Eastern PA Birding

Of course, weather plays a big factor when it comes to what birds can be expected in our area at a particular time, but most species still manage to keep an amazingly precise schedule year after year. I have found that, in most cases, this timetable rarely deviates more than a week before or after, especially in Spring. And, they do it without watches or maps! This summary follows the calendar year.

Winter: Even before January begins, many gulls occupy area lakes and rivers, especially those near the area landfills. Both waterfowl and gull numbers depend upon the harshness of the winter. Occasionally, winter birding will contain irruptive species, such as Snowy Owl, Northern Shrike, or a combination of winter finches.

Spring: Although many people associate the arrival of spring with the sighting of their first Robin, I consider it to be when the first "blackbirds" invade the area, which is usually around the third week in February.

By March, waterfowl numbers are on the increase as they migrate through. By mid-March, the raptor migration begins, although their numbers are just a fraction of what is seen during the fall.

As April rolls around, swallows begin to arrive. The last two weeks of the month usually produce the peak of the raptor migration. By the end of April, most of the gulls and waterfowl have moved north and are replaced by several species of shorebirds, warblers, and sparrows.

Most birders consider May the most exciting month of the year. The first three weeks of the month contain the arrival of most of the shorebirds, hummingbirds, flycatchers, vireos, thrushes, and others in addition to the warblers in their colorful breeding plumage.

Summer: By the beginning of June, most of the migrants have departed and the permanent and summer residents are on nesting territories.

July, oddly enough, actually marks the start of the fall migration as some shorebirds are already beginning to head south. This is also the start of what is known as the "post-breeding dispersal" period, which is when some of the parent birds and their offspring begin to wander away from their home territories.

Fall: This "post-breeding dispersal" also runs into August and is evident by an increase in the numbers of herons and egrets found in the area. Shorebirds numbers increase throughout the month. As the month winds down, some of the first raptor movements are noted along the area's ridges. Hummingbirds, flycatchers, and warblers also begin heading south.

As September passes, the raptor migration picks up and produces the peak number of species by the month's end. Also by the end of the month, many of the shorebirds and most of the hummingbirds, swallows, vireos, and warblers have left for warmer climates and are replaced by the beginning of the sparrow movement.

The beginning of October continues to produce the most species of raptors. Much of the sparrow migration occurs during this month. By the end of the month, waterfowl begin to arrive.

November contains most of the waterfowl movement, and the raptor migration drops off significantly. Gulls are on the increase and most of the winter birds have arrived by the end of the month.

As December and the year wanes, waterfowl numbers decline in accordance with the harshness of early winter. The area's Audubon Christmas Bird Counts always have the potential to turn up some unusual sightings.

The PABIRDS Listserv is an E-mail discussion list containing instantaneous information supplied by PA birders about birds and birding in Pennsylvania. This service, provided by 'Audubon PA', is absolutely free with no strings attached. For more detailed information about the listserv and how to join, go to the Listserv information page of the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology's Website, which also has information on how to join that organization and subscribe to Pennsylvania Birds, a magazine devoted to birding in Pennsylvania.

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