November Birds
10/30/16
By David Brown
The leaves are falling and the winter birds are arriving. Whether you are at the lake, the hawk watch, or just watching your feeders November is a great time of year to see birds.
Many types of waterfowl are migrating through and some will stay all winter. Species to watch for include bufflehead, gadwall, American wigeon, and common loon. The Williamsport dam and Rose Valley Lake are great spots to look for ducks and other water birds.
Yellow-rumped warbler migration has peaked but they will remain in small numbers all winter. Other warbler species have migrated south with some individuals traveling as far as South America. One highlight for me this October was observing a high number of blackpoll warblers on my evening walks at the Williamsport river walk. This species is known for staying well hidden at the top of trees during spring migration, however in the fall it is more easily observable.
Chipping sparrows will soon be gone and American tree sparrows will replace them until early April when the two species switch again. Fox sparrows will be migrating through in November and a few may winter locally.
Ruby-crowned kinglets are just passing through but golden-crowned kinglets will stay for the winter in wooded areas with conifer trees.
American robins are migrating but large numbers do stay for the winter but are less conspicuous because they are eating berries and seeds rather than pulling worms out of lawns. Some eastern bluebirds stay all winter as well and will roost in bluebird nest boxes at night.
Golden eagle migration continues through November, especially on days with strong northerly winds. I saw my first golden eagle of the fall on October 15th at Rose Valley Lake. The Route 15 overlook near South Williamsport continues to be a great local spot to see eagles and other migrating raptors. Red-tailed hawks, including the heavily-marked northern 'abieticola' subspecies, continue migrating. Rare hawk species to watch for include northern goshawks and rough-legged hawks. Short-eared owls will return mid-month and can be seen hunting farm fields at dusk and dawn.
Golden Eagle
Now is a great time to put up a bird feeder. Red-breasted nuthatches have been reported throughout Pennsylvania this fall and will probably remain in elevated numbers throughout the winter. Purple finches are also being reported. Watch for rare species such as red crossbill and evening grosbeak.
By now all ruby-throated hummingbirds should have migrated south, but rare western hummingbird species such as the rufous hummingbird are found in small numbers in Pennsylvania every winter. See the homepage of the Lycoming Audubon Society website for information on our winter hummingbird contest which offers prizes for documenting vagrant hummingbirds. Leave your hummingbird feeder up and if you see a hummingbird try to get a photograph and contact us right away.
There are plenty of birds to see in November so bundle up and head outside to see what you can find.
