Interesting discussion, since this summer the quiet seemed to fall unusually early up here in New Hampshire, which I pessimistically ascribed to diminished overall numbers and less of a need to counter-sing to territorial rivals.
That said, there was (as always) one notable exception — red-eyed vireos. The REVIs keep singing all day, every day, usually through at least mid-to-late August, though in 2023 I still had one plugging along as late as Sept. 2. No wonder the oldtimers called them “preacher birds,” because they never shut up. (With apologies to my clerical friends.)
Maybe that’s part of the explanation for what I think of as the Vireo Paradox, the fact that while so many other neotropical migrant groups (wood warblers, thrushes, tanagers, etc.) have shown long-term declines since 1970, vireos (along with gnatcatchers) were the only group that has shown significant increases. eBird status and trend data for almost all vireos backs that up. Maybe they just don’t know when to quit.
Scott Weidensaul
Milton, NH (formerly Schuylkill Co.)
> On Jul 29, 2025, at 2:52 PM, Carole Winslow <cjwinslow94...> wrote:
>
> Field sparrows often sing later into summer I find, as well as swamp
> sparrows singing daily right now. I also hear scarlet tanagers still
> singing here and wood thrush are active as well, calling and still feeding
> young. A little north in Forest Co yesterday we still had singing
> black-throated green, magnolia, hooded warblers and many hermit thrush, as
> well as a black-throated blue warbler.
>
> Carole Winslow
> Sligo, Clarion Co.
>
> On Tue, Jul 29, 2025 at 8:33 AM sandee swan <sandeeswan...> wrote:
>
>> We have multiple Scarlet Tanagers vigorously singing in our woods. Isn't
>> this unusual this late in the summer? Never noticed before. Lots of Field
>> Sparrows too.
>> Sandee Swansiger
>> Mercer
>>
