Southbound shorebirds are confusing. Every species is subtly different.

There is a hint of good news concerning the disease outbreak that has temporarily paused the use of bird feeders.

A loud "SKREEE" sound is repeated every few seconds for hours on end and can be heard a quarter mile away. The sound is hard to track down, especially since the hawk may be concealed within the tree canopy.

The Massachusetts Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology both recommend you take down your bird-feeders to prevent the spread of an unknown disease.

Tropical storm Elsa blew by on July 9-10, with little in the way of unusual bird life to show for it.

Here we are in the birding doldrums of early summer and the southward migration just starting with the arrival of the early shorebirds.

How quickly the tides turn! In early June we were still talking about birds that were headed to their northern breeding grounds.

The longest daylight of the year was on June 21, which is relevant to this column because the volume and frequency of birds singing quiets considerably.

The species mentioned here are sporadic breeders that mostly pass through on their way north or back south: purple martin, bobolink, snowy egret and saw-whet owl. Only occasionally do they stay to nest.