MIGRATION SUMMARY FOR MAY 15th – 21st, 2008

 

Pelee Island Bird Observatory (PIBO)

 

 

Migrants were active at the start of the summary period then tapered off mid-week before increasing again from the 19th-21st. A nice variety of warblers were recorded in small numbers during the coverage period, with eighteen species tallied at Fish Point on May 19th. Shorebirds, flycatchers, vireos and thrushes were quite active as well. New arrivals this week included Whimbrel, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Willow Flycatcher, Gray-cheeked Thrush and Mourning Warbler.       

 

May 15th    

 

A busy morning with lots of birds recorded on census and in the netting area. Seventy species on the day including Spring-firsts for Great Crested Flycatcher and Wilson’s Warbler.  

 

May 16th    

 

Small numbers of flycatchers and vireos in the area along with 5 Wood Thrushes and 11 warbler species, but not as much activity as the previous day. A Northern Mockingbird continues to be seen at the Tip.    

 

May 17th    

 

Strong west winds this-morning made for a fairly quiet day but there was some activity in the netting area. Species captured included Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Gray-cheeked Thrush and Indigo Bunting, among others.   

 

May 18th     

 

Steady rain last night and into the morning and not much to report on census or in the netting area. Just forty-two species recorded on the day.

 

May 19th     

 

Lots of activity today including Spring-firsts for Ruddy Turnstone and Whimbrel along with moderate numbers of flycatchers, vireos, and 18 warbler species.

 

May 20th  

 

Another busy morning with 64 species recorded during the count period along with 41 birds banded of sixteen species. A Sora was new for 2008. Other sightings on the day included 120 Black-bellied Plovers, 3 American Golden Plovers, a Peregrine Falcon and 2 White-eyed Vireos.  

 

May 21st      

 

Despite three days of northwest winds and cool temperatures, migrants continued to filter through the area this-morning in good numbers. Sixty-three species were tallied during the morning coverage period including the first Mourning Warblers of the Spring.   

 

A total of 103 species was recorded at the Point this week during the official count period compared to 103 last week. Eleven Spring-firsts were documented, which brings the season-to-date species total to 163. One-hundred-and-ninety-one birds were captured during 344 net-hours for an average catch-rate of .56 birds/net-hour.

 

Black-billed Cuckoo photo – Sumiko Onishi

 

PIBO’s next summary will be posted on May 30th.    

 

 

Birds Documented at Fish Point by PIBO Staff from May 15th – 21st, 2008

 

Date

May

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Species

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Double-crested Cormorant

83

12

64

200

39

48

45

Great Blue Heron

2

1

1

 

1

2

3

Great Egret

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Turkey Vulture

1

 

 

9

4

 

2

Canada Goose

7

6

2

4

 

4

3

Wood Duck

1

3

4

 

3

 

2

Mallard

 

 

 

3

 

1

 

2

Red-breasted Merganser

40

21

7

36

59

5

1

Bald Eagle

 

2

1

2

1

 

 

Red-tailed Hawk

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ring-necked Pheasant

2

1

 

 

 

1

 

Wild Turkey

 

1

 

 

 

 

1

Sora

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Killdeer

 

 

2

 

1

 

 

 

Solitary Sandpiper

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spotted Sandpiper

2

3

1

 

 

 

1

Whimbrel

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

Ruddy Turnstone

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

Bonaparte's Gull

38

23

 

 

7

 

 

Ring-billed Gull

1

2

6

32

19

16

1

Herring Gull

34

5

9

3

8

 

3

Great Black-backed Gull

1

2

2

 

1

 

1

Caspian Tern

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Common Tern

150

 

 

 

18

 

 

American Coot

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mourning Dove

3

1

 

 

 

1

1

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

 

 

 

1

1

1

1

Black-billed Cuckoo

 

 

 

 

1

2

2

Great Horned Owl

1

 

 

 

 

1

 

Chimney Swift

2

 

 

 

 

1

 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

 

 

1

1

 

 

 

Red-bellied Woodpecker

2

2

 

1

 

1

1

Downy Woodpecker

3

2

 

2

5

1

1

Northern Flicker

4

2

2

1

1

1

1

Eastern Wood-Pewee

 

