Dr. David Aborn's final spring report, plus a nesting update from the Loon Preservation Committee
Dr. David Aborn has written his final weather and songbird migration update of the spring, also touching on a research project he's currently working on involving wood thrushes.
"Another spring migration has come to a close. In the northern US, migration is starting to wane, but there is still a good bit of movement occurring."
Loons
Loon migration is over, but we have an update from our New Hampshire-based partners at the Loon Preservation Committee about what loons are up to this time of year:
Read the Loon Preservation Committee's loon fact of the month >
Oriole updates
A few oriole reports continue to trickle in, including a pair of Bullock's oriole reports from the western United States. We even got a report from a video call. From Emily:
"I live in Massachusetts but I was on a FaceTime with my sister in Saratoga Springs Utah and heard a beautiful song and she flipped her camera to show a male and female Bullock’s Oriole in the smoke bush and on a shed next to her!"
In Emigrant, Montana, Dorothy reported a Bullock's oriole on May 26, writing, "Saw our first male Bullock's Oriole feeding on a cut orange on our deck railing. Saw the male and a female feeding on the fresh oranges 5/27/2024."
Lorna in Parkland Beach, Alberta, between Edmonton and Calgary, shared a photo of a Baltimore oriole at a hummingbird feeder, saying, "Spotted at both of my Hummingbird feeders tonight around 8:00PM."
Sandra in Clinton, Connecticut, captured a shot of an oriole cleaning off in a bird bath on May 23, writing, "Nice clean oriole. Beautiful!"
Barn swallows
A few more barn swallow reports have come in since our last update as well. Kenneth N in Langdon, New Hampshire wrote on June 1, "Annual return to the neighborhood build [nests] in my neighbor's barn. See them swooping around in the evenings above our property with that distinctive chatter and tail."
"First bird seen," wrote Rick in Lake Park, Minnesota on May 24. "Trying to get into the shed. No pic."
Continued reporting
While the time has likely passed for most people to report their first sightings of loons and many other species, your continued reporting is still important. Keep reports coming, whether it's your first sighting of a hummingbird or barn swallow or observations of other species throughout the summer, such as with robins nesting. Click here to submit your sightings to Journey North.
