For the first time this year, a mega-flight occurred on Friday (which, coincidentally, is my day off)! Thus Sam Galick had the distinct honor of counting 2012's first five-digit flight (15,000+). And just like that, we've turned a figurative fall corner. Following the diverse September warbler flights when Yellow-rumped Warblers were not a major player, they arrived en masse today (4610; 83% of the identified warbler flight). Comparatively, only a miniscule 199 Yellow-rumped Warblers had been registered before today's flight. Unless something miraculous happens, there will not be another major warbler flight this year that Yellow-rumped Warblers fail to dominate.
A few other species flew in serious numbers today, notably, Red-bellied Woodpeckers (50), Eastern Phoebes (48), Red-breasted Nuthatches (427), White-breasted Nuthatches (7), and Black-throated Green Warblers (67) - all season high-counts. Today's fifty Red-bellied Woodpeckers moves this year's total up to 157, the first time that triple-digits have been broken at Morning Flight. Likewise, Red-breasted Nuthatches are now up to 2212 for the season, almost twice as high as the second-highest season total (1296 in 2010). And after dismal seasons, Nashville Warblers (15) and Black-throated Green Warblers (67) nearly equaled their season totals today!
Finally, today's Brown Creeper (1), Field Sparrow (1), and Rusty Blackbirds (3) were all morning flight firsts for 2012.
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 50
A few other species flew in serious numbers today, notably, Red-bellied Woodpeckers (50), Eastern Phoebes (48), Red-breasted Nuthatches (427), White-breasted Nuthatches (7), and Black-throated Green Warblers (67) - all season high-counts. Today's fifty Red-bellied Woodpeckers moves this year's total up to 157, the first time that triple-digits have been broken at Morning Flight. Likewise, Red-breasted Nuthatches are now up to 2212 for the season, almost twice as high as the second-highest season total (1296 in 2010). And after dismal seasons, Nashville Warblers (15) and Black-throated Green Warblers (67) nearly equaled their season totals today!
Finally, today's Brown Creeper (1), Field Sparrow (1), and Rusty Blackbirds (3) were all morning flight firsts for 2012.
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 50
Yellow-belled Sapsucker - 8
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Hairy Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker - 164
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 4
Empidonax sp. - 1
Empidonax sp. - 1
Eastern Phoebe - 48
Red-eyed Vireo - 29
Blue-headed Vireo - 3
Blue-headed Vireo - 3
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 427
White-breasted Nuthatch - 7
White-breasted Nuthatch - 7
Brown Creeper - 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 13
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 13
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 20
kinglet sp. - 1
kinglet sp. - 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 1
American Robin - 27
Catharus sp. - 4
Catharus sp. - 4
American Pipit - 1
Cedar Waxwing - 731
Tennessee Warbler - 17
Nashville Warbler - 15
Northern Parula - 156
Yellow Warbler - 2
Magnolia Warbler - 10
Cape May Warbler - 5
Black-throated Blue Warbler - 66
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 4610
Black-throated Green Warbler - 67
Blackburnian Warbler - 1
Prairie Warbler - 1
Palm Warbler - 389
Bay-breasted Warbler - 4
Blackpoll Warbler - 95
"Baypoll" Warbler - 109
"Baypoll" Warbler - 109
Black-and-white Warbler - 20
American Redstart - 10
Ovenbird - 1
Connecticut Warbler - 1
warbler sp. - 7809
Scarlet Tanager - 14
Field Sparrow - 1
Chipping Sparrow - 9
Field Sparrow - 1
Chipping Sparrow - 9
Savannah Sparrow - 28
Dark-eyed Junco - 4
Dark-eyed Junco - 4
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 3
Blue Grosbeak - 1
Blue Grosbeak - 1
Indigo Bunting - 57
Dickcissel - 1
Rusty Blackbird - 3
Baltimore Oriole - 1
Rusty Blackbird - 3
Baltimore Oriole - 1
Purple Finch - 13
Pine Siskin - 169
Total =15,234
Other highlights included a great flight of Blue Jays (650) and the season-high count for Boat-tailed Grackles (43).
