April 14, 2010
 |
Dr.
David Aborn |
Dear Students:
Well, the calendar says it is a different week, but the migration report
is similar to last week's. The front I talked about weakened, so there
weren't any fallouts. The winds quickly shifted back to the south, which
allowed a steady stream of migrants to move across the country. Like last
week, there was a good diversity of species, and there were some that were
seen in high numbers. New arrivals in Texas included Yellow Warblers, Yellow-billed
Cuckoos, and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. Birders in Mississippi reported their
first grosbeaks as well, along with the first Chestnut-sided Warbler, and
many Orchard Orioles and Indigo Buntings. People in Alabama saw their first
cuckoos and Wood Thrushes, as well as high numbers of White-eyed Vireos,
Orchard Orioles, and Northern Parulas.
New arrivals at my study site over the past week include Prairie Warblers,
Red-eyed Vireos, and a Scarlet Tanager. I also awoke this morning to the
song of the first Wood Thrush; a pretty nice alarm clock if I do say so
myself!
The southerly winds have been pushing migrants ever northward. Ohio reported
their first Northern Parulas and Black-throated-green Warblers, along with
increasing numbers of Yellow-throated Warblers. Folks in Illinois saw their
first Northern Rough-winged Swallows, while birders in Missouri were treated
to their first Chestnut-sided Warblers. Birders in Syracuse, New York had
their first Louisiana Waterthrushes, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and Blue-headed
Vireos, and a Baltimore Oriole was seen in New York City. The most northerly
migrant sighting I received was a White-eyed Vireo seen all the way up
in Massachusetts.
The West did pretty well, too. Southern California birders reported good
numbers of Yellow-breasted Chats and Black-headed Grosbeaks, along with
Black-throated-gray Warblers, Nashville Warblers, and Wilson's Warblers.
Warblers were also the birds of the week in New Mexico and southeastern
Arizona. As in the East, good tail winds helped some migrants get pretty
far north, as large numbers of Vaux's Swifts were seen in Oregon.
What
Does This Week’s Weather Mean for Migration?
So how does this week look? OK, you know the drill! Take a look at the
weather map, and what do you see?
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-
You got it; another cold front is moving across the country. It does not have
much rain with it, but some good northerly winds are behind it. (Temperatures here in Chattanooga are expected to go from the mid-80's now, to the low 70's over the weekend). That should be enough to slow migrants down. In the Midwest and Gulf Coast, this should this take place during the middle and end of the week, while it will hit the eastern US this weekend. -
Since the front has already made it through the West and Southwest, winds should shift back to the south in another day or two, allowing the next group of migrants to arrive from the tropics.
There
is a lot going on, and the peak of migration for some of you is only
a week or two away! For others, your fun is just beginning. Either way,
make sure you get out and enjoy it!
David Aborn
North
Chickamauga Creek Conservancy
Chattanooga, TN
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