Morning Flight – 28 August 2014

A really rallying flight day was given rise by a warm breeze from the north. We reached a diversity of 12 species of warblers, with 111 American Redstart out of 175 total warblers. The second and third most abundant parulids (belonging to Parulidae) were Northern Waterthrush (15) and Cape May Warbler (11). This counter loves seeing good flights of these, often in pairs, in August-- and that's the time for more adults. A moderate display of Eastern Kingbird activity, with 166 counted, was concentrated mostly along the east treeline. Two interesting waterbirds were Wilson's Snipe and a Green-winged Teal that did a lap around the impoundment which included a dip down low over the road.

Nearing the close of August the overall neotropical migrant passage is in full-swing and mid-season. Many more species should be counted in just the next few weeks while some very early birds like Louisiana Waterthrush and Orchard Oriole could be >95% through. Michael O'Brien just returned from a trip to Panama seeing arriving waterthrushes and Yellow Warblers. Yellow Warbler is somewhat like the "Northern Harrier" of the warblers at Morning Flight, being counted much earlier in summer and continuing well into October in small numbers. 

We could be in for SOMETHING OF A FLIGHT comparable or even bigger tomorrow as NW to NE winds continue through the night.

       Weather and time: sunny and humid; 75–77 ºF; winds NNW at 12-15 mph; 5% cloud cover; very good visibility; 0625 sunrise; 3.75 hours.
   
       Morning Flight Count totals: 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)  5
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  1
Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)  166
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus)  2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)  2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)  204
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis)  15
Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera)  1
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia)  7
Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)  1
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)  111
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina)  11
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)  4
Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia)  1
Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca)  1
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)  5
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens)  1     male
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens)  1
warbler sp. (Parulinae sp.)  21     a few could be NOWA and YWAR
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)  2
Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)  25
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)  4
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus)  17

Today's full list can be viewed at: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19595879

Gallinago (snipe) in the sunglare