Weather and Migration Dr. David Aborn April 6 , 2005 Dear Students: Lots of birds, lots of birds! That front last week really forced a lot of birds to land, especially along the Gulf Coast. Louisiana and Mississippi saw the greatest assortment, including the first Kentucky Warblers, Tennessee Warblers and Scarlet Tanagers, as well as some very early Yellow-billed Cuckoos. Cuckoos usually don't show up until the end of April. Over the weekend, the front moved east, and brought some strong north winds with it. We had quite a few migrants around here, as well as in Georgia and South Carolina on April 2 and 3. Birders on Kennesaw Mountain, GA saw 7 species of warblers, while people in South Carolina saw 8 species. We had Cerulean Warblers, Black-throated-green Warblers, and Louisiana Waterthrushes in Tennessee. I still haven't seen any warblers at my study site at the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy, but there are certainly many Blue-gray Gnatcatchers around. The 4th and 5th saw the return of sunny skies and southerly winds, so many birds headed north. Missouri, Illinois, Washington, DC, Kentucky, and New Jersey all reported an increase in the number of migrants. Last week was another quiet week out west. New Mexico had Lucy's Warblers, Yellow Warblers, and Swainson's Hawks, and Californians saw another Baltimore Oriole. Swallows have made it as far north as Oregon. What's the Outlook for Birdwatchers This Week? This week looks like another good period for the Gulf Coast. Another cold front is moving across the center of the country, bringing heavy rains and strong northerly winds. Temperatures have been in the low 80's, but will drop down into the 60's after the front moves through. You know what that means...fallout! Also like last week, the front should reach the eastern US by the weekend, so the Southeast can expect to see a nice diversity of birds. By that time, winds farther west will back from the south, so the Midwest should see an influx of migrants, and the mid-Atlantic and Northeast can expect the same by the beginning of next week. There are plenty of migrants yet to come. A fellow Tennessee birder who is in Costa Rica recently reported, "Black-throated-green, Wilson's, and Tennessee Warblers are pretty common. Baltimore Orioles are in full plumage along with a few Summer, Scarlet and Hepatic Tanagers. Last night we went for a night walk. Among other creatures, we saw sleeping Wood Thrushes, Swainson's Thrushes, Ovenbirds, and Wilson's Warblers. It is just a little bizarre to see them roosting so far from home." See what we have to look forward to!!! Take care. David Aborn North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy, TN Click to enlarge The Next Weather and Songbird Migration Update will Be Posted on April13, 2005. Copyright 1996-2005 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form