 

1

 

1

3

1

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Willow Flycatcher

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Traill's" Flycatcher

 

 

 

 

 

1

1

Least Flycatcher

4

7

 

 

3

2

 

Great Crested Flycatcher

1

1

1

1

2

2

3

Eastern Kingbird

4

10

3

2

4

8

7

Red-eyed Vireo

5

1

1

 

2

4

2

Warbling Vireo

3

3

2

 

2

1

1

Blue-headed Vireo

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

Blue Jay

 

6

2

1

5

4

5

10

American Crow

9

 

3

2

2

4

1

Purple Martin

1

 

 

 

 

1

 

Bank Swallow

25

8

 

 

 

6

 

Tree Swallow

14

12

5

5

7

10

10

Cliff Swallow

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Barn Swallow

11

10

1

 

3

12

1

Black-capped Chickadee

3

2

3

2

4

2

2

Red-breasted Nuthatch

 

 

 

 

1

2

1

Brown Creeper

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Carolina Wren

3

4

2

2

2

 

1

House Wren

4

4

3

3

5

4

3

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

3

1

2

1

1

1

 

American Robin

7

9

7

6

10

10

9

Wood Thrush

2

5

2

1

 

1

1

Veery

 

2

2

 

1

3

4

3

Swainson's Thrush

4

1

 

 

1

1

2

Gray-cheeked Thrush

 

 

1

 

 

3

 

Gray Catbird

3

6

4

1

2

6

5

Brown Thrasher

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Northern Mockingbird

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

European Starling

4

4

5

3

 

1

5

Cedar Waxwing

1

 

 

 

2

 

 

Northern Parula

3

 

2

 

3

2

1

Tennessee Warbler

1

1

3

 

2

1

3

Nashville Warbler

7

4

2

2

2

1

6

Yellow Warbler

28

17

16

11

16

24

15

Chestnut-sided Warbler

 

 

 

 

1

 

2

Magnolia Warbler

3

2

8

3

4

5

18

Cape May Warbler

1

1

 

 

 

 

 

Black-throated Blue Warbler

 

 

 

 

2

1

 

Blackburnian Warbler

2

 

 

 

1

 

1

Yellow-rumped Warbler

5

2

3

1

4

1

1

Black-thr. Green Warbler

2

2

 

 

1

 

3

Palm Warbler

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bay-breasted Warbler

 

 

 

 

1

 

1

Blackpoll Warbler

 

1

 

 

1

2

2

Black-and-white Warbler

3

 

 

 

5

3

 

American Redstart

5

1

2

4

6

5

2

Ovenbird

 

3

3

1

 

2

1

 

Northern Waterthrush

 

 

1

1

 

 

 

Mourning Warbler

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

Common Yellowthroat

4

4

 

 

1

5

2

Wilson's Warbler

1

 

 

 

1

 

2

Canada Warbler

 

 

 

 

2

4

 

Scarlet Tanager

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

Northern Cardinal

9

4

2

1

4

5

4

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

4

3

2

 

1

2

4

Indigo Bunting

1

 

2

1

3

6

2

White-throated Sparrow

 

 

 

 

 

3

1

White-crowned Sparrow

4

 

1

 

 

 

 

Lincoln's Sparrow

 

 

1

1

 

 

 

Swamp Sparrow

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

Brown-headed Cowbird

8

8

6

 

8

7

5

Red-winged Blackbird

86

75

60

80

90

79

80

Common Grackle

62

59

45

47

76

48

70

Baltimore Oriole

14

11

7

14

10

13

13

Orchard Oriole

1

 

1

 

3

1

 

American Goldfinch

5

4

 

2

2

3

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPECIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day

 

70

59

50

42

67

64

63

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring 2008

155

155

157

158

161

162

163

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This period

103

 

 

Previous period

103

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May

 

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weather - 1 hr after sunrise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wind direction/strength1

E1

N2

W5

W3

NW4

NNW2

NW2

Visibility (km)

30

25

20

25

30

25

20

Cloud cover (0-10)

2

10

10

8

2

10

9

Temperature o C)

9

10

14

13

7

11

8

Precipitation

 

 

 

RAIN

 

 

 

1 Beaufort scale