Monthly Status of Niagara Frontier Region Bird Life in Relation to Climate

June-Average temperatures:

	Maximum...................75.1
	Minimum...................54.5
	Mean...........................64.8
	Precipitation..............2.56

Many shorebirds are still going through our area during the early part of June, as are also the laggards among the small land birds. This is the best month to study the nesting birds, and much can be added to our knowledge if attention is paid to this interesting facet of bird study. Some of the gregarious birds such as Starling, Common Grackle and some of the swallows begin to gather in flocks toward the end of June.

July-Average temperatures:

	Maximum..................80.1
	Minimum..................59.6
	Mean..........................69.8
	Precipitation.............2.57

For many species the breeding season ends by mid-July and the song period also ends for many species as the month progresses. Although the southward migrating shorebirds sometimes arrive before the end of June, early to mid-July is the time to expect many of the first migrants. Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral and Least Saindpipers, Short-billed Dowitchers and Semipalmated Sandpipers are soon followed by Semipalmated Plovers and Solitary Sandpipers. The flocks of gregarious birds expand and are much in evidence. Robins and Purple Martins roost in numbers with those species mentioned as congregating in flocks in late June. Some summer residents such as Prothonotary Warblers and Orchard Orioles seem to disappear during the month, as do many of tire Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers. Northern Waterthrushes are usually noted in migration by late July. New shorebird migrants to be expected at this time include:

Black-bellied Plover

Ruddy Turnstone

Whimbrel (a few)

Greater Yellowlegs (a few)

Stilt Sandpiper

Sanderling

Such rarities as Ruff and Wilson's Phalarope, when they do occur, are apt to be seen either in late July or in early August.

During this, the hottest month of the year, many species start molting, and are less in evidence during this period.

Caspian Terns can usually be found by mid-July, and large concentrations of Black Terns appear on the Niagara River and along the Canadian shore of Lake Erie before the month ends.

August-Average temperatures:

	Maximum........................78.6
	Minimum........................58.1
	Mean................................68.4
	Precipitation...................3.05

During this month the shorebird migration usually continues in full force, and more land birds appear on their southward journey. The species expected to arrive during the first hall of August include:

Blue-winged Teal*

Common Nighthawk*

Upland Plover*

Yellow Warbler*

Knot Canada Warbler*

White-rumped Sandpiper

Bobolink*

Baird's Sandpiper

Baltimore Oriole*

Many of our summer resident species seem to gradually disappear durir)g the month. Most birds have a complete molt at this season, they are now,quiet and retiring, and it often takes much effort to find them. This is also the time of year when summer visitants such as Common Egrets dre most likely to be seen.

During the second half of August the following species normally appear:

Pintail*

Green-winged Teal*

Shoveler*

Wood Duck*

Hooded Merganser*

Broad-winged Hawk*

Bald Eagle

Osprey

Pigeon Hawk

American Golden Plover

Parasitic Jaeger

,Franklin's Gull

Bonaparte's Gull*

Forster's Tern

Whip-poor-will*

Eastern Kingbird*

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Traill's Flycatcher*

Red-breasted Nuthatch (irreg.)

Swainson's Thrush*

Loggerhead Shrike*

Black-and-white Warbler*

Tennessee Warbler

Wood Pewee*

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Nashville Warbler*

Magnolia Warbler*

Cape May Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler*

Blackburnian Warbler*

Chestnut-sided Warbler*

Bay-breasted Warbler

Mourning Warbler*

Wilson's Warbler

American Redstart*

The last part of August and the early part of September are apt to be the times when such shorebird rarities as Willet, Long-billed Dowitcher Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Marbled Godwit, Hudsonian Godwit and Northern Phalarope may visit our area.

September-Average temperatures:

	Maximum................................71.5
	Minimum................................51.2
	Mean........................................61.6
	Precipitation...........................3.13

Many species of southbound migrant land birds from the north attain peak numbers during this month. Some water birds and shorebirds such as Pied-billed Grebe, Sanderling and Black Tern are usually most numerous here at this time of year. A majority of the Chimney Swifts and the Swallows have already left our regiqn. Purple Martins still roost in large numbers the first half of the month many more individuals of the species mentioned during the second half of August arrive, plus the following additions:

Green Heron*

American Widgeon

Sharp-shinned Hawk*

Little Gull

Yellow-billed Cuckoo*

Black-billed Cuckoo*

Ruby-throated Hummingbird*

Least Flycatcher*

Gray-cheeked Thrush

Water Pipit

Red-eyed Vireo*

Parula Warbler

Myrtle Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler*

Blackpoll Warbler

Ovenbird*

Connecticut Warbler

Yellowthroat

Scarlet Tanager*

Rose-breasted Grosbeak*

Lincoln's Sparrow

Philadelphia Vireo

By mid-month a considerable number of the small insectivorous land birds have departed for the South, and the large majority of such shorebirds as Spotted and Least Sandpipers have left our shores. Most of the Lesser Yellowlegs, and Semipalmated Sandpipers soon follow. Sanderlings are often the most numerous shorebirds in mid-September.

During the last half of September the peak of migration for such insectivorous birds as the vireos and warblers often occurs. Northerly winds, sometimes accompanied by light frosts, may bring a wave of southbound migrants. Such waves often include many species in the preceding list with the following additions:

Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Canada Goose*

Gadwall

Cooper's Hawk*

Red-shouldered Hawk*

Peregrine Falcon

Dunlin

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker*

Brown Creeper

White throated Sparrow

Winter Wren

Brown Thrasher*

Hermit Thrush*

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Solitary Vireo*

Orange-crowned Warbler

Palm Warbler

Rusty Blackbird

Purple Finch*

Slate-colored Junco*