Spring 2011 Report

With spring migration winding down, I start looking at the birds that I missed during spring migration. This year featured particularly lower warbler numbers (18 species). I'm not sure the reason, but the howling south winds throughout the spring may have had something to do with it. They just didn't stop, and if they did, they didn't stop long. The warblers I missed on the property this spring are:

Nashville Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler
Canada Warbler

Non-warbler species that I missed on the property this spring are:
Black-billed Cuckoo
Acadian Flycatcher
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Yellow-throated Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Veery
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Orchard Oriole

It's still possible for me to see Kentucky Warbler and Acadian Flycatcher since they nest around here. Of course, I can see nearly all of them in the fall except Blackpoll Warbler when they come south.

As I began looking at the birds I missed, I started wondering what the percentage of years I've seen each species. I've been keeping spring migration records since the spring of 2004, so this makes the eighth year. Here is a list of the warblers and the percentage of years I've seen them:

Blue-winged Warbler - 88%
Golden-winged Warbler - 38%
Tennessee Warbler - 100%
Nashville Warbler - 25%
Northern Parula - 100%
Yellow Warbler - 63%
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 88%
Magnolia Warbler - 88%
Black-throated Green Warbler - 100%
Blackburnian Warbler - 88%
Yellow-throated Warbler - 63%
Bay-breasted Warbler - 75%
Blackpoll Warbler - 50%
Cerulean Warbler - 50%
Black-and-white Warbler - 100%
American Redstart - 88%
Prothonotary Warbler - 13%
Worm-eating Warbler - 88%
Ovenbird - 75%
Northern Waterthrush - 25%
Louisiana Waterthrush - 38%
Kentucky Warbler - 50%
Hooded Warbler - 100%
Canada Warbler - 50%
Yellow-breasted Chat - 88%

That's one thing that makes birdwatching so fun - it's never the same. One year to the next is completely different and you never really know what to expect. One day to the next is different. It's constantly changing, even within the normal patterns of migration.

So far the Eastern Bluebirds haven't begun building a second nest. It's only been a week since the babies fledged, so it will probably be a least another week before they start thinking of brood number two.

I got a couple more good pictures with the BirdCam on Sunday, May 8.

A Chestnut-sided Warbler


A variety of birds including a Yellow Warbler, Indigo Bunting and Northern Cardinal

May 2, 2011

This morning I walked outside and was greeted by north winds, cool temperatures and lower humidity. The birds were very active today just about everywhere! A flock of Cedar Waxwings flew in to check if there were any ripe mulberries on the tree. Carolina Chickadees and Carolina Wrens attended to begging youngsters. It was the best species total of the spring - 51. There were no FOS (first of season) birds today, but quite a variety. I'm looking forward to walking down in the morning with these stronger north winds and see what all stayed overnight!

Some of the more interesting sightings today were large flocks of swallows flying low over the trees feeding. I couldn't see what kind of insect they were preying on, but they were going after something. I kept expecting two of them to run into each other as fast as they were flying, but never saw a collision. A lone Anhinga flew overhead. There were three female and one male Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the feeders in the woods. They seem to like peanuts. While walking along the gully, a Belted Kingfisher flew in and announced his presence with his rattle call.

My BirdCam was quite active today. I put an empty card in around 4:00 on Sunday. At 6:00 pm tonight, it had 370 pictures on it! Here are a couple of my favorites:

American Redstart (female), Red-eyed Vireo (on fence), Baltimore Oriole, Tufted Titmouse, Black-and-white Warbler (right)

American Redstart (male)

And one from yesterday:

Golden-winged Warbler - a near-threatened warbler species

I have been very pleased with my BirdCam this spring! I'm glad I was able to provide some water for the birds. It's the best way to get photos of the widest variety of birds, but it also provides water that is hard to find with the drought conditions.

You can see all of my BirdCam images here.

Birds Seen 5/2/11 (51 species): Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Anhinga, Great Egret, White Ibis, Turkey Vulture, Mississippi Kite, Cooper's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, White-winged Dove, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Common Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, White-eyed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Cliff Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Swainson's Thrush, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Golden-winged Warbler, Northern Parula, Yellow Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler, Summer Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Baltimore Oriole, House Sparrow