Rare martin thrills birders
Steve Grinley
Autumn is the time of year when more "mega-rare" birds seem to show up. Migrating birds are blown off course, or some birds' radar is askew. Birds may fly north from down South instead of flying farther south, sometimes called reverse migration. Some western birds may fly east instead of south. The "radar" problems seem to happen most often to juveniles, first year birds, that, for whatever reason, haven't been "programmed" correctly.
So here in Massachusetts we end up with birds that shouldn't be here. Birders are, therefore, extra careful to check a flock of birds for the unusual during these months. A flock of sparrows needs to be scrutinized for a possible dickcissel, lark, clay-colored or Harris' sparrow. A flock of migrating tree or barn swallows needs to be checked for a possible cave swallow, another "victim" of reverse migration.
Such was probably the case this Columbus Day when some keen birders carefully examined the many swallows that were still feeding over the fields of Cumberland Farms in Middleboro. They were looking for the unusual, maybe hoping for a cave swallow, when they discovered something even more rare — a brown-chested martin.
Read full story here
Autumn is the time of year when more "mega-rare" birds seem to show up. Migrating birds are blown off course, or some birds' radar is askew. Birds may fly north from down South instead of flying farther south, sometimes called reverse migration. Some western birds may fly east instead of south. The "radar" problems seem to happen most often to juveniles, first year birds, that, for whatever reason, haven't been "programmed" correctly.
So here in Massachusetts we end up with birds that shouldn't be here. Birders are, therefore, extra careful to check a flock of birds for the unusual during these months. A flock of sparrows needs to be scrutinized for a possible dickcissel, lark, clay-colored or Harris' sparrow. A flock of migrating tree or barn swallows needs to be checked for a possible cave swallow, another "victim" of reverse migration.
Such was probably the case this Columbus Day when some keen birders carefully examined the many swallows that were still feeding over the fields of Cumberland Farms in Middleboro. They were looking for the unusual, maybe hoping for a cave swallow, when they discovered something even more rare — a brown-chested martin.
Read full story here
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