Last Days of Spring Migration

Walking in the woods was a joy yesterday. The sweet smells of Chinese privet and honeysuckle filled the air. The bees busily gathered nectar from the privet and grapevines. Giant Swallowtails, Pipevine Swallowtails and a couple of Monarchs also feasted on the flowers. The wind was strong and that made looking in the tops of the trees difficult. But, there were several birds in the woods. I added three new ones for the year - Bay-breasted Warbler, Magnolia Warbler and Acadian Flycatcher. I have probably seen the flycatcher before, but they look so similar to four other species of flycatcher that come through here that I don't count them unless I hear them call. The Magnolia Warbler was one of the first birds I saw as I entered the woods. He was hopping around in some yaupon thickets. It has always been my experience that when the Magnolia Warblers show up, migration is just about over. There were several throughout the woods. The Bay-breasted Warbler was hanging around with a mixed group of Carolina Chickadees and Red-eyed Vireos. Seeing him gave me what I like to call "The Big Three" for the year - Chestnut-sided Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler and Bay-breasted Warbler. I'm not sure what it is about those three that I like to see every year, but they are high on my list each migration. The Acadian Flycatcher was showing off his flycatching abilities along with an Eastern Wood-Pewee. He would fly off a dead branch, catch an insect, fly back to the branch and sing. It was a lot of fun watching him! I haven't seen nearly as many Indigo Buntings, so they must be moving on north. Several Yellow-billed Cuckoos called their frog-like call. Swallows and swifts flew overhead almost constantly. Kentucky Warblers and a Hooded Warbler called from deep within tangled understory.

The Purple Martins that showed up last Sunday have just about completed their nest in gourd #5 on my gourd rack. I keep checking hoping to see a pure white egg in the nest, but nothing yet. The SY male that has been trying to attract a female is still not giving up. He sits on top of the house and sings frequently. He may end up being an unmated bird this year, but will return next year and have more success. The unmated males actually serve a purpose at martin colonies. They will hang around throughout the breeding season. When the young martins fledge, these unmated males will harass them and give them a negative impression on the colony. Next year, those newly fledged birds will not return to their natal colony, but will join a new one or establish a new colony. The gene pool is kept much cleaner that way. So, unless a late-arriving female joins the SY male out there, I'll have one pair again, but should have more next year. Hopefully they'll arrive sooner next year and be here to sing their dawnsong to attract more SY birds to the colony.

The Eastern Bluebird eggs should hatch on Monday, May 17. There are five eggs again. I still haven't seen the young from the first brood. Normally they come to my birdbath within two or three weeks of fledging. I've seen the parents flying around, but the juveniles have been absent. I hope they're okay. The first year of life for a songbird is extremely perilous. Fewer than half of all the birds that hatch this year will live to see their first birthday. That's why they have so many at a time. I'm thinking of trying a time-lapse photo session with the bluebird chicks this time and seeing how it goes. I'll take pictures every day at the same time (weather permitting of course!) and then put them into my video editing software and creating a video that shows each day of their development. That could be fun. I hope they cooperate!

Birds seen 5/10/10 (37 species): Great Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eurasian Collared-Dove, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Barred Owl, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher*, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, European Starling, Northern Parula, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler*, Bay-breasted Warbler*, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, House Sparrow