Houston for years. We certainly hope
they continue their successful gains!
Bald Eagles begin Attaining white
Head and Tail in Fourth Year
While Golden Eagles nest on cliff faces,
our Emblem builds huge stick nests in large
trees. The southern race, such as in Florida,
often nests in loblollies (pines) in late winter
and are smaller than their northern counterparts. Young Alaskan birds are curious with
their nearly-white undersides, and that race
Raptors like Eagles are Disliked by
Crows, Jay and Others
Jim Stevenson
Publisher/Writer/Photographer/
Editor/Comedian
Barbara Hamilton
Layout/Design/Graphic Art
We service the computers of the Galveston Ornithological Society
Fall 2013
Bald Eagle Portraits
Fall 2013
Gulls n Herons
Great GOS Trips on the Horizon for 2014!
For those of you wishing to travel and see
new birds, other animals and cool places,
the GOS has some neat destinations. All are
guided by Director and Gull Publisher Jim
Stevenson and groups are small and travel
in a van. The GOS has the best prices on
the market and Jim knows all kinds of information that makes the trips educational
and fun. For more information, e-mail Jim
at [email protected] or call (409)
370-1515.
January 23-26: Four-day trip to South
Texas, seeing many of the Rio Grande
Valley specialties from Green Jays
and chachalacas to Harris’ Hawks and
roadrunners. We visit most of the best
sites, and the views and photographs are
astounding. Jim takes you in the GOS van at
7 am from the GOS office on Galveston or
you can drive down. Trip is $600 and covers
everything but meals.
February 3-14: Twelve-day tour of Costa
Rica will leave you speechless. Visit the
best sanctuaries and preserves in Costa Rica,
take a boat up and down the monkey-laden
Rio Frio all day, and another one around the
mouth of the Tarcoles River. Whether it’s
up close looks at amazingly beautiful birds,
or taking the pictures of a lifetime, this is
your chance to fulfill your birding dreams in
eleven wonderful days.
March 13-16: Our annual spring break
trip always takes us to the beautiful, majestic Big Bend National Park in West Texas.
The towering mountains are reason enough
but bird life is rich and diverse, with many
representatives from the Desert Southwest.
You may ride in the GOS van, drive yourself
or be picked up at the airport in West Texas.
The trip is $600 regardless of transportation
and comes with many rare birds.
April 24-27: The height of the bird migration is about 20 April through 5 May, and
the GOS Spring Songbird Sensation is
right in the middle! This is four long days
of the best birding our country has to offer.
We will see close to 200 species of birds,
from the vast array of migrating warblers,
tanagers, grosbeaks, buntings, vireos and
flycatchers, to many shorebirds in exquisite
plumage. $500 pays for everything except
meals and hotel.
May 1-4: An amazing four days of bird
photography, from loads of songbird
migrants shot at point blank range in Jim’s
yard to dozens of shorebird species out
the open doors of the GOS van. There is
also a myriad of other birds from waders
and raptors to gulls and terns. You should
get decent pictures of well in excess of a
hundred species, most in breeding plumage.
Cost is $600 and space is VERY limited!
May 15-22: Brand new GOS Trip! One
week of bird photography & seeing the
Desert Southwest! Drive to private feeders
in West Texas Monday, and Tuesday shoot
many special birds like Lucifer Hummer at
feeders. Drive to Bosque del Apache that
afternoon and shoot the Bosque on Wednesday and Thursday mornings (special treat
Wednesday afternoon!). Go to SE Arizona
Thursday afternoon and shoot for three
amazing days! Fly back Sunday afternoon
with great pictures from the Desert Southwest! $1000 for the week.[An optional four
day trip up to the Great Salt Lake for $500
may be added on for those interested in
shooting that fantastic refuge, some Rocky
Mountain songbirds, plus sites near the
GSL. This’d be 23-26 May & fly home from
Salt Lake City in the pm.]
June 1-17: The New Western Trip!!!
Begin in Montana and work our way
through parks and refuges for many of the
rare western birds like Chestnut-collared
and Smith’s Longspurs, Black Rosy-finch,
Brewer’s and Baird’s Sparrows, Ferruginous
Hawk and others. End at the Great Salt
Lake, with thousands of waterbirds breeding
everywhere and grebes dancing along the
water. This one week is $1600, plus your
meals, and you would fly into Great Falls
June 1 and (if you choose) out of Salt Lake
City June 8.
