March 11, 2009
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Dr.
David Aborn |
Dear Students:
Spring is getting closer! The high-pressure area in the eastern US has
been parked off the coast, bringing southerly winds to the eastern
half of the country the past few days. (It was in the 80's here yesterday
and today.) Those winds have allowed more migrants to make their
way up from the tropics. I had 4 Purple Martins at my study site
this morning, and people in Georgia are reporting more Ruby-throated
Hummingbirds showing up at their feeders. Some of the Tree Swallows
people were seeing in Texas have made it up to Ohio, and robins have
returned to Ottawa, Canada!
There have also been southerly winds in the western US. These winds have
allowed another big influx of swallows (Violet-green, Barn, Cliff, and
Northern Rough-winged) into New Mexico, and people in southern Texas
saw a Northern Parula, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and a Wood Thrush. Birders
in the Los Angeles area also saw the first Orange-crowned Warbler and
Nashville Warbler.
What to Expect This Week
How does the coming weather look from a songbird’s point of view?
Things are going to change this week! Take a look at the weather map:
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Another cold front is in the middle of the country, which will bring a temporary end to the warm weather. Right now, those Tree Swallows I mentioned in Ohio are staying put, as rain and north winds make it bad for flying.
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That front will slowly be making its way east, so birds in the Midwest will be grounded another couple of days.
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By the end of the week, the Gulf coast and southeast will be much colder and rainier, so those migrants around now had better get moving soon.
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Out West, the weather looks good. There is no rain around, and winds are from the south. This means migrants arriving should have no trouble moving into the western and southwestern US.
Watch
For These Early Migrants!
In addition to swallows and martins, keep your eyes open for hummingbirds,
Yellow-throated Warblers, Northern Parulas, Prothonotary Warblers, and
White-eyed Vireos, as these are early migrants. Seeing them will be sign
of things to come!
Hopefully,
you are starting to get the hang of using a weather map to predict
where it might be good for migration. If not, keep practicing; you
want to be proficient when migration really gets going!
Take Care.
David Aborn
North
Chickamauga Creek Conservancy
Chattanooga, TN
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