This is Bird Note. It's a September day in Ontario right at dusk and a small

flock of songbirds flies out from the treetops into the cool evening air. The

flock rises higher and higher and then begins heading south. It's the start of

their fall migration. Among this mix of thrushes and orals is a chunky brownish

bird, a woodthrush. This particular woodthrush has finished nesting in this

southern Canadian woodland. Now it will migrate 2300 miles south to spend the

winter in Costa Rica. Before migrating it ate steadily for two weeks

putting on fat to fuel the flight. Woodthrushes migrate in great

bursts. In a single night our thrush will climb to several thousand feet

and cover two or even three hundred miles before morning.

Then it's time to recharge. This woodthrush might pause in the Florida pan

handle for 10 days before embarking at dusk on a non-stop flight across the

Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan. In early April woodthrushes begin flying

north again but unlike the leisurely pace of fall springbirds are in a hurry

to migrate. They'll get back to Ontario three times as fast as they got to

Costa Rica. For bird note I'm Michael Stein.

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