Red-winged Blackbird
Purple Grackle
Vesper Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
BIRDS SEEN IN DECEMBER
Permanent Residents
Winter Residents and Visitants
It is interesting to note that the earliest arrivals in the spring are the last to migrate in the fall. The reason is the food-supply. The insectivorous birds arrive later and leave earlier than those that have a more varied diet. An unusually severe winter sends birds south of their usual winter range.
The dates of migration must necessarily vary with latitude. Migrants arrive near Washington a week or two earlier than near New York City, and near Boston a few days later. The lateness of the spring sometimes causes a delay of a week or two. The May arrivals appear more nearly on schedule. After May 15 birds begin to decrease in number, the “Transient Visitors” passing farther north; by June 5 we have with us our “Permanent Residents” and “Summer Residents.”