Of the more than 10,000 bird species in the world, at least 4,000 in North America migrate south from summer breeding places. In an amazing seasonal trek for food, they come at 15 to 55 mph depending on species and weather. Many pass over while we sleep in the Foothills.
They all start in a state of hyperphagia: a compulsion to bulk up on food to store fat. The Blackpoll Warbler, for example, almost doubles in weight before flying 2,300 miles non-stop, eating insects while in flight.
At the next Live@Lanier, Thursday 9/9, 2 PM, Simon Thompson, owner of Ventures Birding Tours and Board Member of The Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society in Asheville, will let us know what birds are passing through Western NC this Fall, from warblers and hummingbirds to swans and Osprey.
Simon’s passion for birding began as a youth in Suffolk, England, and went with him through life in Lebanon, Kenya, Yemen and Ghana, ultimately arriving in North Carolina over 20 years ago. As owner / operator of Ventures Birding Tours, he leads birding tours ranging from day trips near Asheville to 20-days in Australia.
Join Simon if you want to know more about migration species, numbers and routes, and what hazards birds encounter on their journeys. According to the American Bird Conservancy, for example, up to seven million birds collide with cell, radio and TV towers each year.
“Bird Migrations in Western NC” is a Felburn Nature and Wildlife Collection Program made possible with sponsorship by the Tryon Garden Club. Masks required for program attendance at Lanier Library, 72 Chestnut St. in Tryon. Visit www.thelanierlibrary.org or call 828-859-9535 for more information.

Submitted by Vincent Verrecchio. Osprey photo courtesy of Alan Lenk.