View from the Field: Morning Flight

Now we're talking! Today's Morning Flight migration event included 759 warblers and at least 300 Eastern Kingbird. Flight activity was greatest 40-70 minutes after sunrise. The winds increased from the east throughout the three hours counted and served to well-shut down things by the middle of the third hour. Well-seen warbler highlights were Louisiana Waterthrush, Prothonotary, Tenessee, Cape May, and Pine Warbler. The first Red-bellied Woodpecker and empidonax flycatcher of the season were also 'doing it'. Swallows and blackbirds were slightly less in evidence since yesterday, but the neotropical migrants really came in with a good showing on the northeast wind.

This counter will note that northeast winds often cause the primary flight-line of warblers to be off to the east, over the impoundment, and today, very much in the sun-- making for difficult viewing conditions-- don't worry, today's warbler-watchers present on the dike scarcely heard a complaint coming from my direction (If only that were true, hee hee).

Weather and time: partly cloudy; 66–70ºF; NE at 8 mph for hour 1; NE at 12 mph for hour 2; NE at 12-15 mph for hour 3; 5% cloud cover; excellent visibility; 0621 sunrise; 3.25 hours.

Morning Flight Count totals:

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) 9
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 1
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 1
Empidonax sp. (Empidonax sp.) 1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 300
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 17
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 2
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 23
Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorum) 1
Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) 1
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) 35
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 23
Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) 1
Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina) 1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 341
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) 4
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 5
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 81
Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) 1
Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor) 1
warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.) 66
Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea) 1
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 6
Dickcissel (Spiza americana) 1
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) 66
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 7
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 35
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) 1
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 13

Today's full list can be viewed at: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19558175