The second half the trip begins in Salt
Lake June 8 and moves Interstate-quickly
to California, where there is a completely
different set of birds. From the mountains
of the Sierras to the cool, Pacific coastline,
new birds will be everywhere. The trip ends
as we fly out of San Francisco June 17. Both
halves, $3000; second half alone, $1800.
July 7-23: Journey back to Australia!
Explore the diverse birdlife of northeastern
Australia and the Outback to Darwin! See
all the fantastic birds like the colorful parrots, and the marsupial mammals like kangaroos and wallabies, in the country’s mild
and pleasant winter. Terrific photography
and a small group (max 5) ensure a great
time. Trip is $3400, with EXTREMELY expensive gas prices! Sorry!
August 16-24: Arizona Trip- Enjoy the
cool mountains of Arizona and fantastic
birds at those elevations. Check the maps of
a field guide and see how many unique species of songbirds are only found in this special area of “Mexican” mountains. Places
we visit include the Chiricahua’s sites like
Cave Creek, places in the Huachucas like
Miller Canyon, Patagonia and much more.
From rare hawks to bizarre warblers, this
trip offers more unique birds than anywhere
in the US. Several feeders and an aviary ensure fantastic photos! $1800 pays all except
meals.
Venezuela Trip- November 8-24 Visit
the greatest birding country on Earth with
Jim in a very small group with three others
and witness the avian magic of the Llanos,
Cordilleras and Andes. Bird the two greatest Hatos on Earth – El Cedral and Pinero.
Past trips have netted 350 species and usually seen are trogons, quetzals, eagles, gobs
of parrots and macaws, brilliant tanagers,
bizarre Amazon birds like the Hoatzin and
Sungrebe, rare wading birds and much
more. Trip is $3200 and food there is cheap.
Venezuela
has the Rare Agami Heron
Page 3
Later this fall
Open House Kicks Off
Fall Season
South Florida Trip- December 3-12 (Tuesday-Thursday): Pick up and fly out of Orlando.
This whirlwind tour of South Florida visits
many of the top birding sites in the East, including Everglades National Park, Sanibel
Island (Ding Darling NWR), Corkscrew
Swamp, the Florida Keys, Merritt Island
NWR and Lake Okeechobee. Specialties
include Limpkin, Snail Kite, Great White
Heron, Florida Jay and some introduced
species. The trip costs $1700 and includes
everything except air fare and meals.
Every other day before, on and after Labor
Day, Jim Stevenson will open up his house
to any and all birders from 8:30 am to noon.
That’s Thursday, Saturday, Monday (LD)
and Wednesday. The first little while will
be spent in the cul-de-sac, watching circumGulf migrants sail past going west, and
other birds hanging around. The rest of the
morning will be up at Jim’s house, including
the beautiful sky deck above the trees.
This isolated patch of trees in Indian Beach
is quite famous, as it has the largest yard
list of birds currently anywhere in the US.
Since Jim moved in back in 1995, 315 species have been seen on or from the property,
leaving Jim in a tie with a guy who rented
on Cape May for 25 years, until he was – get
this – kicked out of his house! Jim’s only
problem is that he can’t find yard bird number 316, as it’s been several years since 315!
To attend the open house, enter Indian
Beach, take the first right (Shaman, after
the mail boxes), curve left after four houses,
and drive to the end, at the cul-de-sac. Jim
will be down at 8:30 am and will show all
gathered many species of migrating birds.
Participants are asked to only attend one
morning, as many enjoy this fun! Handicapped parking is up top, after the group
goes up to the house.
This year the GOS bird calendars will be
finished by the open house and everyone at
the open houses will get a 10% discount.
These are wall calendars with around 200
of Jim’s pictures from last year, many from
GOS tours. This year they will also have
2014’s GOS trips with their dates, as well as
important times such as FeatherFest.
Those attending the open house are encouraged to bring binoculars and wear long
pants (occasionally there are mosquitoes in
the cul-de-sac). You are also asked to wear
neutral colored shirts, not red, yellow, etc.
