(l-r) Barred owl and red-tailed hawk are often spotted on Migratory Bird Counts. Justine Kibbe Photos

Mark your calendars for the 2021 Fall Migratory Bird Count Sunday, Sept. 19, 8 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Meet at the Island Community Center. Bring binoculars.

Following Audubon bird count rules, birders will make 15 five-minute stops from West End to East End. At each timed stop, birders count birds and call out what they see.

Results from bird counts help scientists and conservation organizations chart bird populations and help us get a sense of the prevalence of different bird species in our area.

We’re fortunate that Fishers Island is on the Atlantic Flyway, a major north-south flyway for migratory birds in North America. Migrating songbirds descend on woods and thickets, along ponds and next to streams, to feed on the insects that fuel their migrations.

University of Delaware team of Emily Baisden and Will Almeida will lead the bird count and answer all questions about migratory birds.