Every year as students arrive here at William and Mary, a natural spectacle is occurring right on the campus that they will come to call home: fall bird migration. As the cooler months approach, many summer residents will depart for warmer lands, many northern nesters will arrive in the area to winter, and some birds will merely pass through, Williamsburg a stepping stone on their journey from the northern forests to the tropics.
During the Fall Migration, which runs roughly from early August to December, students will have the opportunity to observe a fascinating array of species right here in their own backyard.
It begins with the shorebirds, the birdwatchers’ term for sandpipers and plovers, the little brown-and-white birds often seen scurrying across fields and beaches. Our most visible shorebird is the Killdeer, found in open fields and on lakeshores and most often heard making its piercing Killl-deeeeer calls as it flies overhead (try the dock behind the Keck lab). The Killdeer is actually a year-round resident, but the majority of the shorebird species seen in this area from August and September are transients that will stay only for a short time before heading on south.
Around the muddy edges of drainage ponds and creeks, a wide variety of species can be observed, including the Least, Solitary, Spotted, and Semipalmated Sandpipers. Next to migrate are the waders: the herons and egrets. While the two most common, the Great Blue Heron and the Great Egret, can be observed in Williamsburg (and at Lake Matoaka) year round, from August to October the more northern birds fly southward to escape the advancing chill, temporarily augmenting the local population.
Next are the most visible migrants: the songbirds. All Fall, a steady trickle of northern-nesting species flows through, and many of our own resident nesters depart for the tropics. Of the temporary passerby, the most diverse and sought-after group by birdwatchers is that of the Warblers: tiny birds smaller than sparrows that tend to be yellow in color (although almost every color is represented in this extremely large family). More than thirty species pass through the Williamsburg area each fall, although not all are so distinctively colorful.
Many of our summer nesters join the Warblers in their journey. The Tanagers, two bright red forest species, the Orioles, both the familiar Baltimore and the brick-red Orchard, the flycatchers, energetic little birds of sparrow-size that tend to be grayish-green (with the exception of the Great Crested flycatcher, which is bright red and yellow), the thrushes, mottled brown birds of the forest floor, and many more will all depart in the coming months.
Several species of migrating hawks pass over, and during September and October the familiar Ruby-throated Hummingbirds will depart for Central America after fattening themselves for the journey at our hummingbird feeders.
In October and November, the species that winter in Williamsburg arrive. Most of these species are waterfowl, including more than a dozen species of ducks and the huge, majestic Tundra Swan. Canada Geese, some of which are migratory and some sedentary, will also be present in greater numbers during the winter.
Lake Matoaka offers an excellent opportunity to see these striking and varied visitors, with Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, and Widgeon being some of the more common species. The familiar Mallard is a year-round resident. In addition, many species of songbird, including the well-known grey-and white Junco (sometimes called a “snowbird”), the White throated Sparrow, and the tiny Winter Wren will visit the Williamsburg area.
Some permanent residents, such as the American Goldfinch, will change to a more drab coloration. Other birds will also present the illusion of migration as they move from their visible summer positions on lawns and fields to the forest under-story for the winter. These species, most notably the American Robin and Eastern Bluebird, tend to be omnivorous: as the worms and insects retreat beneath the frost, the birds forage for nuts and berries in the forest.
This account of the present and coming fall migration is a much abbreviated one, so if you want the real scoop on this yearly spectacle of nature, take a morning walk in the college woods or by the lake and experience the migration for yourself.