Last, cameras are fine but NO tripods! For
more information, call Jim at (409) 3701515, or e-mail at [email protected]
The Top Ten Reasons you
should try a GOS Trip
Many of you have never been on a birding
tour, or even a day trip, and you might even
be a little apprehensive about it. Eighteen
years ago, Jim started birding tours for just
that kind of person, and here are the ten best
reasons you should try one.
1)
Jim knows birds from nearly 60
years of field work, being raised by an
ornithologist and traveling all over the Earth
birding.
2)
As a former teacher, Jim makes all
trips educational to all people, he’s taught
almost every life science course out there
and makes learning fun.
3)
Aside from working hard and finding great birds, Jim has a sense of humor
and tries to make trips enjoyable and fun,
not taking it too seriously.
4)
The GOS Trips are very reasonably
priced, as there is virtually no overhead. The
GOS has even offered partial scholarships
to many.
5)
You are always safe, you can see
well in Jim’s vans, trip numbers are small
and Jim takes your trip enjoyment very
seriously.
6)
On extended tours you get a CD
with many of the bird pictures taken by Jim.
You may also see them on the free bird list
Jim sends out.
7)
GOS trips are a great way to meet
new people and make birding pals for bird
walks at various private times.
8)
Jim takes care of all the
arrangements so all you need too do is eat,
sleep, ride and birdwatch. It takes the stress
out of birding!
9)
Jim knows about other animals you
see from teaching zoology, plus information
about the ecosystems from teaching ecology.
10)
Jim knows the right time to visit
places, like time of day, tide, sun direction,
time of year and weather conditions, and
freely shares his knowledge.
Be on the List!
If you want to receive
free,
low-resolution
bird
pictures
with
commentary, like these
from Jim Stevenson,
just send an e-mail to
galornsoc@earthlink.
net and you’ll be
placed anonymously on
the “GOS list”.
Fall 2013
Gulls n Herons
Page 4
Fall 2013
Gulls n Herons
Scenes from Montanaland
Page 5
North, to Alaska!
Harlequin Duck
Red-necked Grebe
Great Horned Owl
Parisitic Jaeger
American Goldfinch
Upland Sandpiper
Steller’s Jay juvenile
Ferruginous Hawk
Western Phalarope pair
Black-billed Magpie
Bald Eagle pair
Pectoral Sandpiper
Swainson’s Hawk
Northern Pintail
American Avocet
American Kestrel
Bobolink
Be on the List!
Black Rosy-finch
Cinnamon Teal
Yellow-headed Blackbird
If you want to receive
free, low-resolution bird
pictures with commentary, like these from Jim
Stevenson, just send an
e-mail to
galornsoc@ earthlink.net
and you’ll be
placed anonymously on
the “GOS list”.
Snow Bunting
Horned Grebe
Long-tailed Duck
King Eider
Sandhill Crane
Tufted Puffin
King and Spectacled Eider
American Dipper
Marsh Wren
Trumpeter Swan immature
Bald Eagle juvenile
Blue-winged Teal
Short-eared Owl
Red-shafted Flicker
Eared Grebes
Ruddy Duck
Northern Shoveler
Semipalmated Plover
Willow Ptarmigan
Lapland Longspur
Golden Plover
Fall 2013
Gulls n Herons
Page 6
Fall 2013
Woodpeckers: Built for their Niche
When the word “adaptation” was first
used, someone probably had woodpeckers
in mind. Their whole body is a collection of
colors, shapes and structures developed to
aid them in their niche. And few birds have
as many neat and obvious adaptations as
these husky creatures.
To look at a woodpecker’s tools, one must
begin with their bill. It is shaped like a chisel
and is extremely hard and tough. It is staggering to think of how many times in their
lives they bang this beak into solid wood,
and it never fails them! And connected to
their bill is a rock-hard skull that is as thick
as it is solid. Tiny air pockets in the skull
help protect the brain from damage as the
birds pile-drive bark.
hide, they needn’t expend the energy required to maintain such a structure.
Their feet are also quite specialized, as
they have long, strong toes with a somewhat
unique toe arrangement. They have two toes
in the front, and two in the back. This is
called zygodactyl, and it allows the bird to
get a wider grip as it holds on to the side of
trees.
Pileated Woodpecker:
As seen in Jim’s Yard!
Red-bellied Woodpecker:
Commonest Wdpkr in the East
At the other end, stiff, pointed tail feathers help prop the bird up on the side of the
tree, with the points sticking into the bark.
