MIGRATION SUMMARY FOR SEPTEMBER 5th - 11th, 2008

 

Pelee Island Bird Observatory (PIBO)

 

 

There were no large ‘fall-outs’ at the Point this week and rainy weather affected coverage at the start of the summary period, but there were still lots of migrants recorded at the station from the 5th – 11th and the PIBO crew kept busy both on the census and in the netting area.

 

Shorebirds continued to move through the area in small numbers, with eleven species noted including the first Black-bellied Plovers and Baird’s Sandpipers of the Fall. Hawks and waterfowl were scarce, however, with the exception of ones-and-twos of Osprey, American Kestrel, Northern Shoveler and Redhead.  

 

The first significant waves of autumn thrushes arrived this week when hundreds of birds were heard migrating overhead on the evening of the 5th followed by lots of activity at the Point on the morning of September 6th. Forty-five thrushes were banded on the day and Swainson’s Thrushes, especially, continued to arrive on-and-off throughout the week. In all, 122 Cathurus thrushes were banded from the 6th – 11th (89 Swainson’s, 20 Gray-cheeked and 13 Veerys). In keeping with the rapid turnover of songbirds at the Fish Point study site, just one on these birds was recaptured at the station in the days following its initial capture.       

 

Magnolia Warblers and American Redstarts were the most common of twenty warbler species tallied during the week along with good numbers of Black-throated Blues and Northern Waterthrushes. Two banded Northern Parulas and a young, male, Hooded Warbler were both ‘firsts’ for the Fall. In addition to the warblers, a nice variety of other songbirds were recorded including the first Olive-sided Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo and Ruby-crowned Kinglets of the season. A Rock Dove recorded on September 10th was new for 2008!

 

A total of 92 species was recorded at the Point this week during the official count period compared to 91 last week and thirteen Fall ‘firsts’ were noted, which brings the Fall species total to 118. In all, 245 birds were banded along with five recaptures in 294 net-hours, for an average catch-rate of .85 birds/net-hour.  

 

Sanderlings photo – Adam Pinch

 

PIBO’s next summary will be posted on September 20th.       

 

Birds documented at Fish Point by PIBO staff from September 5th – 11th, 2008

 

Date

September

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Species

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Double-crested Cormorant

320

756

2

355

460

3K

380

Great Blue Heron

2

1

 

 

1

1

1

Canada Goose

39

69

17

12

31

38

16

Wood Duck

 

4

9

 

16

4

12

6

Mallard

 

5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Northern Shoveler

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

Redhead

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Red-breasted Merganser

 

1

 

1

1

1

 

Osprey

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Bald Eagle

 

 

 

 

1

1

1

 

American Kestrel

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Wild Turkey

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black-bellied Plover

 

2

1

1

 

 

 

Semipalmated Plover

 

 

1

 

 

1

 

Killdeer

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

2

Lesser Yellowlegs

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solitary Sandpiper

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

Spotted Sandpiper

 

2

1

2

 

 

 

Ruddy Turnstone

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

Sanderling

 

16

8

14

3

2

1

13

Baird's Sandpiper

1

 

2

2

 

1

 

Semipalmated Sandpiper

 

 

7

 

2

 

 

American Woodcock

 

 

 

1

 

1

1

Bonaparte's Gull

 

7

 

 

 

 

11

Ring-billed Gull

36

20

30

10

3

1

56

Herring Gull

 

49

18

30

19

3

5

36

Great Black-backed Gull

40

40

70

27

20

27

30

Caspian Tern

 

1

 

1

 

1

 

Common Tern

 

 

8

 

 

 

 

Mourning Dove

1

3

3

3

1

 

2

Rock Dove

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

1

Common Nighthawk

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chimney Swift

1

 

 

 

 

3

 

Belted Kingfisher

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Red-bellied Woodpecker

1

 

 

1

2

 

 

Downy Woodpecker

1

2

1

4

2

3

5

Northern Flicker

 

 

 

1

1

1

3

Olive-sided Flycatcher

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Eastern Wood-Pewee

1

1

 

 

1

1

1

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

 

1

 

 

 

3

 

"Traill's" Flycatcher

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Least Flycatcher

1

 

 

 

 

1

3

Great Crested Flycatcher

 

 

 

1

 

1

 

Red-eyed Vireo

1

4

 

6

 

4

2

Warbling Vireo

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Philadelphia Vireo

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Blue Jay

 

3

7

 

3

 

4

6

American Crow

2

 

 

8

4

1

1

Purple Martin

 

 

 

 

1

7

 

Bank Swallow

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

Cliff Swallow

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barn Swallow

9

 

 

1

1

3

 

Black-capped Chickadee

4

2

 

16

11

21

5

Red-breasted Nuthatch

 

 

 

 

3

1

 

Carolina Wren

3

3

1

2

2

4

6

House Wren

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

American Robin

2

3

 

 

 

 

2

Wood Thrush

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

Veery

 

 

9

1

 

1

2

3

Swainson's Thrush

3

40

 

6

8

29

29

Gray-cheeked Thrush

 

3

 

1

1

6

9

Gray Catbird

 

1

 

 

 

 

2

European Starling

 

 

 

2

 

 

8

Cedar Waxwing

21

6

 

28

1

12

15

Northern Parula

 

 

 

 

 

1

1

Tennessee Warbler

 

 

 

1

 

 

1

Nashville Warbler

 

 

 

1

 

1

 

Chestnut-sided Warbler

 

 

 

1

 

2

 

Magnolia Warbler

 

1

 

7

3

14

18

Black-throated Blue Warbler

 

7

1

3

1

3

4

Blackburnian Warbler

1

 

 

 

1

 

 

Black-thr. Green Warbler

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Palm Warbler

 

 

 

 

 

2

1

Bay-breasted Warbler

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

Blackpoll Warbler

 

1

 

 

 

4

4

Black-and-white Warbler

 

 

 

1

 

 

4

American Redstart

1

8

 

10

4

17

9

Ovenbird

 

 

2

 

2

 

1

3

Northern Waterthrush

1

5

 

1

1

1

2

Mourning Warbler

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

Common Yellowthroat

 

 

 

 

 

2

2

Hooded Warbler

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

Wilson's Warbler

 

 

 

1

1

1

1

Canada Warbler

 

 

 

2

 

 

1

Northern Cardinal

2

3

 

3

3

1

5

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

 

 

 

 

1

3

1

Bobolink

 

5

 

 

1

 

 

1

Red-winged Blackbird

1

5

 

12

 

10

22

Common Grackle

4

1

1

18

3

12

 

House Finch

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

American Goldfinch

1

5

 

2

3

5

11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPECIES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day

 

38

41