MIGRATION SUMMARY FOR MAY 22nd - 28th, 2008

 

Pelee Island Bird Observatory (PIBO)

 

 

It was a busy and productive week of migration coverage at the Point with lots of birds recorded during the count period along with some good activity in the mist netting area. Shorebird numbers increased considerably along with a nice variety of flycatchers (9 species) and warblers (23 species). Highlights during the summary period included 160 Whimbrels on the 23rd, 19 warbler spp. (24th), a Red Knot (25th), and a Western Kingbird, Acadian Flycatcher and Summer Tanager on May 28th.       

 

May 22nd      

 

An active morning on census and in the netting area with 66 birds recorded during the morning count period and 63 birds banded of twenty-one species. Magnolia Warblers were numerous, with 23 banded, along with 2 Black-billed Cuckoos, 2 Northern Parulas, and eleven other warbler spp. A Semipalmated Plover on census was new for the Spring.     

 

May 23rd      

 

Another busy day with 75 species tallied along with 72 birds captured of twenty-four species. A good variety of migrants including 6 flycatcher, 5 thrush and 17 warbler spp. A Short-billed Dowitcher was observed by PIBO staff in the afternoon. 

 

May 24th     

 

A quieter morning in the netting area but still lots of diversity, with 68 species recorded, including a Hooded Warbler on census.   

 

May 25th     

 

Small numbers of American Redstarts, Magnolia, Canada and Wilson's Warblers about, but not too much else to report.   

 

May 26th      

 

Lots of rain and heavy thunderstorms in the morning and just the census completed along with some additional observations.

 

May 27th   

 

Cloudy again but a little busier with 61 species tallied on the day and 31 bird banded of fourteen species. An Alder Flycatcher and Philadelphia Vireo were both new for 2008.

 

May 28th       

 

It was active again today with good numbers of Yellow-bellied Flycatchers recorded (11 banded) along with a nice variety of other late-Spring migrants. Highlights on the day included a captured Acadian Flycatcher and a Western Kingbird (a first for Pelee Island) observed a number of times on the west beach during census. A male Summer Tanager was also new for the Spring.   

 

A total of 102 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 174. In all, 263 birds were captured during 345 net-hours for an average catch-rate of .76 birds/net-hour.

 

Orchard Oriole photo - Julia Marko

 

PIBO's next summary will be posted on June 6th.    

 

 

Birds Documented at Fish Point by PIBO Staff from May 22nd - 28th, 2008

 

Date

May

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Species

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Loon

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Double-crested Cormorant

220

50

5

21

20

111

150

Great Blue Heron

5

1

 

 

3

1

5

Great Egret

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

Turkey Vulture

12

5

1

 

 

3

 

Canada Goose

 

2

1

4

28

1

7

Wood Duck

3

2

3

5

1

 

1

Mallard

 

 

 

 

4

 

4

 

Red-breasted Merganser

18

 

 

3

 

 

 

Bald Eagle

1

 

1

 

 

1

 

Ring-necked Pheasant

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

Wild Turkey

 

1

1

 

 

 

 

Black-bellied Plover

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Semipalmated Plover

1

2

 

 

 

 

 

Killdeer

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Spotted Sandpiper

 

2

4

1

 

2

 

Ruddy Turnstone

6

4

 

2

 

 

 

Sanderling

 

7

1

 

 

 

 

Dunlin

 

2

21

11

35

 

 

 

Semipalmated Sandpiper

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

Short-billed Dowitcher

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

Ring-billed Gull

4

2

3

4

5

4

70

Herring Gull

27

8

28

1

52

21

30

Great Black-backed Gull

3

1

 

 

 

1

 

Mourning Dove

2

6

2

4

4

 

4

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

1

2

2

2

2

1

1

Black-billed Cuckoo

4

3

3

4

2

1

1

Great Horned Owl

 

 

1

1

 

 

1

Chimney Swift

 

 

 

 

 

1

7

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

 

1

 

1

 

 

 

Red-bellied Woodpecker

2

1

1

1

 

1

1

Downy Woodpecker

1

4

3

4

1

 

4

Northern Flicker

2

3

3

 

