MIGRATION SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER 3^rd - 9^th, 2008

 

Pelee Island Bird Observatory (PIBO)

 

 

Cool weather on October 3^rd and 4^th made for a busy time at the Point until the 6^th, but then south winds, rain and balmy conditions produced a decline in activity towards the end of the summary period. Kinglets, Hermit Thrushes, Yellow-rumped Warblers and White-throated Sparrows were the most common birds encountered this week along with a nice assortment of other species.

 

While warbler diversity dropped off - thirteen species were recorded during the summary period - new arrivals for the Fall continued to appear including 'firsts' for Northern Saw-whet Owl (Oct 3^rd), Orange-crowned Warbler (5^th), Swamp Sparrow (5^th), Common Loon (7^th) and Rusty Blackbird (7^th). More species were documented at the station this week (83) than in the last week of September and early-October (82), which is unusual.

 

Ruby and Golden Crowned Kinglets were quite active on the 5^th, with 45 and 31 individuals tallied on the day, respectively, included thirty-two banded. In all, 81 birds of seventeen species were captured on October 5^th followed by 54 banded birds of twenty-two species on the 6^th. Other species of note this week included the first Lesser Scaup (October 6^th) and Green-winged Teals (7^th) of the Fall, a Peregrine Falcon (6^th), Pine Warbler (6^th), and a somewhat tardy Indigo Bunting (6^th).

 

It remained fairly active on the 7^th, with 41 birds banded including a young male and female Sharp-shinned Hawk, but steady showers and warm southerly winds on October 8^th made for a very quiet morning, with just the 90-minute census conducted in a heavy downpour. There was not much to report on the 9^th with the exception of an exciting find - a Short-eared Owl - near the PIBO cottage in the early afternoon.         

 

A total of 83 species was recorded at the Point this week during the official count period compared to 82 last week and there were seven Fall 'firsts', which brings the Fall species total to 150. In all, 248 birds were banded along with one recapture in 326 net-hours, for an average catch-rate of .76 birds/net-hour. Three Northern Saw-whet and two Eastern Screech-Owls were banded on the evenings of the 4^th, 8^th and 9^th.   

 

Blackpoll Warbler photo - Christopher Dunn

 

PIBO's next summary will be posted on October 18^th.         

 

Birds documented at Fish Point by PIBO staff from October 3^rd - 9^th, 2008

 

Date	October	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Species
Common Loon						1
Double-crested Cormorant		600	9	80	1.2K	2	9	1
Great Blue Heron						1
Turkey Vulture			1	1				5
Canada Goose		41			47	39	55	50
Mallard		3	1		2	8	2
Green-winged Teal						3
Lesser Scaup					1
Red-breasted Merganser					1
Northern Harrier					1
Sharp-shinned Hawk		2	2		1	6		1
Red-tailed Hawk			1
Peregrine Falcon					1
Ring-necked Pheasant		3
Wild Turkey			1	15				1
Killdeer						1
Sanderling				1	4
Bonaparte's Gull						27
Ring-billed Gull		6		17	50	10	3	25
Herring Gull		5	1	21	20	7	7	10
Great Black-backed Gull		2	9	1	40	30	12	16
Mourning Dove				1	1	1
Rock Dove		1				1
Great Horned Owl					1
Northern Saw-whet Owl			2					1
Eastern Screech-Owl							2
Belted Kingfisher				1
Red-headed Woodpecker					1
Red-bellied Woodpecker		2	1	1	1	1		1
Downy Woodpecker		5	5	5		3		1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker			1	1
Northern Flicker		6	9	8	3	9	2	7
Eastern Phoebe		1	1		1
Red-eyed Vireo			1		1
Blue-headed Vireo		2
Blue Jay		105	83	24	91	84		48
American Crow		8	12	5	5	4	6	3
Horned Lark				1
Tree Swallow		2	8		9	9
Black-capped Chickadee		14	6	11	7	10		3
Red-breasted Nuthatch		2	6	3	4	1		1
Brown Creeper			4	2	3	3		1
Carolina Wren		2	2	5	1	1	2
House Wren			2	2		2
Winter Wren		5	9	6	8	12	3	12
Golden-crowned Kinglet		14	42	45	44	54	12	16
Ruby-crowned Kinglet		22	18	31	28	25	4	7
American Robin		2	6	1		4		2
Wood Thrush					1	1
Swainson's Thrush		1	3	4	3	5
Gray-cheeked Thrush		1		2				3
Hermit Thrush		4	5	10	6	7		4
Gray Catbird			1	1	2			1
Brown Thrasher		1
European Starling		28	1	25	34	175		32
American Pipit			1		1
Orange-crowned Warbler				1
Nashville Warbler			1		1
Magnolia Warbler					4
Black-throated Blue Warbler		4	3	8	1
Yellow-rumped Warbler		28	32	40	20	9	3	10
Palm Warbler		1						2
Pine Warbler					1
Blackpoll Warbler		1
Black-and-white Warbler					1
American Redstart		3		1	1
Ovenbird				1	3	1		1
Northern Waterthrush				1
Common Yellowthroat		1		2				1
Northern Cardinal		1		1	1	1	1	2
Rose-breasted Grosbeak			1
Indigo Bunting					1
Eastern Towhee			1
White-throated Sparrow		14	10	11	50	40	15	13
White-crowned Sparrow					2
Song Sparrow			1	2		1
Swamp Sparrow				2	4	2		1
Dark-eyed Junco		1	1	1	1	3	2
Red-winged Blackbird			20	52	7	3		6
Rusty Blackbird						1
Common Grackle			5	4	22
House Finch			4
American Goldfinch		29	19	32		3		3
SPECIES
Day		39	43	45	51	43	16	33
Fall 2008		143	144	146	147	150	150	150
This period		83		Previous period				82
October		3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Weather- 1 hr. after sunrise
Wind direction/strength1		NW4	N1	W2	E4	SE3	SW3	W5
Visibility (km)		25	30	30	25