Morning Flight, 23-24 August 2016

Two previous nights of conditions conducive for migration, but perhaps not quite perfect for getting birds on the Cape, brought new arrivals and building numbers.  Cape May, Magnolia, and Black-throated Blue Warblers were new on Tuesday, and Red-breasted Nuthatches have truly announced their intentions of irruptive migration this autumn with no less than 9 individuals. 

One nuthatch in the third hour on Tuesday was extra inquisitive and flew around us atop the Higbee Dike.  Red-breasted Nuthatches are often easy to entice with pishing and imitations of their cute, squeaky voice--  "Meep meep, nert nert nurt, griff griff, etc!"  Well this particular nuthatch really liked the imitations approached with 2 feet of my shoulder 4 times!  After two minutes of bouncing around us it returned to the south treeline, when suddenly an early Merlin burst into pursuit.  The little "nert nert" got away, but I will be much more careful when speaking Nuthatch-ese next time!

23 August 2016

Counting period: 06:05 - 06:21 & 06:20 - 09:20 
Count type: all species
Weather (first period): wind NE3, temperature 19 ℃, 0 % cc, max viz, I visitor
Observers (first period): Glen Davis

N S N S N S Great Egret    2    -    Tree Swallow    2    -    American Redstart    132    1    Snowy Egret    7    1    Purple Martin    79    -    Cape May Warbler    1    -    warbler sp.    35    -    Barn Swallow    15    13    Northern Parula    1    -    Semipalmated Plover    -    1    Blue-gray Gnatcatcher    34    1    Magnolia Warbler    1    -    Killdeer    -    1    Red-breasted Nuthatch    9    -    Blackburnian Warbler    1    -    Short-billed Dowitcher    -    1    Northern Mockingbird    4    1    Yellow Warbler    31    -    Greater Yellowlegs    -    5    European Starling    7    13    Black-throated Blue Warbler    1    -    Semipalmated Sandpiper    -    2    American Robin    5    1    Prairie Warbler    5    -    Black Tern    -    1    House Finch    14    -    Bobolink    42    25    Mourning Dove    42    6    American Goldfinch    11    2    Baltimore Oriole    47    -    Chimney Swift    1    -    Ovenbird    1    -    Orchard Oriole    2    -    Merlin *    -    1    Worm-eating Warbler    2    -    Red-winged Blackbird    317    397    Eastern Kingbird    206    3    Louisiana/Northern Waterthrush    1    -    Brown-headed Cowbird    -    11    Great Crested Flycatcher    1    -    Northern Waterthrush    8    1    Common Grackle    9    2    Red-eyed Vireo    2    -    Blue-winged Warbler    1    -    Monarch    2    2    Cedar Waxwing    192    12    Black-and-white Warbler    15    -

Totals: 1792 individuals, 47 species, 3:16 hours Present: House Wren 1

Wednesday, 24 August 2016

Counting period: 06:06 - 08:21 
Count type: all species
Weather (first period): wind SE0, temperature 19 ℃, 0% cc, max viz
Observers (first period): Glen Davis

N S N S N S Tricolored Heron *    1    -    Barn Swallow    1    136    Black-and-white Warbler    2    -    Snowy Egret    4    -    Blue-gray Gnatcatcher    2    -    American Redstart    16    1    warbler sp.    6    -    Red-breasted Nuthatch    1    -    Yellow Warbler    4    -    Solitary Sandpiper    -    1    European Starling    -    2    Prairie Warbler    1    -    Turnstone    -    2    American Robin    -    1    Bobolink    -    1    Mourning Dove    16    17    House Sparrow    -    3    Baltimore Oriole    3    3    Ruby-throated Hummingbird    2    -    American Goldfinch    1    1    Orchard Oriole    1    -    Eastern Kingbird    8    48    Ovenbird    3    -    Red-winged Blackbird    31    1    Cedar Waxwing    5    4    Northern Waterthrush    6    2    Common Grackle    -    4    Purple Martin    3    -    Louisiana/Northern Waterthrush    2    -    Monarch    -    1

Totals: 347 individuals, 30 species, 2:15 hours Present: Eastern Kingbird 30