May is Migration Month for Memorable Birding

For ten years, I wrote a column for Maine Sportsman magazine about fishing, hunting, nature and environmental issues. I've decided to reprise some of those articles here with a little editing to make them current and relevant. Hope you enjoy them. The following article is adapted from my May 2021 column.

Osprey soars on a bright blue day.

Interest in birdwatching is soaring.

According to the US Fish & Wildlife Service, 96 million American reported that they participate in birding, whether at their backyard feeder or trips someplace new to add to their life list (2022 National Recreation Survey). More than a third of adults find time to look for and listen to birds.

The pandemic pushed people outside looking for something new to do. As a result, quite a few outdoor-related activities, including hiking and birdwatching, experienced phenomenal rises in participation. Casual hikers and park visitors started paying more attention to nature around them. They want to know what birds they are seeing, and where they can see more.

Sales of binoculars, bird guides, and bird identification apps for smartphones are sky high. The Merlin app allows birders to identify more birds by their songs. Once people learn to notice and identify birds, it is nearly impossible to unlearn it.

When it comes to birdwatching, things are looking up. For those who are fairly new to birding or want to learn more, here are a few tips:

A Lifelong Pursuit

Birding is a lifelong activity. It doesn’t matter if you are expert or not. What really matters is that you want to learn, to see something you haven’t seen before.

There is no reason to be obsessed with keeping a “life list” and travelling long distances to check off new species, which is a hallmark of some avid birders. But it is fun to keep track of birds you have seen in your backyard and add another to the list on your fridge when you identify one.

Learn, Then Look

For all birders, the more we can learn in advance, the more birds we will see. One of the best places to start birding is at home in your favorite chair.

Most states have some type of list of great birding sites around the state and what to look for at each site. Maine, for example, the Maine Birding Trail at www.MaineBirdingTrail.com.

Then, pick up one of many field guides for North American birds and flip through the pages looking for something you recognize. I always look at the range maps first to see what birds live in my area and learn what I can about those species first. I also look at types of birds and their behaviors, such as soaring hawks vs. falcons, or warblers vs. nuthatches.

The Cornell Bird Lab website at www.allaboutbirds.org has a ton of information, free! You can access it on your smart phone any time to get help identify a bird or learn what a bird eats and where it nests.

I really like the Audubon Bird Guide app on my smartphone and tablet. It has excellent photos and shows recent sightings in my area. And if you aren’t sure, it shows similar birds to help distinguish which is which.

The Merlin app will let your phone listen for birds singing and show you in real time what bird it is. You can then listen to recordings of different on Merlin or Audubon to become more familiar with songs of birds you hope to spot.

The Merlin app identifies birds by song and highlights the bird singing at that moment in yellow.

May is Migration Month

In New England, spring bird migrations can start as early as March, but early May is pretty much the peak for many species.

Migrating hooded mergansers arrive as early as ice out on the rivers.

Starting in late April through mid-May, hawk migrate up the coast, especially on warm breezy days. Some excellent hawk watching sites are Mt. Agamenticus and Bradbury Mountain in Maine, Pack Monadnock in New Hamphire, Mt. Ascutney in Vermont, or Wachusett or Mt. Tom in Massachusetts.

May 3, 2020, for example, was a big day with 52 species observed from the top of Bradbury Mountain with a good southerly breeze. Twenty people hiked up to observe the annual show, so there should be plenty of folks willing to help first timers who want to learn. Check out www.hawkcount.org for more info.

Duck, Duck, Goose

As river flows drop and lakes and ponds melt, waterfowl migration tends to follow major river valleys north. Some interesting species will be moving through, while some will stay to nest locally.

At a riverside wetland near my house, I often see a dozen species of ducks, teal and geese without moving an inch. The mating displays are fascinating to watch. As the weather warms, most but not all move north.

Warbler Magic

By mid-May, insectivorous birds follow their food supply and arrive when the weather warms enough to increase insect activity. Many experienced birders eagerly anticipate the warbler migration. With over 30 species of warblers in northern New England, they can be a challenge to see and identify. Warblers are colorful and sing distinctive songs from treetops and tall shrubs. They are small, foraging among leaves for insects, so a good pair of binoculars is a must. Watch for movement among the newly emerged buds and blossoms on trees. Just sit still, listen and be patient!

Knowing Habitat is Helpful

It helps a lot to anticipate the habitat in which a particular bird species might be found.

Like to go to the beach? Learn how many different types of gulls and shorebirds live in Maine. Try to spot a Bonaparte’s gull or a Laughing gull. Walk to the nearby marsh to find a common egret or a snowy egret.

Prefer the mountains? You might see a raven instead of a crow. Have you ever fed a Canada jay from your hand? Corvids are a charming and intelligent family of birds that includes ravens, crows, jays and magpies.

A fearless and curious Canada jay, aka a Gray jays or "campground robber"

Hints and Cues

There are so many hints and cues for identifying birds. Some are only active at a certain time of day. Others behave a certain tell-tale way, like crawling down a tree trunk head-first, or twitching a tail while sitting on a wire.

The more you know about a species’ requirements and habits – favorite foods, range, migration, mating, etc. – the more likely you will be to see and correctly identify a new bird for your list.

Have fun!