The latter part of last week at my home in Shenandoah County (upper Cedar
Creek Valley) brought some surprises in terms of species that don't nest in the
immediate environs, but generally do nest in the surrounding mountain forests.
They included Black and White Warbler, Ovenbird, Worm-eating Warbler, and
Kentucky Warbler. They were in a mixed flock that also included local breeders
like Downy Woodpecker, Tufted Titmouse, chickadee (ours are hybrids), Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher, and Indigo Bunting--all fussing at something that had intruded
their space but then refocused their attention on me. We have experienced this
phenomenon of seeing these regional but not local breeders in July for years
now, and I can only assume that they are staging for fall migration. After
nesting they probably move into the lusher and presumably food-richer stream
bottoms to fatten up before moving south. The real passage migrants don't
normally show up there until early September.
If anyone is aware of a good publication on this "staging" behavior, please
share it--either offline or online if you think others would be interested as
well. Thanks.
Dave Davis
Arlington
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