This act helps identify woodpeckers at
times when birds are seen at a distance. And
speaking of the tail, woodpeckers have no
oil glands; the oil-producing structures that
keep birds dry in the rain. It is thought that
since woodpeckers have holes in which to
Most woodpeckers have backs that not
only camouflage with tree bark, it mimics
it. This is called cryptic coloration, and
the zebra backs on many species really do
appear like oak bark. Some species with
darker backs are more partial to trees with
blacker bark. This would lead one to wonder
why on earth they would have so much red
on their heads. The reason is that this red is
used to scare bugs that hide in the crevices
of bark, and when they are startled and
move, the woodpecker sees them and makes
a meal of them.
There are apparently as many niches for
woodpeckers as there are adaptations. There
are quite a few species worldwide, and their
size ranges from species tinier than our
Downy Woodpecker called piculets to some
in the New World tropics larger than our
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Pileated! Some local birds seem to prefer the
oak forests, like the common Red-bellied,
while others are partial to pines such as the
endangered Red-Cockaded. But the South is
a haven for this family, with its great forests
of huge trees and decaying wood.
Because of their life style, woodpeckers
adapt the forest for other creatures. Quite
a few cavity nesters from small owls to
Wood Ducks benefit from these noisy birds’
work. Snakes have been known to hibernate
in abandoned tree holes, and our Flying
Squirrels makes their homes in them. Their
diet of wood boring beetles benefits the
trees, probably creating a classic example
of mutualism. Indeed, just as woodpeckers
lead the world in interesting adaptations,
they almost become a tool of the woodlands
to allow more animals to flourish.
On Galveston, we have two winter
resident woodpeckers, but neither carries
the family name. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
and Northern Flickers enjoy our woodlands,
with the former being quite shy and retiring
and the flickers a bit on the bombastic side.
Gulls n Herons
Peregrines: The Strand’s Superbird
Look for them in October. There has also
been a Downy and the rare Ladder-backed
residing fulltime in Laffite’s Cove, and
they may have produced a hybrid young.
Red-bellieds have come and gone and one
Pileated tantalized birders on the West End
for a few months.
Woodpeckers are among our most unique
bird families, and act as keystone species
for the environment. They are well worth a
close look on a lazy August morning.
Northern Flicker:
Alabama’s Yellowhammer
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Look! Up on the grain elevator: It’s
a bird! It’s not a plane bird! It’s able to
climb tall buildings in a single swoop. It’s
Superbird!!!!
Perhaps Galveston’s most famous individual bird is the Peregrine Falcon that lives
around the Strand and is often seen perched
atop the grain elevator. From here he has a
perfect view of passing starlings, grackles
and his favorite food – pigeons.
Peregrines are one of the world’s larger
falcons, a family of raptors with long, pointed wings, designed to hunt flying birds.
When the mood strikes, or the stomach
twitches, Superbird folds his wings, falls off
the perch, and plummets down toward his
prey at speeds up to 180 mph. As he zips
past the target, he smacks the hapless bird
with his balled up feet, knocking it out of the
air like a rock. And sure enough, he usually
has it secured in his talons before the prey
even hits the ground.
Many of us remember a time when seeing a Peregrine was a very rare occurrence.
They were one of the group of birds high up
on the food chain that DDT most strongly
affected, and became endangered in the
1960s. Protected by the government, they
have made a slow recovery, and now most
birders see several each year.
One of the most interesting aspects about
Peregrine life is that some have taken up
residence in large cities, substituting tall
buildings for the cliffs of their ancestry. And
in cities, their food has taken on a new taste,
with pigeons leading the menu. In many
cities such as Houston and Atlanta, much
has been written about the exploits of their
heroic Peregrines, and they have become a
crowd favorite for multitudes.
Peregrines are actually one of the widestranging wild birds in the world. They nest in
much of North America and many migrate
to South America in winter. They also nest
in Europe and Asia, and winter in Australia
and Africa. This means they are found in six
continents, which is a huge range for any
bird.
about speed, and speed kills. Cheetahs pick
out their target, maybe an antelope, and
simply run it down. There are no tricks, no
need for camouflage, and no big secrets. The
same is true for Peregrines. They spot a bird
that meets their fancy, they tear out after it,
and from their angle, it is a very lucky bird
that gets away.
