September 2010 BirdNote Episodes:
Once nesting season ends, swallows know it’s time to party! Whether they nest as single pairs or in large colonies, both adults and juveniles now gather on electrical wires by the dozens, socializing before they migrate. Migrating by day - and foraging for insects as they go - swallows (including this Violet-green Swallow) head south to Mexico and Central and South America.
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Keeping its talons tightly gripped on a branch, a Barred Owlet will sometimes lie down on its stomach, turn its head to the side, and fall asleep. A young owl doesn’t fall out of the tree while it snoozes, because its back toe, the hallux, holds onto the branch. The hallux will not open or let go until the bird bends its leg.
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The southward migration of plovers and sandpipers is a protracted affair, spanning up to five months. First to come south are post-breeding adults. In August and September, this summer’s hatchlings pass through. Others arrive in October; and some stay right through the winter. Learn more about these Dunlin at Cornell's AllAboutBirds.
And learn about what shorebirds might be near you!
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