When I first started birding, I figured that birds migrated north in the Spring and migrated south in the Fall.
Boy was I surprised to learn that shorebirds (Sandpipers, Plovers, etc.) start their migration in mid-summer.
In the spring we don’t see a lot of shorebird. That’s because they are moving from their wintering grounds to their arctic breeding grounds as fast as possible. Grabbing desirable nesting spots can greatly improve a bird’s chances of offspring fledging successfully.
But once their young are on their own, these same birds that were in such a rush, begin to move south at a slow leisurely pace.
Last week the first shorebirds started showing up on beaches, marshes and bogs around Maine. They will be here through October.
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