If you keep an eye on the grain elevator,
you may see the fastest bird on Earth, including witnessing one of the most exciting hunts in nature. Other places to spot
Peregrines locally include both ends of the
Island, and Bolivar Flats. The drive down
Follet’s Island also is good for all falcon
species, as well as the bridge over to the
mainland.
Sometimes around the Strand, a smaller
Hovering Peregrine:
Someone’s Gonna Die!
In North America, there are also several
races of the Peregrine, found breeding in
various areas of our continent. One nests on
the Arctic tundra, dispersing widely in fall.
This subspecies migrates through our area
around the beginning of October, and is often seen perched on the ground (like beach)
more than traditional perches (owing to its
experience on the treeless tundra). Another
Peregrine subspecies is the Peale’s Peregrine, a somewhat non-migratory bird from
coastal Washington to southern Alaska. This
bird has been introduced into many places
around the United States, and now is seen
with some frequency.
On the hunt, Peregrines are much like the
Cheetahs of the African grasslands: It’s all
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falcon appears, looking like a slender, dark
pigeon. It is the Merlin, a diminutive cousin
of the Peregrine (see page 8). Merlins
usually perch much lower, and their avian
prey is smaller fare, such as blackbirds and
sparrows. This is interesting, as their former
name was “Pigeon Hawk” for many years.
Our most common falcon, though, is the
kestrel, a winter resident on the West End.
They are about the size of the Merlin, but
are slimmer and more reddish (males have
a bluish back). In winter, kestrels take small
mammals and birds, but in the breeding season farther north, they are mostly insectivorous. There is a nice picture of a male kestrel
on page 4. All three falcons have the dark
“helmet” on their head, partly to keep the
sun out of their eyes while diving.
Fall 2013
Gulls n Herons
Page 8
Raptors in Flight: Fall’s the Time – We’re the Place!
One of the most impressive sights in birding is a good raptor migration, with all kinds of falcons, accipiters, buteos and others sailing along, heading south for the winter. Some places
like Hawk Mountain have received worldwide attention, but right here on the UTC we have a terrific location for raptor migration. So let’s see what’s sailing along at Smith Point in
September and October. Many thanks to Gulf Coast Bird Observatory for managing this tower of avian research, public recreation and environmental education!
Northern Harrier: Long, dihedral
wings, gray or brown, white rump patch,
females streaked, immatures not.
Caracara: Colored much like Bald
Eagle adult but white wingtips and black
crest&tail band. Not migrating at Smith
Point.
Broad-winged Hawk: Abundant buteo
late September and early October, light
under wings, barring on chest, dark
moustache.
Kestrel: Thinner version of Merlin but
lighter and more colorful, shows reddish,
more erratic flight, late September into
October.
Red-tailed Hawk: Large, bulky October
buteo, modest mid-chest band, no
streaking, wings seldom very dihedral.
Peregrine: Long, pointed wings, soars
or flies fast, dark “helmet” on head, light
underneath, scares smaller birds.
Turkey Vulture: Common at Smith
Point, dihedral wings, darkish with no
light. Has two-toned wings and tilts.
Merlin: Small, dark falcon, big-chested,
heavily streaked, direct flight, seldom
soars, looks like a dark kestrel.
Red-shouldered Hawk: Uncommon in
October at Smith Point, reddish barring
underneath, accipiter-like in build, note
shoulders.
Sharp-shinned Hawk: Small accipiter
that flies in circles, small head, kink in
wings, common in early morning.
Swainson’s Hawk: Uncommon October
buteo with dihedral wings, dark upper
chest, harrier-like in size and shape.
Bald Eagle: Occasional at Smith Point,
adults unmistakable, may winter at north
end of the Peninsula. More pictures on
page 2.
Osprey: Unmistakable; white underneath, crook in wing, white head with
black eyestripe, glides effortlessly, large.
Cooper’s Hawk: Larger accipiter,
larger head, front of wings straight
across (looks like a cross), even breast
streaking.
Mississippi Kite: Mostly a September
migrant, dark, falcon-shaped but long,
narrow wings and floppy flight.
Swallow-tailed Kite: Possibly our
earliest hawk migrant, owing to its very
southern range. Unmistakable.