Words On Birds 09-13-24

 

     As we move through September and the autumn season, it is time to look for the unusual in the bird world. Fall is the time when vagrants, birds that show up outside of their normal range, often show up in Massachusetts. Many of these vagrants show up in local neighborhoods and, sometimes, at bird feeders. Many of these vagrants are first year birds that migrate off course, or wander outside their normal range due to weather or to changes in food supply.

 

     Dickcissels are becoming increasingly regular in the fall in Massachusetts and often appear at backyard feeders. This bird looks similar to house sparrows, with which it associates, but has varying amounts of yellow on its breast depending on its age and sex. A dickcissel is a grassland bird of the Midwest, and has become a frequent fall visitor to our area. We have had one several times at the store feeders over the years.

 

     The house sparrows at your feeders could be a nuisance, but check them carefully for something different. In addition to dickcissels, other vagrants may be mixed in. Look for clay-colored and Harris’s sparrow which have been seen in our area in recent years. A golden-crowned sparrow is also a possibility.

 

     Feeding birds in the fall can be exciting and it helps summer residents buildup their body fat in preparation for their journey south. It also helps migrating birds refuel on their way through. Maintaining sunflower, mixed seed, thistle and suet feeders will provide the necessary fuel for these birds.

 

     Other unusual feeder birds to look for include yellow-headed blackbirds in the mixed flocks of blackbirds that may stop by your yard. One visited a feeder with other blackbirds on Plum Island a few years ago. Black-headed grosbeaks and western tanagers are a possibility at sunflower feeders. An off-course western tanager spent some winter days in Merrimac one year and another feasted on sunflower in Rowley one autumn.

 

     Many of the local orioles have started to migrate, however, you may want to keep your oriole feeder up through September for any orioles migrating through from further north. A little jelly fix, and sometimes suet, helps them to continue on their journey. Be sure to check those orioles that stop for another vagrant, Bullock’s oriole. Once considered the same species as a Baltimore oriole (northern oriole), it is now considered a different species and does rarely show up in Massachusetts. Bullock’s oriole visited a feeder in Carlisle some years ago and, more recently, one dined on sunflower and mealworms at feeders in Haverhill.

 

     Now is also an important time to maintain your hummingbird feeders. Our local birds are building up their fat reserves for migration, migrants will be stopping by on their way through, and vagrant hummingbirds are becoming a more frequent occurrence. Keep your hummingbird feeder up through September, and October if you can.

 

     Any hummingbird visiting this time of year should be studied carefully in case it could be something other than our usual ruby-throated hummingbirds. This is especially true as we move later into the season. Many western species are showing up at Massachusetts feeders with increasing frequency in the fall.

 

     A broad-billed hummingbird once visited a feeder in Dennis on the Cape, a first state record for this species. Rufous and Allen’s type hummingbirds have been more regularly occurring in autumn in Massachusetts. These birds have a more rusty coloration and may be more obvious to recognize as different. Calliope hummingbirds have also shown up in the state. So do check those hummers carefully as we move through the autumn season. 

 

     And look for more unusual birds this season at your other feeders!