igo Bird -Lore 



FALL MIGRATION 



Since the Redstart breeds over most of the eastern United States, it is 

 not possible to determine the beginning of its fall migration in that portion 

 of its range from which were received the fullest records of spring arrival. 

 Just south of the breeding range, in the South Atlantic and Gulf states, the 

 dates show that the Redstart is one of the earliest of fall migrants. The 

 earliest migrant in Chester county. South Carolina, was seen July lo; at 

 Key West, Fla., July 22, 1889, and near there, at Sombrero Key light- 

 house, July 28 and 29, 1886. It has been taken in Jamaica by August 10 ; 

 in Costa Rica, August 13 ; Columbia, South America, September 2, and 

 on the island of Antigua, Lesser Antilles, September 6. These dates are 

 especially interesting because they prove so conclusively that the southern- 

 most breeding birds start first in their migration, and pass at once to the 

 southern portion of the winter range. The date of September 6, at An- 

 tigua, is interesting because the Redstart is one of the very few migrant 

 land -birds from the United States that range throughout the West Indies, 

 even to the Windward Islands and Trinidad ; and the early date shows 

 that the flights from island to island are interspersed with but few and short 

 intervals of rest. 



Fall migration in the Mississippi valley is not quite so early; still the 

 first were seen at New Orleans, La., July 21, 1899, July 29, 1900, and 

 July 30, 1897. The earliest migrants reach central Texas the last of 

 August and have been noted the first of September in Mexico, nearly at 

 the southern limit of the bird's winter range in that country. 



The regular tide of migration in southeastern United States sets in early 

 in August, and the striking of the Redstart against the Florida lighthouses 

 has been reported on nineteen nights in that month. The largest flocks 

 pass through the Middle Atlantic states about the middle of September, and 

 the greatest number strike the Florida lighthouses the first half of October. 



The species deserts eastern Massachusetts September 20, and south- 

 eastern New York the first week in October. The average for eight years 

 of the last one seen at Raleigh, N. C, is October 9; the latest, October 13, 

 1886 and 1891. Some other late dates are at Asheville, N. C, October 28, 

 1894; Tarpon Springs, Fla., November i, and at the Florida lighthouses, 

 October 13, 1885, October 25, 1886, October 17, 1887, and November 4, 

 1888. The southward migration in southern Florida lasts for more than 

 a hundred days, as compared with barely fifty days in the spring. 



The dates west of the AUeghanies are much the same; the last is noted 

 in southern Minnesota about September 20, and central Illinois about the 

 first of October. 



The latest dates at New Orleans are October 9, 1894, October 19, 1895, 

 October 16, 1896, and October 27, 1899. 



