MIGRATION SUMMARY FOR

SEPTEMBER 26th - OCTOBER 2nd,   2008

 

Pelee Island Bird Observatory (PIBO)

 

Migration activity was fairly low-key at the Point during the final days of September and early October, yet cool weather and steady north winds made for a reasonably busy time and a nice variety of birds (82 species) were recorded during the official count period. Typical late-Fall migrants were counted in moderate numbers including both kinglet species, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and White-throated Sparrow, along with ones-and-twos of Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Winter Wren.    

 

Fourteen warbler species were noted during the week and thrushes continued to filter through the area, with Hermit Thrushes starting to outnumber the Swainson's and Gray-cheeked. The first significant wave of Blue Jays arrived on the 26th, with 418 birds tallied on the morning census.

 

Shorebird activity tapered off - four species were observed this week - and many early-Fall migrants such as orioles and most of the flycatchers and swallows were entirely absent. At the same time, a number of species made their first Fall appearance including Hermit Thrush (Sept. 26th), Slate-colored Junco (27th), Scarlet Tanager (29th) and Dunlin (30th).        

 

PIBO's Northern Saw-whet Owl monitoring project got underway on the evening of October 2nd at a new survey site near the PIBO staff house. While no saw-whets were detected, we're confident the new location will prove to be a suitable (and practical) setting for future monitoring efforts.

 

A total of 82 species was recorded at the Point this week during the official count period compared to 81 last week and there were six Fall 'firsts', which brings the Fall species total to 143. In all, 143 birds were banded along with one recapture in 294 net-hours, for an average catch-rate of .49 birds/net-hour.  

 

Scarlet Tanager photo - Kerry McGuire

 

PIBO's next summary will be posted on October 11th.         

 

Birds documented at Fish Point by PIBO staff from September 26th - October 2nd, 2008

 

Date

Sep/Oct

26

27

28

29

30

1

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Species

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Double-crested Cormorant

9K

700

6K

1.2K

300

4.5K

40

Green Heron

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Great Blue Heron

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Turkey Vulture

6

 

 

 

3

 

1

Canada Goose

29

42

30

29

46

32

 

Wood Duck

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

Mallard

 

3

9

 

4

8

2

3

Gadwall

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Northern Pintail

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Red-breasted Merganser

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

Bald Eagle

 

 

 

1

 

1

 

 

Northern Harrier

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Sharp-shinned Hawk

7

2

6

3

 

2

1

Red-tailed Hawk

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

American Kestrel

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merlin

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Peregrine Falcon

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Wild Turkey

 

 

 

 

10

 

 

 

Killdeer

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Spotted Sandpiper

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sanderling

 

 

8

 

1

18

9

 

Dunlin

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

Ring-billed Gull

90

30

13

30

13

620

9

Herring Gull

 

4

20

6

21

16

36

8

Great Black-backed Gull

15

4

12

14

21

40

2

Mourning Dove

 

 

 

2

 

 

1

Rock Dove

 

 

 

1

 

 

1

 

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Horned Owl

 

1

1

 

 

 

 

Eastern Screech-Owl

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Belted Kingfisher

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

Red-bellied Woodpecker

 

1

1

1

 

1

1

Downy Woodpecker

1

 

1

4

2

1

1

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Northern Flicker

6

2

5

7

2

4

2

Eastern Wood-Pewee

2

 

1

 

 

 

 

Eastern Phoebe

1

1

1

1

 

 

1

Great Crested Flycatcher

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red-eyed Vireo

2

1

 

 

 

 

 

Blue-headed Vireo

1

1

 

1

 

 

 

Blue Jay

 

418

99

90

80

6

18

15

American Crow

13

 

2

6

 

 

 

Tree Swallow

 

 

 

 

 

 

11

Black-capped Chickadee

6

6

9

15

2

4

3

Red-breasted Nuthatch

2

2

 

4

 

 

 

Brown Creeper

 

 

1

 

1

 

1

Carolina Wren

2

1

1

3

3

1

 

House Wren

 

3

2

2

 

1

 

2

Winter Wren

 

 

7

1

4

3

2

5

Golden-crowned Kinglet

15

14

12

20

5

12

10

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

3

5

1

7

1

5

6

Wood Thrush

 

 

 

 

1

 

1

Swainson's Thrush

6

3

3

8

1

3

4

Gray-cheeked Thrush

4

3

1

1

 

3

2

Hermit Thrush

1

 

1

 

 

 

1

Gray Catbird 

2

3

1

 

2

 

1

Brown Thrasher

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

European Starling

1

 

4

 

9

 

3

Cedar Waxwing

9

14

 

1

 

 

 

Tennessee Warbler

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Nashville Warbler

1

 

 

1

 

1

1

Chestnut-sided Warbler

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magnolia Warbler

7

2

5

1

 

2

 

Black-throated Blue Warbler

7

7

1

2

 

1

2

Yellow-rumped Warbler

 

1

4

3

 

2

3

Black-thr. Green Warbler

 

1

1

1

 

 

 

Palm Warbler

1

 

 

1

 

1

 

Pine Warbler 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Bay-breasted Warbler

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Blackpoll Warbler

6

 

 

7

 

 

1

American Redstart

3

1

1

1

1

3

2

Ovenbird

 

1

1

3

2

 

1

 

Common Yellowthroat

1

 

1

4

 

1

 

Scarlet Tanager

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Northern Cardinal

2

3

3

2

2

1

2

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indigo Bunting

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

White-throated Sparrow

4

6

21

11

8

31

16

White-crowned Sparrow

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Dark-eyed Junco

 

1

2

1

 

 

1

Red-winged Blackbird

20

 

 

11

 

 

 

Common Grackle

4

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Goldfinch

18

10

9

28

2

2

6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPECIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day

 

48

43

40

49

29

33

36

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall 2008

 

137

141

141

142

143

143

143

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This period

83

 

Previous period

 

81

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sep/Oct

 

26

27

28

29

30

1

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weather- 1 hr. after sunrise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wind direction/strength1

E5

NE4

NE3

N1

NW5

NW6

WNW7

Visibility (km)