MIGRATION SUMMARY FOR NOVEMBER 7th - 15th, 2008

 

Pelee Island Bird Observatory (PIBO)

 

 

PIBO's 2008 monitoring season wrapped-up on November 15th after 107 consecutive days of Fall field coverage at the Point. It was blustery and cold during most of the summary period, with strong winds from the west and northwest, along with sub-zero temperatures, showers and snow squalls towards the end of the week.  

 

Migration activity was up and down with the weather and daily coverage was reduced to the morning census and some additional observations on a number of days due to rain and snow. At the same time, a nice variety of species was recorded including season-high counts of 14 Tundra Swans (Nov. 11th), 863 Red-breasted Mergansers (9th), 102 Buffleheads (14th), 5 Northern Harriers (11th), 51 American Pipits (12th) and 25 American Tree Sparrows (15th).

 

Nine waterfowl species were noted including the first Hooded Mergansers of the Fall along with small numbers of scaup, Mallard and Common Goldeneye. Although migrant songbirds were generally scarce, some kinglets, creepers, Winter Wrens and Hermit Thrushes were recorded on a daily basis and seven sparrow species were tallied from the 7th - 15th. Diurnal migrants were active - 2600 Common Grackles, Rusty, and Red-winged Blackbirds were counted heading south on the 11th as well as  smaller groups of Cedar Waxwings, Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches.

 

A total of 60 species was recorded at the Point during the official count period compared to 67 last week and there was one new arrival, which brings the final Fall species total to 171. In all, 34 birds were banded along with three recaptures in 44 net-hours, for an average catch-rate of .84 birds/net-hour.

 

Another productive and enjoyable year of field research on Pelee was made possible thanks to the critical support of all of PIBO's friends and supporters. Full details and acknowledgements - along with all the exciting new developments at PIBO in 2008 - will be included in the observatory's year-end report. The report will be available online before Christmas. On behalf of the entire field crew, thanks for all your support and best wishes for the Holiday season!

 

Graeme, Claire, Sumiko and Adam

PIBO     

 

 

PIBO's first Spring 2009 summary will be posted on April 9th.              

 

 

Birds documented at Fish Point by PIBO staff from November 7th - 15th, 2008

 

Date

November

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Species

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Loon

1

 

1

 

1

 

 

1

 

Horned Grebe

6

 

 

 

 

3

 

1

 

Double-crested Cormorant

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Blue Heron

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

Turkey Vulture

 

4

4

4

3

 

 

1

 

Tundra Swan

 

 

 

 

14

 

 

 

 

Canada Goose

2

 

 

3

95

70

2

79

6

American Black Duck

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mallard

 

4

11

9

 

19

6

2

1

1

Greater Scaup

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scaup spp.

 

 

18

53

 

42

 

11

 

 

Bufflehead

 

97

35

36

49

46

24

71

102

30

Common Goldeneye

7

 

 

 

 

19

7

21

4

Hooded Merganser

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red-breasted Merganser

24

1

863

143

103

17

26

28

22

Bald Eagle

 

2

 

 

1

 

 

1

 

 

Northern Harrier

 

 

 

 

5

1

 

 

 

Sharp-shinned Hawk

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red-tailed Hawk

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red-shouldered Hawk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Merlin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

1

 

Wild Turkey

10

 

8

5

30

 

 

 

 

Killdeer

 

 

 

 

 

33

 

 

1

 

American Woodcock

 

1

 

 

5

 

 

 

 

Bonaparte's Gull

1

 

24

7

11

10

7

22

10

Ring-billed Gull

3

4

9

5

10

12

12

10

6

Herring Gull

 

8

6

8

8

2

4

5

4

Great Black-backed Gull

17

8

6

 

12

8

6

8

6

Mourning Dove

3

1

 

 

1

1

 

3

1

Red-bellied Woodpecker

3

1

1

2

1

1

1

1

 

Downy Woodpecker

3

 

 

 

1

1

1

6

1

Northern Flicker

2

5

1

 

3

 

4

5

1

American Crow

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Horned Lark

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black-capped Chickadee

3

3

5

5

3

3

5

9

2

Brown Creeper

3

2

1

2

 

1

3

3

 

Carolina Wren

3

 

 

2

4

3

4

5

2

Winter Wren

3

2

1

1

2

3

2

3

 

Golden-crowned Kinglet

8

15

6

18

9

23

22

14

6

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 

 

 

 

5

 

1

1

 

American Robin

13

 

 

19

6

16

1

3

 

Hermit Thrush

 

 

1

 

4

 

3

 

 

European Starling

125

 

 

 

44

9

90

865

40

American Pipit

7

3

 

 

7

51

14

36

6

Cedar Waxwing

55

 

 

 

1

24

19

12

2

Yellow-rumped Warbler

 

 

 

2

 

2

1

1

 

Northern Cardinal

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

4

2

American Tree Sparrow

 

 

1

 

 

2

 

 

25

Chipping Sparrow

 

 

3

2

2

 

 

2

1

White-throated Sparrow

 

 

4

 

9

18

6

5

5

Fox Sparrow

 

 

3

 

3

2

 

1

 

Song Sparrow

1

4

 

1

2

2

3

3

2

Swamp Sparrow

 

1

 

1

 

 

 

1

 

Dark-eyed Junco

34

7

3

3

9

5

7

2

17

Brown-headed Cowbird

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

20

 

Red-winged Blackbird

392

 

22

18

310

1

140

375

60

Rusty Blackbird

1

 

 

1

190

 

 

10

 

Common Grackle

95

 

 

 

2.3K

4

10

85

5

Purple Finch

1

 

 

1

1

 

 

2

1

Pine Siskin

 

18

 

 

 

 

 

2

2

 

American Goldfinch

28

8

27

3

103

22

21

37

45

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPECIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day

 

38

24

28

26

42

33

36

44

28

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall 2008

 

170

170

171

171

171

171

171

171

171

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This period

60

 

 

Previous period

 

 

67

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November

 

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weather- 1 hr. after sunrise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wind direction/strength1

SE1

SW6

W7

W7

W4

ESE4

SW4

SW4

NNE7

Visibility (km)

20

25

6

20

20

20

5

15

5

Cloud cover (0-10)

9

10

10

10

10

9

10

10

10

Temperature (° C)

14

7

6

4

4

8

9

12

9

Precipitation

 

 

 

RAIN

SNOW

 

 

RAIN

 

RAIN