MIGRATION SUMMARY FROM AUGUST 1st - 7th, 2008

 

Pelee Island Bird Observatory (PIBO)

 

 

After a busy and productive summer and a bit of a break in July, the PIBO team started-up our 6th Fall migration coverage season at Fish Point on August 1st. The following is a brief synopsis of bird activity during the summary period.  

 

In keeping with the time of year, most of the birds recorded at the Point this week were locally-fledged young and moulting adults, including small numbers of Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Eastern Wood Pewees, House Wrens, Yellow Warblers and Indigo Buntings, among others. It was warm and somewhat humid, with dawn temperatures reaching 24º C on the 1st and 5th, winds were variable, and there was little precipitation. An average daily total of thirty-six species was recorded at the station from the 1st - 7th and 55 species were tallied during the week.

 

In addition to the local activity, a small number of early migrants were observed on a daily basis. Nine shorebird species were recorded during the summary period ranging from a few dozen Sanderlings to ones-and-twos of Semipalmated Plover, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers. Three American Avocets on census on the 5th were a treat, and a first for the station. While migrant songbird activity was limited, a few individuals were noted moving south, including small numbers of a variety of swallow species.       

 

A total of 55 species was recorded at the Point this week during the official count period. Fourteen birds were banded of seven species during 175 net-hours for an average catch-rate of .08 birds/net-hour.  

 

PIBO's next summary will be posted on August 16th.    

 

 

Birds Documented at Fish Point by PIBO staff from August 1st - 7th, 2008

 

Date

August

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Species

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Double-crested Cormorant

3

13

52

260

180

110

94

Great Blue Heron

3

 

1

 

 

2

 

Turkey Vulture

 

5

2

 

23

1

 

Canada Goose

 

 

 

 

3

 

 

Mallard

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

2

Bald Eagle

 

1

 

 

1

1

 

1

Northern Harrier

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Semipalmated Plover

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Killdeer

 

6

4

5

3

3

4

5

American Avocet

 

 

 

 

3

 

 

Spotted Sandpiper

1

3

2

2

3

2

7

Ruddy Turnstone

1

 

1

2

 

 

 

Sanderling

 

4

4

4

9

19

7

4

Semipalmated Sandpiper

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Least Sandpiper

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

American Woodcock

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Bonaparte's Gull

30

30

18

25

 

1

1

Ring-billed Gull

3

27

70

70

111

11

730

Herring Gull

 

40

80

29

12

94

18

27

Great Black-backed Gull

1

8

 

 

12

 

 

Caspian Tern

 

 

 

 

1

1

 

Common Tern

254

260

330

300

150

35

200

Mourning Dove

2

4

1

6

1

2

2

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

 

1

2

1

1

3

1

Black-billed Cuckoo

1

1

 

 

 

1

 

Red-bellied Woodpecker

 

1

1

1

1

1

1

Downy Woodpecker

3

 

4

3

4

6

3

Northern Flicker

4

3

3

1

2

3

3

Eastern Wood-Pewee

1

4

2

3

3

4

4

Great Crested Flycatcher

 

 

1

2

 

 

 

Eastern Kingbird

4

4

4

 

5

9

3

Red-eyed Vireo

 

2

2

1

1

1

 

Blue Jay

 

1

3

2

2

5

2

4

American Crow

 

1

4

 

3

2

 

Purple Martin

1

3

3

2

 

1

3

N. Rough-winged Swallow

1

 

 

2

 

2

2

Bank Swallow

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Tree Swallow

2

 

 

1

 

1

3

Barn Swallow

11

8

9

4

4

5

12

Black-capped Chickadee

4

4

7

6

2

7

6

Carolina Wren

5

4

4

4

4

5

6

House Wren

 

5

5

3

3

3

2

4

American Robin

16

29

33

24

8

17

11

Wood Thrush

 

 

 

1

1

 

 

European Starling

 

 

8

2

 

2

 

Cedar Waxwing

14

12

9

8

8

10

5

Yellow Warbler

5

4

5

4

 

5

3

Northern Cardinal

8

4

3

4

1

7

4

Indigo Bunting

1

 

2

3

2

2

1

Red-winged Blackbird

15

41

36

14

6

68

8

Common Grackle

11

18

15

17

7

17

7

Baltimore Oriole

3

2

2

1

1

1

3

Orchard Oriole

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Goldfinch

2

1

 

4

 

5

4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPECIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day

 

36

35

36

42

35

39

35

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall 2008

 

36

42

45

51

54

54

55

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weather- 1 hr. after sunrise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wind direction/strength1

NW2

W1

N2

SW3

W5

W2

NW5

Visibility (km)

30

25

30

30

15

25

30

Cloud cover (0-10)

1

2

1

8

9

2

8

Temperature (o C)

24

21

19

22

24

22

22

Precipitation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Beaufort scale