Snow birds (the human variety) will be arriving back in Indy soon. Some of us are no different than our feathered friends when it comes to migrating. Whether seeking better weather in Florida, the Carolinas, Arizona or California to escape winter, a good number of people and birds make this area home for three of our seasons.

As the return migration progresses, there a quite a few birds you may see for a day, a week or even a season or so. We do have resident birds that don't migrate or if they do, fly only short distances. These include songbirds such as cardinals, goldfinches, sparrows, titmice, robins, mourning doves, some woodpeckers, and hawks.

Migration, often north to south in the fall and reverse direction in the spring, occurs because of availability of food sources, habitat for breeding, or quest for temperate weather. Paths, called "flyways" or "fly corridors," are often repeated. Although there are four major flyways (Atlantic, Mississippi, Central and Pacific corridors), we do have definite migration flights through Indiana.

Each fall you can witness one of Indiana's greatest wildlife spectacles at Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area. Tens of thousands of sandhill cranes visit the area and land in the shallow marshes. You may see them flying overhead in the Broad Ripple area. They are big birds with a wing span measuring as much as 6 1/2 feet and have a distinctive rolling call that's amplified because they usually fly in larger groups. They rest in Indiana along the flyway to Florida (winter) and to Canada (summer).

Many backyard birdfeeder hobbyists know about the migration of ruby-throated hummingbirds and eagerly await their return in May, having reluctantly brought in feeders in early October. One of the migratory visitors I look forward to in my backyard is the rose-breasted grosbeak with its dashing black and white markings. These showy birds stay at my feeder for about a week, fuel up, and then head on north.

Other birds (bluebirds being one) are partial migrants with stays of varying lengths. They may fly just far enough to find adequate food sources. Another type of migration to be aware of is "irruptions" involving birds that have flown past their normal range. Either the search for food sources or weather may the reason. One year we had an influx of red-breasted nuthatches. They were great entertainment at the feeders that winter. This year a number of birdwatchers spotted snowy owls. There was also an abundance of short-eared owl sightings. Migration and irruptions keep things interesting for those who watch and feed birds.

Nature and how it works is a wonder. The cue to be alert for migrating birds is change in the length of days. These changes are also related to hormonal shifts in birds. They want to live in habitats that let them thrive - just like humans. Let the days get shorter and colder and the impulse to move elsewhere becomes irresistible. When the days back home in Indiana get lighter and warmer, the lure to return inevitably comes again.