Thursday, February 9, 2012
Sometimes when a rare visitor shows up in one place, it will return to a nearby location in future years. For instance, last year a Northern Mockingbird showed up and stayed in a yard by Rennie's River for a long time last winter. This year a Northern Mockingbird showed up less than 5 minutes from that same location, but this one disappeared, only to reappear about six weeks later just a block or two away from the original sighting. This one continues to be on the move as it has not been seen in more than three weeks.
A similar series of events happened with the appearance of a Yellow-breasted Chat. One was spotted last year where it stayed at a feeder for quite a while before it disappeared. This year, only a five minute drive away, another one has appeared. This one, like the mockingbird, is restless and won't stay in one place very long.
Are these the same birds returning or are they new birds who just happened to land in a close location? All of these questions that I have make be think that banding and tracking is a great idea.
Not having all of the answers really adds to the appreciation birding.