Morning Flight - Thursday, August 2, 2018

Today was a slower day than yesterday, but it had some interesting moments nonetheless! Mild south winds continue, but with a slight westerly component. If these winds keep up as predicted, maybe we’ll get a Lark Sparrow soon (August is a good time for vagrant ones).

In terms of actual, non-hypothetical movement, aerial insectivores continue to move in numbers in similar proportions to yesterday’s flight, but there were clearly some individuals that felt content to hang around the point and forage on floating insects (or aerial plankton, if you will). Dozens of Barn Swallows with a few Purple Martins kept gradually working their south way along the bayshore before turning into the wind and drifting back to where they started. Good company.

I wonder how many insects this juvenile Barn Swallow will devour between here and its final wintering destination in South America. 

You thought I wouldn't post a Purple Martin photo on back-to-back blogs?
You thought wrong. 

Yellow Warblers were the overwhelming warbler of the morning with 31 southbound individuals, but little else was moving warbler-wise. Icterids kept going in similar fashion with showings from Red-winged Blackbird and Common Grackle, with a couple of bonus Orchard Orioles.

Without a doubt my favorite part of the morning was seeing at least 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoos headed north, with another southbound individual that may or may not have been a repeat. I long for a good flight shot of one, but they have a tendency to stay low and against cover, so it will take some luck. Cuckoos are certainly loved among birders, but I feel like they would be even more appreciated if more people saw them in open flight as opposed to the more characteristic view through canopy shade and poor lighting. Their surprisingly large size and broad but pointed wings (much like a Peregrine) somehow meshes with their long, sleek profile, pearly white underparts, and the rufous flash in their primaries. Truly, Coccyzus are among the classiest of birds.

A few other interesting moments spiced up the morning: a group of Blue Jays moved north warily between tree cover before turning tail at the canal and passing right in front of me!

This individual is clearly a juvenile, but I wish I got an age on the other individuals.
Was it a family group, or a little gang of juvies? Accurate age assessment = insight! 

Additionally, a pair of Gull-billed Terns (another classy species) made a pass over the dike and called once before heading south. Not too much later, a lone Horned Lark (rare in the Cape Island in late summer/early fall) flew directly west out over the Delaware Bay. Gooooo dispersal!

As always, you can find the link to the official count on Trektellen here and the complete eBird checklist here.

Bring on Day 3!