Fall Migrants in the Central Valley

Three days into autumn, and the thermometer remains stubbornly above the 90 degree mark.  Last week, the Central Valley experienced what a tease nature can be as temperatures dropped, skies clouded over, and a few tentative raindrops fell.  But, despite how it feels outside today, newly arrived White-crowned Sparrows are hopping around the garden, harbingers of autumn!

The species composition in California's Great Central Valley is about to undergo a dramatic transformation, as many of the small songbirds and tropical migrants of the Sierra Nevada and northern reaches of the state head south to warmer, insect-rich regions in Central and South America.  But while the warblers, vireos, flycatchers, grosbeaks, tanagers, orioles, et. al. are leaving us, a whole new suite of birds is just about to arrive.  For many birds that migrate along the Pacific Flyway, Central California is "south."  We are, believe it or not, the destination.

Sandhill Cranes, the ancient heart and soul of the Valley, are arriving at the Merced NWR.

In addition to scads of waterfowl - over a dozen species of ducks and half a dozen species of geese, along with swans and cranes - which arrive en masse as our [heavily managed] valley wetlands fill with water, plenty of raptors visit us for the winter season as well.  Overwintering raptors in the Valley include Merlin, as well as Sharp-shinned, Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks.

The cast of songbirds shifts from one of brilliantly colored subtropical birds - Yellow Warblers, Blue Grosbeaks, Western Tanagers and the like - to species clad in more subdued tones, which better blend in with the landscape's muted winter pallet.  Sparrows (notably White-crowned, Golden-crowned, Savannah, and Lincoln sparrows), juncos, kinglets, pipets, waxwings, Pine Siskins and Yellow-rumped Warblers are all cool season friends that we look forward to seeing again each autumn.

White-crowned Sparrows, which showed  up in my garden promptly on the first day of autumn this year, fill the
still-warm air with their sweet song.

Once the weather cools to a reasonably comfortable temperature appropriate for fall (this weekend, maybe?), take a trip out to one of our local patches of wilderness and watch for yourself as summer's birds depart and our winter birds arrive.

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