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Weather and Migration
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Dear Students:
Birds, birds everywhere!
The cold front I mentioned last week, along with a second front that
followed close behind, combined with the peak of migration, have really
been forcing migrants down across the country. (Coincidently, April
26th was John James Audubon's birthday!). The Texas and Louisiana
coasts have
reported everything under the sun: hundreds of warblers, vireos, tanagers,
and grosbeaks. If you name it, they have probably seen it. We have
done pretty well here in Tennessee, too. A trip to a popular birding
spot
called Craven's House here in Chattanooga on April 24 was very successful.
With temperatures in the mid-30's and strong winds, a hearty group
of birders came up with 14 species of warblers, including the first
Tennessee
Warblers and Cape May Warblers. They also saw the first Baltimore Oriole
of the season. At my study site, the most numerous migrants were Yellow
Warblers, and I also saw the first Yellow-breasted Chat of the season.
From the mid-Atlantic to New England, as well as the Midwest, the story
has been similar. Good numbers of Black-and-white Warblers, Northern
Parulas, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Yellow-throated Vireos, Warbling Vireos,
Swainson's thrushes, and more have been seen in Washington, DC, Delaware,
Massachusetts, Maine, and Ohio.
Even the western US has been busy, especially in New Mexico and California.
After several weeks of slow migration, they are finally seeing their
share of migrants. Birders in New Mexico saw Gray Flycatchers, Dusky-capped
Flycatchers, Lucy's Warblers, Black-throated-gray Warblers, Grace's
Warblers, and Yellow Warblers. In California, it was Western Tanagers,
Bullock's
Orioles, Hermit Warblers, McGillivray's Warblers, and hundreds of Vaux's
Swifts.
Another Good Week Ahead for Birders!
This coming week should be another good one. A front that is now stationary
over the Rockies is supposed to start moving across the country in
another day or so. This will bring rain to the Gulf coast and Midwest
by Thursday
or Friday, and to the southeast and east by the weekend. Since we are
still in the peak of migration, that means there should be more good
fallouts across the country. After this week, spring migration will
begin winding down in the southern US, so get out there and enjoy while
you
can! Happy birding!
David Aborn
David
Aborn
North
Chickamauga Creek Conservancy, TN
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The Next Weather and Songbird Migration Update will Be Posted on May 3, 2005.
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