1

1

1

Eastern Wood-Pewee

1

4

5

4

3

8

7

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

1

2

2

 

 

1

13

Acadian Flycatcher

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Willow Flycatcher

1

1

 

 

 

 

 

Alder Flycatcher

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

("Traill's" Flycatcher)

 

3

 

 

1

3

1

Least Flycatcher

1

5

4

 

 

3

1

Great Crested Flycatcher

1

2

1

2

 

3

3

Eastern Kingbird

6

5

7

7

6

5

7

Western Kingbird

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Red-eyed Vireo

4

6

6

6

6

3

3

Warbling Vireo

2

3

2

 

 

2

 

Philadelphia Vireo

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Blue-headed Vireo

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Blue Jay

 

18

30

7

7

8

3

17

American Crow

1

3

2

5

3

2

 

Horned Lark

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Purple Martin

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Tree Swallow

4

4

7

10

4

10

4

Barn Swallow

1

3

 

3

 

3

 

Black-capped Chickadee

1

2

7

2

3

2

3

Red-breasted Nuthatch

 

 

1

1

 

 

 

Carolina Wren

1

1

2

3

 

1

1

House Wren

5

2

4

4

4

2

2

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

American Robin

7

7

6

8

8

4

4

Wood Thrush

2

2

2

3

 

1

2

Veery

 

2

4

 

 

1

 

1

Swainson's Thrush

4

8

 

 

 

3

3

Gray-cheeked Thrush

 

1

1

 

 

1

 

Gray Catbird

4

8

3

7

1

2

2

European Starling

2

8

7

8

2

1

 

Cedar Waxwing

 

4

4

6

104

51

17

Northern Parula

2

1

2

 

 

 

 

Tennessee Warbler

5

4

3

2

1

 

 

Blue-winged Warbler

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Nashville Warbler

9

1

2

 

 

1

2

Yellow Warbler

17

26

24

15

12

11

18

Chestnut-sided Warbler

4

2

3

 

 

1

 

Magnolia Warbler

32

28

6

16

2

6

5

Black-throated Blue Warbler

2

2

2

1

 

 

 

Blackburnian Warbler

 

 

1

1

 

1

2

Yellow-rumped Warbler

1

 

1

 

 

 

 

Black-thr. Green Warbler

3

1

1

 

 

 

2

"Western" Palm Warbler

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bay-breasted Warbler

 

4

 

1

 

1

 

Blackpoll Warbler

1

4

2

2

1

2

2

Black-and-white Warbler

1

 

2

 

 

1

 

American Redstart

2

16

7

7

 

4

3

Ovenbird

 

3

1

1

1

1

 

 

Northern Waterthrush

1

2

 

1

 

1

 

Mourning Warbler

 

 

1

 

 

2

2

Common Yellowthroat

3

6

3

8

 

2

1

Hooded Warbler

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

Wilson's Warbler

 

3

1

1

 

1

8

Canada Warbler

3

4

2

8

 

7

9

Summer Tanager

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Scarlet Tanager

1

2

1

 

 

 

 

Northern Cardinal

2

5

3

5

4

4

3

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

3

 

1

3

 

 

 

Indigo Bunting

2

5

3

7

5

6

5

Savannah Sparrow

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Lincoln's Sparrow

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Swamp Sparrow

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Brown-headed Cowbird

8

4

3

4

4

 

1

Red-winged Blackbird

102

58

67

102

66

69

72

Common Grackle

82

39

39

48

36

49

21

Baltimore Oriole

10

11

15

11

10

7

5

American Goldfinch

3

6

5

6

5

7

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPECIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day

 

66

75

68

57

37

61

55

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring 2008

166

167

168

169

169

171

174

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This period

102

 

 

Previous period

103

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May

 

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weather - 1 hr after sunrise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wind direction/strength1

NW2

E2

N2

SE1

SW3

NE3

ENE2

Visibility (km)

20

30

30

30

10

8

30

Cloud cover (0-10)

10

2

0

0

10

10

1

Temperature ° C)

9

9

7

8

15

12

7

Precipitation

 

 

 

 

RAIN

 

 

1 Beaufort scale