[Maine-birds] Fall Migration

I think it is important to ask Derek Lovitch about this topic. He repeatedly reported very significant numbers of migrants going past Sandy Point in Yarmouth over a period of several weeks earlier this month. He also has been using radar. I don't know how far back his records go for comparison purposes.

I do know that the warbler numbers on Monhegan Island between Sept 12-26 were very low but it also has never been this balmy during this period in the past 15 years.

Tom Potter from Indiana commented that he has never seen such low numbers in the 41 years he has been going. 

This September in two weeks I logged only 80 species. Usually I reach 100 or more in the two weeks. Important to ask the younger (better) birders and trip leaders for their impressions this fall. I do know my impressions were not dissimilar from those of many other birders on the island during this specific period of the migration. 

As an indication, I saw only one Black-throated Green and one Black-throated Blue in two weeks. Also I had roughly ten sightings of Red-eyed Vireos as opposed to the expected hundreds of sightings over two weeks in past years. 

On Sep 29, 2015, at 11:09 PM, Glenn Jenks <gjenks@midcoast.com> wrote:

Hi All;

 

Kristen has a really good point. Perhaps we're looking at the lack of numbers from our own perspective too much. However, it doesn't take a professional bird counter to know which way the wind is blowing, to coin a phrase. Numbers are down, and we'd all like to know why.

 

Glenn Jenks

Camden, ME