American robins are on the move, migrating even though they are present throughout the year.

We say it every year. And almost every month. But, yeah, the beginning of October is an exciting time to find birds on Martha’s Vineyard.

There is a time during migration when we begin to transfer from summer residents to winter residents. That change is starting with the arrival of white-throated sparrows, dark-eyed juncos and yellow-rumped warblers.

Birds that do not stay through the winter sometimes linger longer into the fall. Why not? We are in the midst of a nice and generally warm September.

Woodlands birds are starting to form multi-species foraging flocks that rove around woodlands in search of food.

A month ago I asked where three shorebirds were that had not been seen for a few years: buff-breasted, Baird’s and upland sandpipers. This week the buff-breasteds (a shorebird that prefers upland short grass areas) showed up.