MIGRATION SUMMARY – SEPTEMBER 19^th – 25^th, 2007

 

Pelee Island Bird Observatory (PIBO)

 

There were lots of new arrivals this week and migrants were reasonably active despite average dawn temperatures of 19° C and just one day of north winds. Ten Fall ‘firsts’ were recorded on the 20^th including Golden-crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler and Dark-eyed Junco. Seven raptor species were tallied this week and sparrows were a little more active as well. Overall, migration was generally slow-but-steady during the summary period.       

 

September 19^th    

 

Warm weather, southwest winds and very few migrants in the area – thirty species tallied on the day and seven birds captured during thirty-five net-hours (.20 birds/net-hour).  

 

September 20^th  

 

A considerable increase in activity with fifty species recorded during the morning count period and forty-six birds banded of thirteen species. Many new Fall ‘firsts’ and a season-high to-date of 415 Blue Jays. Eleven warbler species noted including the first Northern Parula of the Fall.  

 

September 21^st     

 

Not as many birds this-morning but a nice variety including four raptor, five thrush and seven warbler spp. The first American Pipit of the Fall was noted on the census.     

 

September 22^nd     

 

A similar day to the 21^st although quiet for the most-part with the exception of small numbers of Sharp-shinned Hawks (3 banded), a banded Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, and Fall-firsts for Lesser Scaup, Peregrine Falcon and Greater Yellowlegs.     

 

September 23^rd    

 

Migrants were active this-morning with fifty species recorded and thirty-seven birds banded of thirteen species (.62 birds/net-hour). Blue Jays and Gray-cheeked Thrushes were numerous along with ones-and-twos of eight warbler spp. New arrivals for the Fall included Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Blue-headed Vireo and Brown Creeper.   

 

September 24^th

 

There were fewer birds in the area today with forty-four species counted and twenty birds banded – thrushes made up most of the captures along with four warbler spp.  

 

September 25^th   

 

It was 22° C before dawn which, along with warm southwest winds, made for a quiet morning. Migrants were few-and-far between apart from some Chimney Swifts, Blue Jays, Swainson’s and Gray-cheeked Thrushes.    

 

Eighty-six species were recorded at the Point this week compared to seventy-six last week and twenty Fall ‘firsts’ were tallied, which brings the season species count to 144. In all, 186 birds were banded and two recaptured during 360 net-hours for a catch-rate of .52 birds/net-hour.

 

Sharp-shinned Hawk photo – Claire Sanders

 

Next week’s summary will be posted on October 4^th.  

 

Birds Documented at Fish Point   September 19^th – 25^th, 2007 

    

Date	September	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Species
Double-crested Cormorant		40	27	43		2K	4.2K	26
Great Blue Heron		1	1			1
Canada Goose			8		18	14	36	29
Lesser Scaup					2
Redhead							4
Osprey							1
Bald Eagle					1			1
Northern Harrier			1	1		1	1
Sharp-shinned Hawk		5	13	12	10	12	5	5
American Kestrel		1	2	1		1
Merlin			1	2	1	1	1	1
Peregrine Falcon					1
Wild Turkey		11
Killdeer								3
Greater Yellowlegs					1
Solitary Sandpiper						1	1
Spotted Sandpiper		1
Ring-billed Gull		32	20	8	22	42	42	60
Herring Gull		29	24	6	40	35	5	35
Great Black-backed Gull		50	40	1	40	30	25	20
Mourning Dove			1			1	1
Great Horned Owl			1	1		1	1
Chimney Swift								5
Ruby-throated Hummingbird						1
Belted Kingfisher							1	2
Red-headed Woodpecker		1
Red-bellied Woodpecker				1
Downy Woodpecker		2	4	3	1	3	2	1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker						1	1
Yellow-shafted Flicker		4	15	5		3	6	2
Eastern Wood-Pewee			1
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher			1		1
Red-eyed Vireo		1		1
Blue-headed Vireo						1
Blue Jay		45	415	141	96	116	71	132
American Crow		3	7	4	3	1	2	1
Horned Lark							1
N. Rough-winged Swallow		3
Barn Swallow		11
Black-capped Chickadee		2	1	5	1	2	2	3
Red-breasted Nuthatch		4	10	5	2	6	5	3
White-breasted Nuthatch			1				1	1
Brown Creeper						1	1
Carolina Wren			1			1
House Wren				1		1
Winter Wren			2		2	1
Golden-crowned Kinglet			1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet			2	2		1	1	1
American Robin				2		2	2	1
Wood Thrush		1		3	2		1
Veery		1
Swainson's Thrush		2	14	12	10	13	9	5
Gray-cheeked Thrush			11	2	3	13	7	8
Hermit Thrush			2	1		1		1
Gray Catbird			1	2	2
Brown Thrasher				1		1	1
European Starling		9	33	14		2	49
American Pipit				1			3
Cedar Waxwing		4	3		2	2	2
Northern Parula			1
Nashville Warbler		1			1	1	1
Magnolia Warbler			7	6		3	1
Black-throated Blue Warbler			5	4	2	2		2
Yellow-rumped Warbler						3	6
Black-thr. Green Warbler				1	1
Western Palm Warbler			2			1		1
Bay-breasted Warbler			1
Blackpoll Warbler		1	1	2
Black-and-white Warbler			2
American Redstart			5	2	2	2
Ovenbird			5	1	1	2	2	3
Northern Waterthrush				1		1
Common Yellowthroat			1
Wilson's Warbler							1
Northern Cardinal		2	2		1	2	2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak							2
Savannah Sparrow						1
White-throated Sparrow			3	1		2	6
Lincoln's Sparrow						1
Swamp Sparrow			1
Dark-eyed Junco			4			3
Red-winged Blackbird		43	59	9		23	10
Common Grackle		17	10			6
Purple Finch			1
House Finch				1			1
American Goldfinch		14	26	10	2	14	7	3
SPECIES
Day		30	50	39	29	50	44	27
Fall 2007		124	134	135	138	142	144	144
This period		86		Previous period				76
September		19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Weather - 1 hr after sunrise
Wind direction/strength1		SW2	NE2	S1	W3	E3	SW1	SW3
Visibility (km)		25	30	10	15	30	30	20
Cloud cover (0-10)		0	0	0	2	0	0	6
Temperature o C)		19	19	18	21	14	18	22
Precipitation
1 Beaufort scale