Southern parts of the globe will soon be visited by the annual influx of avian life seeking warmer spots to ride out the winter months, giving birdwatchers unique opportunities to view migrant species that are only in residence for part of the year. Check out this list of eight beautiful southern locales for autumn birdwatching and get those binocular lenses polished!
1. Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge – Missouri
Ringed by a hickory oak forest, this vast marshland forms the heart of a 7,350 acre refuge. Clouds of snow geese fall in each year, stopping over while en route to their southern homes from their North Dakota nesting grounds. The natural habitat is home away from home for the geese.
2. Point Pelee National Park – Ontario
Located near Lake Erie, this southernmost extension of Canada’s mainland is a favorite of spring bird watchers but sees a large amount of bird life in fall, without the crowds of people as a distraction. Early September is a good time to visit Point Pelee, where you’ll have the opportunity to see many different kinds of warblers: blackpoll, bay-breasted, and Blackburnian, to name a few.
3. Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge – Texas
An unusual geographical locale where subtropical, Gulf Coast, Great Plains, and Chihuahuan Desert climates all come together, the Santa Ana offers a stunning variety of bird life. Of the nearly 400 species one can encounter during migration, almost half call the refuge home year round. Raptors, waterfowl, and shorebirds mix and mingle in this ecological crossroads each fall.
4. Sky Islands – Arizona
These southeastern Arizona mountain peaks are home to avian life found nowhere else in the United States. Swarms of hummingbirds abound, and the Sky Islands offer the chance to spot the rare violet-crowned and Lucier breed of hummingbirds. Flocks of warblers and flycatchers are also a common visitor.
5. Cape May – New Jersey
The last chance to land and refuel before making the 14 mile flight south over Delaware Bay, Cape May is the travelling bird’s favorite rest stop. Rough weather can lead to huge numbers of birds sticking around Cape May, a boon for birdwatchers. Northern harriers, and migratory breeds of thrushes and owls are known to stop by for a visit.
6. Sunrise Coast – Maine
This northeastern point gets its name from the fact that it is the first place the sun’s rays touch US soil each morning, and fall bird watching is just as spectacular a sight. Poised between the seashore and Maine’s boreal forest, year round residents like the spruce grouse are visited by waves of migrating shorebirds. Bald eagles occasionally put in an appearance as well the black-backed woodpecker and the common eider.
7. Point Loma – California
Not far from San Diego, Point Luma juts out into the sea enough to make it a perfect stopover for migratory birds. Rare sightings include the American redstart and black-and-white warbler. A Siberian species called the little bunting has even been spotted here.
8. Horicon National Wildlife Refuge – Wisconsin
The largest freshwater marsh in the United States, Horicon boasts sightings over 100 different species of birds in a single day. Numerous varieties of ducks, shorebirds, and raptors, alongside huge flocks of Canadian geese make a landing here each year. Early October offers the most optimal viewing, before hunting season starts to startle the birds away.
Featured Image from globalpalette/Unsplash
