If you think sparrows are tough to identify, you are not alone. After all, there is a reason for the expression “little brown job.”

Bob Shriber found a flock of four rusty blackbirds on Oct. 13 in a West Tisbury cornfield. They were foraging on the corn cobs.

The southward migration begins in July and continues all the way into January. But it is not the same birds migrating the whole time.

I had hoped to be able to report about seabirds being seen close to the Vineyard after the windy and wet weather we had between Sept. 30 and Oct. 5.

Bioaccumulation occurs when a substance becomes concentrated inside the body of a living thing. It happened with DDT.

All year long we talk about September as a great time for birds. This is because of migration and the probability of unusual birds showing up.