Late Migrants - or Overwintering Birds?
Published: February 16, 2024
Tags: General Observations, dunlin, gray catbird, hermit thrush
Some birds seem later than usual to migrate through Western New York. The Dunlin pictured below was a big surprise to find at this late date! Prior to this, my latest Dunlin was found after a storm in the beginning of November.
Another late bird was a Gray Catbird. They've usually migrated by the end of October so this guy was another surprise. He or she could be planning to overwinter, I suppose. That's always a gamble - but maybe this bird knows we're going to have a mild winter. I hope so!
I'm guessing the same story goes for the Hermit Thrush I found on the 21st. Maybe another overwintering bird. It's hard to know why these birds are lingering here in the area.