MIGRATION SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 19th - 25th,  2008

 

Pelee Island Bird Observatory (PIBO)

 

The week started off on a busy note and there was lots of activity at the station on September 19th, but south winds and warm temperatures set-in and migrants tapered off towards the end of the summary period. There was still a nice variety of birds recorded at the Point from September 19th - 25th including seventeen warbler species and increased numbers of late-Fall migrants such as Golden-crowned Kinglet and Winter Wren. Sharp-shinned Hawks were active along with ones-and-twos of Merlin and American Kestrel. A Peregrine Falcon observed on census on the 22nd was new for the Fall.

 

Thirteen warbler species were recorded on the 19th and thrushes remained active, with 18 Gray-cheeked and 15 Swainson's Thrushes banded on the day. In all, 66 birds of twenty species were captured and 56 species were noted during the 'count' period. Totals dropped off the next morning when just 37 species were recorded and 32 birds were banded of eight species.

 

The wind shifted to the northeast on the 21st but it remained warm, with a dawn temperature of 18 C. Migrants were few-and-far between with the exception of 12 Sharp-shins tallied on the census and small numbers of warblers and thrushes captured in the netting area. Activity picked up on the 22nd when 51 species were noted including good numbers of Winter Wrens (12 DT) and Magnolia Warblers (15 banded), among others.  

 

Warm winds continued from the south and migration was generally light during the final three days of the summary period, although small numbers of warblers and thrushes were observed and banded each day. The first Red-headed Woodpecker of the Fall was noted on census on the 25th. Kinglets and White-throated Sparrows were observed in increasing numbers as well.      

 

A total of 81 species was recorded at the Point this week during the official count period compared to 96 last week and there were seven Fall 'firsts', which brings the Fall species total to 136. In all, 229 birds were banded along with four recaptures in 393 net-hours, for an average catch-rate of .59 birds/net-hour.  

 

American Redstart photo - Kerry McGuire

 

PIBO's next summary will be posted on October 4th.        

 

Birds documented at Fish Point by PIBO staff from September 19th - 25th, 2008

 

Date

September

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Species

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Double-crested Cormorant

1.1K

17

2.2K

5.6

8K

167

57

Great Blue Heron

2

 

2

4

 

 

 

Turkey Vulture

 

 

 

 

 

 

8

Canada Goose

18

1

4

24

37

26

 

Wood Duck

 

9

7

 

1

 

 

1

Mallard

 

 

 

 

1

2

3

 

Red-breasted Merganser

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

Osprey

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bald Eagle

 

1

 

 

1

1

1

 

Sharp-shinned Hawk

2

1

13

4

9

6

4

Cooper's Hawk

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

American Kestrel

 

 

1

1

 

 

 

Merlin

 

1

 

1

2

 

 

 

Peregrine Falcon

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Wild Turkey

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Sora

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Black-bellied Plover

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

Killdeer

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Sanderling

 

16

 

1

 

1

 

 

Ring-billed Gull

211

4

53

38

90

22

2

Herring Gull

 

30

7

30

30

27

13

7

Great Black-backed Gull

20

15

9

40

8

25

9

Mourning Dove

3

3

3

4

4

5

2

Great Horned Owl

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Eastern Screech-Owl

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

3

1

1

1

 

 

 

Red-headed Woodpecker

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Red-bellied Woodpecker

1

1

1

1

 

1

1

Downy Woodpecker

1

2

2

1

2

3

4

Northern Flicker

6

2

3

8

6

4

5

Eastern Wood-Pewee

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

3

 

 

 

 

 

1

Least Flycatcher

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eastern Phoebe

 

 

 

2

1

 

 

Red-eyed Vireo

3

1

 

4

1

 

 

Philadelphia Vireo

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue-headed Vireo

1

 

 

2

 

 

1

Blue Jay

 

13

4

5

8

6

6

128

American Crow

2

2

3

2

4

2

4

Black-capped Chickadee

3

6

5

10

4

9

7

Red-breasted Nuthatch

1

2

3

1

1

1

2

Brown Creeper

1

 

 

 

 

 

2

Carolina Wren

2

4

2

3

2

2

2

House Wren 

3

 

 

1

1

1

1

Winter Wren 

1

2

1

12

4

8

6

Golden-crowned Kinglet

 

 

2

2

3

7

5

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 

 

2

3

2

5

2

American Robin

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Wood Thrush

2

2

1

2

1

1

1

Veery

 

1

 

 

 

1

 

 

Swainson's Thrush

15

13

9

5

7

5

5

Gray-cheeked Thrush

20

9

1

9

4

5

4

Gray Catbird 

 

1

2

4

1

1

3

Brown Thrasher

1

 

 

1

 

 

 

European Starling

12

9

3

8

2

5

41

American Pipit

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

Cedar Waxwing

16

3

5

10

 

30

16

Northern Parula

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tennessee Warbler

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Nashville Warbler

 

 

 

 

 

2

1

Chestnut-sided Warbler

1

1

 

 

 

 

 

Magnolia Warbler

5

8

2

16

6

8

3

Cape May Warbler

4

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black-throated Blue Warbler

4

2

1

5

 

4

 

Black-thr. Green Warbler

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Palm Warbler

2

 

1

1

 

 

 

Pine Warbler 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bay-breasted Warbler

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

Blackpoll Warbler

5

1

1

 

 

 

1

Black-and-white Warbler

1

 

1

 

 

1

 

American Redstart

11

2

1

2

 

2

2

Ovenbird

 

1

2

1

4

1

 

 

Northern Waterthrush

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Yellowthroat

4

3

1

2

 

 

1

Northern Cardinal

2

3

2

4

2

6

4

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

White-throated Sparrow

1

1

 

10

2

 

 

White-crowned Sparrow

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

Red-winged Blackbird

17

12

3

48

29

2

28

Common Grackle

1

 

2

 

 

18

4

American Goldfinch

9

4

4

1

15

 

13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPECIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day

 

56

37

43

51

38

36

43

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall 2008

 

130

130

131

134

135

135

136

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This period

 

81

 

Previous period

 

96

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weather- 1 hr. after sunrise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wind direction/strength1

S2

WSW3

NE3

SE3

SE3

SW4

SSE2

Visibility (km)

30

20

9

6

25

20

30

Cloud cover (0-10)

6

8

2

7

0

1

0

Temperature (o C)

17

18

18

15

19

19