Birds were migrating last night, from Florida all the way up through New Jersey. Winds aloft were favorable for migration, and even though a line of thunderstorms was draped over New Jersey, birds appeared unfazed. The winds above and below the frontal line were relatively similar, making it possible for birds to push through the precipitation and go right on moving. Since it’s still early in the year, species composition is not expected to change much, although it will be interesting to see what concentrations of birds look like this morning. Cape May (because of the obvious influx of birds from the south) and Garret Mountain (because of its consistency as a spring migrant trap) would be good bets for this morning, although migration was widespread, so any little woodlot should be checked! Please come back and post feedback if you do get out this morning.
Good Birding
Get your woodcreeper.com bumper stickers here, and other cool gear
at our new CafePress online store
3 responses to “Big northeast migration”
This morning in Belleplain State Forest for a quick walk around produced the “first of the year” Louisiana Waterthrush.
Also had alot of Pine Warblers, a few Brown Creepers singing (beautiful song) and a few Eastern Phoebes.
Tarkiln Pond on Weatherby Road had displaying Wood Ducks and a few Tree Swallows flying early
Thanks for reporting, Karen!
Tonight (just got back, 7:47pm) there were the season’s max of woodcocks- totalling 8 displaying at all times…awesome!
Here’s my list from this morning:
Daily Walk Report
Date: 23-Mar-07 WindDesc: none Temp(F): 40
StartTime: 6:45 AM WindDir: CloudCover: none
EndTime: 8:30 AM Location: HMF
Notes: Big migration last night. Many more birds singing. FOS
EASPHO singing by the aviary. MANY BRHECO’s all
around the property. Walked the display fields and woods
loop out to trail behind Saul and Judy’s and the aviary.
English Name Scientific Name
Chickadee sp. Poecile sp.
Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor
Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
Fish Crow Corvus ossifragus
Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata
Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus
Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia
Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater
Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca
Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula
Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa
Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe
American Woodcock Scolopax minor
Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis
Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla
Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
American Robin Turdus migratorius
I spent the morning 3/23/07 at Garret Mt. and boy did things change from yesterday.
Hundreds of birds arrived in the park and spent the morning foraging. Possible Pine Warblers may have been heard on top of Wilson Ave. 44 Species seen by me today. A few more added on byothers.
New arrivals:
2 Great Blue Herons, which spent a short time on New St. Res. before moving on
2 Great Egret, 1 on Barbour’s Pond and 1 flyover
Other highlights
2 Wood Ducks
14 Ring-necked Ducks (New St.)
9 Hooded Mergansers (New St.)
2 Common Merganser (1 male on Barbour’s)
1 Sharpie
1 Cooper’s Hawk
1 Red-tailed Hawk
3 Killdeer (flyover)
8 American Woodcock
1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Wilson Ave.)
5 Northern Flicker (Season High for me)
1 Pileated Woodpecker (Finally saw the rumored bird in the park, Male)
18 Eastern Phoebe (everywhere)
120+ Blue Jays (everywhere, at least 1 mimicking a Flicker, Red-tailed Hawk
and Crow)
1 Brown Creeper (Stables)
800+ Robins (Everywhere, but hundreds on the large field atop the park,
hundreds moved on as well)
2 Eastern Towhees
21 Fox Sparrows (seen in 2’s, 3’s, and 4’s all round the park and Wilson Ave.)
200+ Song Sparrows
300+ Dark-eyed Juncos (everywhere)
13 Rusty Blackbirds (conservative #, there may have been some flying over
this morning, 5 in the wet area, 5-6 off the Bridle Path (white trail))
I talked with Pete Both who birded there in the afternoon and he said he had 4 additional Common Mergansers, American Tree Sparrow, and Golden-crowned Kinglet. He says he flushed at least 8 Woodcock himself and had more in 1 part of the park than I did. So Garret could have held at least a dozen Woodcock of Friday.