(by Pam Hunt and Zoe Dawson)

NH Audubon biologists worked hard this spring and summer as they tagged species that will help answer questions about migration and guide future conservation efforts using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System. As fall migration is in full swing, we’re wondering “Where in the world are these critters going?” Luckily, Motus is already giving us some insight. Here are some examples from NH Audubon tagged species and additional detected species from the McLane Center receiver in Concord over the last few weeks:

• A Wood Thrush tagged at the McLane Center on July 3 remained until September 28, when it left and flew at least as far as northwestern Massachusetts. It was last detected on September 30, west of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
• Another Wood Thrush tagged in southern Maine on July 2 passed McLane on October 1.
• Also passing west from Maine was an Eastern Whip-poor-will tagged on June 28 near Portland. It travelled over New Hampshire and into eastern New York (near Albany) on September 21, and the next day continued west to Cooperstown.
• A Monarch tagged at McLane on September 13 was detected the next day at a tower in Weare, New Hampshire. On September 18 it passed over northwestern New Jersey.
• An American Kestrel tagged at the Strafford County Farm passed over McLane on September 11 and continued to work its way south along the eastern seaboard for the next week. On September 19 it crossed the mouth of Delaware Bay and was still on the Delaware side at least through September 24.