Derby Hill Bird Observatory
Many other birds besides raptors migrate over Derby Hill. In early March, small flocks of Horned Larks are an almost daily occurrence, and later in the month many thousands of Snow Geese can be seen. Blackbird flocks start showing up in March, with adult male Red-winged Blackbirds in the vanguard of the migratory movement. Later in the season, the composition of these flocks changes as females and immatures are mixed in, as well as Brown-headed Cowbirds and Common Grackles. These birds migrate around sunrise and sunset.
Many flocks of migrating blackbirds stop at Derby Hill for a quick snack
Passerines and other non-raptors
That American Crows migrate too, will be obvious to anyone who visits Derby Hill around the passage of a warm front in early / mid-March. A steady stream of thousands of crows fills the air around this time.
The feeders at Derby always attract a good numbers of passerines. Look out for Song Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Lincoln Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Cardinal, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Blue Jay, Dark-eyed Junco, House Sparrow, European Starling, American Goldfinch, Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Some woodpeckers, such as Pileated, Red-bellied, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, can be seen year-round. Others, like Red-headed Woodpecker, Northern Flicker and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, are usually seen in migration only. On some days early May, the flicker flight can be quite impressive, with literally hundreds of them moving through in a matter of hours.
Song Sparrows can often be found near or on the feeders at the North Lookout
The Fox Sparrow is usually around for a limited time only (mid-March)
The feeders
The hedges
The hedges on Derby Hill always have birds, but can be teeming with birds in the early morning after the passage of a warm front overnight. Many warbler species have been recorded at Derby, such as Yellow, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Chestnut-sided, Cape May, Blackburnian, Yellow-rumped (‘Myrtle’), Cerulean (rare), Prairie (rare), Palm, Black-throated Green, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Yellow-throated (rare), Black-and-White, Blue-winged, Golden-winged, Tennessee, Nashville, Worm-eating, Wilson and Canada Warblers. Also seen at Derby are American Redstart, Northern Parula, Ovenbird, both Waterthrushes, and Common Yellowthroat. In addition to these warblers, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, both kinglets, Baltimore Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Scarlet Tanagers and Cedar Waxwings can all be abundant on the hill at times in spring.
Swallows
Late in the season, Derby Hill is a great place to hone your swallow ID-skills. Some days in May, all swallows that occur in New York State can be seen swirling together: Purple Martins, which breed on the property, as well as Tree, Northern Rough-winged, Bank, Barn and Cliff Swallows are in the air then. In fall, Derby is one of the best places in the Northeast to see Cave Swallow, a Southern rarity.
American Tree Sparrows winter here. They stick around until early April, before they move to their breeding grounds in northern Canada.
Tree Swallows are almost always around in April and May.
