Fall Migration is Underway

Migrating birds wind up in unusual places. Every fall a few birds not usually found in this area stop at the Beaver Boardwalk for a brief rest or visit before moving on to their winter range. In the past several weeks I've seen long-billed dowitcher, pied-billed grebe, horned grebe, and sharp-shinned hawk. Yesterday evening an immature common grackle flew in to roost in the tall shrubs near the beaver feeding area. That was a surprise and I think the first record of common grackle at the Beaver Boardwalk. The horned grebe was a new record also. The list of birds observed at the Beaver Boardwalk continues to grow and now includes more than 150 species. The Whisky-jack Club maintains the official list and publishes a brochure updating the records as they come in.