One of the most impressive spectacles of the bird world is to be amidst a large swarm of tree swallows as they swirl, swoop and soar around you.

In the past 50 years, a majority of bird species have declined by 50 percent or more. But rusty blackbirds are unique, and not in a good way.

For perhaps the first time in September, the weather was favorable for migrant birds to reach the Island.

Most of these birds will probably have left before you read this.

Solitary sandpipers are one of this week’s highlights. The other intriguing shorebird is the western willet.

It is September now — a new month and a new stage of avian migration.

It’s about time. We have been waiting for a few species of shorebirds that generally show up in August. Well, sure enough, here they are.

Potential reasons for this low productivity include human disturbance, predation and the weather.

The return of grasshopper sparrows at Katama this summer has been heralded by Island conservationists as a hopeful sign of ecological health.

Everything else eats insects at this time of the year, so why not a harrier?