Morning Flight - Friday, August 24, 2018

Autumn took another big step forward at the Higbee dike this morning. Winds overnight were light from the north/northwest, with clear skies allowing lows to dip into the mid-60s-- likely the coolest temps seen locally since the count commenced August 1. These conditions also allowed for a good nocturnal flight, and my pre-dawn walk around the streets of Cape May Court House was set to the soundtrack of American Redstart flight calls.

 [Early-fall flights at Higbee are frequently dominated by American Redstart. 

Photo © Andrew Dreelin.]

Unsurprisingly, redstarts were also the primary movers once the sun came up. The day's total of 464 represented the young season's highest to date, with most passing by during the first 90 minutes after sunrise. We hoped that diversity would be better today, given it was the second day after passage of a cold front and more birds appeared to move on lighter winds overnight. The count's first Golden-winged Warbler, Cape May Warblers (3), Nashville Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Summer Tanager of the season were all great to see. Chestnut-sided Warbler and Baltimore Oriole both appear to solidly be "in" now, with 8 and 57 on today's tally sheet, respectively. Another addition to the season list was Blue-winged Warbler--certainly an expected migrant on August 24, but the morning's total of 8 was less expected and apparently represents the highest single-day total in count history.

 [A Blue-winged Warbler darts past the dike. Photo © Andrew Dreelin.]

Red-breasted Nuthatch also contributed a main storyline today. Following scattered reports from coastal areas to the north in recent weeks, a couple were found yesterday-- but today featured an obvious arrival. Our total of 24 was supplemented by 10+ detected in the Higbee fields, and a few others noted elsewhere. It will be interesting to see how this year's movement plays out. In some years there is a distinct and brief peak during late August, with numbers fading through the rest of the fall. In other years, numbers remain elevated through the count period, particularly during October. There's only one way to know how the 2018 movement will play out; stay tuned!

Count totals can be found here; complete morning list here.

[Totals of Red-breasted Nuthatch recorded at Morning Flight over the past decade.]

[One of 24 Red-breasted Nuthatches tallied this morning. Photo © Andrew Dreelin.]