Who Will Be My Neighbor?

White-throated sparrow yellow stripe morph. Contributed to Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library by Yakola Keenan.

By Jen Maguder

Great Camp Sagamore’s Program Director

I heard my first white-throated sparrow of the year today. Listen to the song recorded by Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library here.

Now that you’ve listened, do you recognize it? Throughout most of New York State, white-throated sparrows may choose to linger all year. I haven’t seen (or heard!) one here in the Adirondack Mountains for months, since they are only seasonal visitors in colder climates. I perked up immediately at the cheery song, the sound bringing back glorious memories of summer hikes in the high Peaks.

Over the coming weeks, more seasonal migrant bird species will return to their habitats up north. It has me wondering, who will be my neighbor this summer? I’m not talking about people, but rather the birds that will frequent tree branches around my home. I’ll be on the lookout for hermit thrushes, common yellow-throats, and red-eye vireos; a few of my favorite among many other species that are on their way.

Have you noticed any birds returning to your neighborhood that you haven’t seen in a while? Keep your eyes (and ears!) open this weekend to observe the seasonal changes happening around you.