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The South Marysburgh Mirror 5 Natural South Marysburgh Warbler Migration Continues Through October -By Terry Sprague If South Marysburgh residents have noticed a lot of bird- ers on their roads this fall, there is a good explanation. The entire South Marysburgh ward, especially the South Shore Important Bird and Biodiversity Area, which stretches from Prince Edward Point all the way to Point Petre, has become what we call “Prince Edward County’s very own Point Pelee”. The entire peninsula is where migrants pile up in the fall be- fore attempting the perilous flight across Lake Ontario. Birds have been migrating since last month. Currently, it’s flycatchers, thrushes, kinglets, blue jays— well, just about eve- rything, actually. Right now, raptors are following the shore- line in huge kettles, riding the thermals and heading south— red-tailed hawks, merlins, broad-winged hawks, accipters (sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks), and turkey vultures. Even a few golden eagles thrown in that have arrived from their Hudson Bay Lowlands breeding grounds. One Kelly Road resident late last month saw 25 bald eagles working their way along, high above the shoreline. There are still warblers around, too. While the bulk of the 25 or more species that routinely nest in our boreal forests passed through in September, there are several species that continue to linger into early October. Long after most warblers have left the County scene for southern regions that will sustain them through the winter months with insect food, one species though does persist here Yellow-rumped Warbler in autumn plumage. Photo by fan Dickinson well into November. Earlier field guides called them myrtle warblers, but their name was officially changed some years ago to yellow-rumped warblers, relating to the bright yellow rump on this bird in its drab, fall moe Birders in the field refer to them as simply y tt: when talking bird- -speak. thee insectivorous little mites even winter over in small numbers, and South Marysburgh probably harbours one of the highest autumn populations in the Coun- ty. To accomplish this, they have managed to alter their food requirements as cooler weather approaches and insects become scarce, while other warbler species scurry south to where insect food once again becomes plentiful. There are still insects hiding this month here and there though and yel- low-rumped warblers know where to find them. Look for them around your windowsills and sundeck as they seek out insects Yellow-rumped Warbler in autumn plumage. Photo by Tina Sawicki in areas not normally frequented by other members of their family. And when the insects are gone, there are always spi- ders still lurking under the eaves. Yellow-rumped warblers, however, have taken their sur- vival instincts one step further. When killing frost and cold temperatures eliminate the few remaining spiders and insects, they change their diet once again—to that of berries, certainly a radical move for an insectivorous bird. And they have no problem surviving in South Marysburgh as there are plenty of spots where red cedars abound. The focus of their attention is on the red cedar which offers both shelter and food. This has been a particularly good year for red cedar berries, and yellow- rumped warblers should do well through November. Even then, a few hardy souls will challenge the rigours of winter, and not bother to migrate at all, changing back again to a car- nivorous diet once warm April days start producing another crop of insects. Other birds eat red cedar berries too, including wintering robins and cedar waxwings, so the competition could be fierce for this avian caviar in the winter months ahead. Terry Sprague is a profession- al field naturalist who lives on Big Island. His website on nature in the County can be found at www.naturestuff.net and he can be reached at tsprague@xplornet.com Terry and Christie—