The Alcids seem to have settled down to stay, albeit 2 or 3 weeks later than usual.
PUFFINS look to be in expected number. RAZORBILLS seem to be continuing their increase as do the COMMON MURRES.
Migrants have picked up although I'm not seeing very many warblers.
Numerous CATBIRDS and THRUSHES stopped by as the week ended.
EASTERN KINGBIRDS have been seen over the past 3-4 days, including at least 2 currently hawking insects near the house most of today.
Sparrows still dominate the landscape: SAVANNAHS, WHITE THROATED, CHIPPING, WHITE CROWNED & SWAMP, in order of abundance.
JUNCOS appear to have departed.
Warblers are still mostly singles, 2-3 at most: YELLOW, BLACK & WHITE, BLACKPOLL, OVENBIRD, BAY BREASTED, WILSON'S & PALM were seen today.
RED BREASTED NUTHATCHES continue with 3 or more hanging around the house.
GOLDFINCHES yoyo between a couple and a baker's dozen.
PURPLE FINCHES have left, except for a solitary female.
A couple female ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAKS that have been here for near a week were joined by a bright male this morning. He's the second male that I've seen this trip.
Random HUMMINGBIRDS have been moving through all week.
Three particularly fractious males spent all of Friday syphoning sugar water and discussing ownership of the dispenser.
Raptors also played a little catch-up beginning Thursday last.
PEREGRINES have held their position as single most numerous bird of prey.
MERLINS counted for maybe 10 individuals this past 4 days.
KESTRELS have remained low although there have been about a half dozen in recent days.
HARRIERS brought up the rear with no better than 4 on the week.
EAGLES have gotten back to normal with at least 4 different individuals visiting, 1 or 2 per day.
This location has always been particularly good for observing Peregrines: treeless, mostly unobstructed viewing and generally good hunting opportunities with either shorebirds (PURPLE SANDPIPERS); larger songbirds (Orioles, Cuckoos & Flickers); or alcids, in particular, Puffins.
We equate falcons with the spectacular diving, supercharged attacks and hammer strike kills.
But what I see here are more often low level, searching passes (like a fast Harrier).
Frequently I'll see a Peregrine sit within yards of clearly visible Puffins all around. And rather than the stereotypical falcon attack, the Peregrines will sometimes move from rock to rock, perhaps only traveling 10 or 20 feet with each hop, right in the middle of the colony.
Puffins will move away but not really panic. Razorbills move aside somewhat grudgingly. Murres generally start departing if Mr. Pere gets too close.
Anyway: the Peregrine will eventually make a selection and attempt to grab its victim from close range, almost without even flying.
This technique, more typical of a gull or Raven, does work. I've seen a couple successful kills with that method this week.
Of course, there are also the typical aerial strikes.
There is still a puddle of Puffin feathers on the lawn about 50 feet from our patio.
I watched a sub-adult Peregrine hit the Puffin in flight, mantle over it on the ground until struggles ceased and then pluck and eat its fill.
We've all seen the spectacular photography of Peregrines showing their prowess but watching a Puffin explode in mid-air, at eye level, less than 100 feet away, gives special appreciation.
Even watching the feeding procedure is educational.
LEACH'S STORM PETRELS are heard nightly now and checking a couple sites revealed fresh nest preparation. Nice to hear their chuckling through the night.
ARCTIC TERNS continue to appear each morning, just after sun-up.
The first, few, very tentative landings were on Friday, the fourteenth. Since then the return to nest sites has picked up, with birds spending increasing time on the island. They are gone in an hour or so but there's lots of pairing while they are here.
The overall number of terns is still very low. I would like to say 200 total but I know that it's more like 125-150.
I think that 50 nests re-activating is a realistic estimate at this point.
Whether the numbers improve and whether they nest successfully is problematic.
COMMON EIDERS are well into nesting but there are still pairs scouting for nest sites.
-- PUFFINS look to be in expected number. RAZORBILLS seem to be continuing their increase as do the COMMON MURRES.
Migrants have picked up although I'm not seeing very many warblers.
Numerous CATBIRDS and THRUSHES stopped by as the week ended.
EASTERN KINGBIRDS have been seen over the past 3-4 days, including at least 2 currently hawking insects near the house most of today.
Sparrows still dominate the landscape: SAVANNAHS, WHITE THROATED, CHIPPING, WHITE CROWNED & SWAMP, in order of abundance.
JUNCOS appear to have departed.
Warblers are still mostly singles, 2-3 at most: YELLOW, BLACK & WHITE, BLACKPOLL, OVENBIRD, BAY BREASTED, WILSON'S & PALM were seen today.
RED BREASTED NUTHATCHES continue with 3 or more hanging around the house.
GOLDFINCHES yoyo between a couple and a baker's dozen.
PURPLE FINCHES have left, except for a solitary female.
A couple female ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAKS that have been here for near a week were joined by a bright male this morning. He's the second male that I've seen this trip.
Random HUMMINGBIRDS have been moving through all week.
Three particularly fractious males spent all of Friday syphoning sugar water and discussing ownership of the dispenser.
Raptors also played a little catch-up beginning Thursday last.
PEREGRINES have held their position as single most numerous bird of prey.
MERLINS counted for maybe 10 individuals this past 4 days.
KESTRELS have remained low although there have been about a half dozen in recent days.
HARRIERS brought up the rear with no better than 4 on the week.
EAGLES have gotten back to normal with at least 4 different individuals visiting, 1 or 2 per day.
This location has always been particularly good for observing Peregrines: treeless, mostly unobstructed viewing and generally good hunting opportunities with either shorebirds (PURPLE SANDPIPERS); larger songbirds (Orioles, Cuckoos & Flickers); or alcids, in particular, Puffins.
We equate falcons with the spectacular diving, supercharged attacks and hammer strike kills.
But what I see here are more often low level, searching passes (like a fast Harrier).
Frequently I'll see a Peregrine sit within yards of clearly visible Puffins all around. And rather than the stereotypical falcon attack, the Peregrines will sometimes move from rock to rock, perhaps only traveling 10 or 20 feet with each hop, right in the middle of the colony.
Puffins will move away but not really panic. Razorbills move aside somewhat grudgingly. Murres generally start departing if Mr. Pere gets too close.
Anyway: the Peregrine will eventually make a selection and attempt to grab its victim from close range, almost without even flying.
This technique, more typical of a gull or Raven, does work. I've seen a couple successful kills with that method this week.
Of course, there are also the typical aerial strikes.
There is still a puddle of Puffin feathers on the lawn about 50 feet from our patio.
I watched a sub-adult Peregrine hit the Puffin in flight, mantle over it on the ground until struggles ceased and then pluck and eat its fill.
We've all seen the spectacular photography of Peregrines showing their prowess but watching a Puffin explode in mid-air, at eye level, less than 100 feet away, gives special appreciation.
Even watching the feeding procedure is educational.
LEACH'S STORM PETRELS are heard nightly now and checking a couple sites revealed fresh nest preparation. Nice to hear their chuckling through the night.
ARCTIC TERNS continue to appear each morning, just after sun-up.
The first, few, very tentative landings were on Friday, the fourteenth. Since then the return to nest sites has picked up, with birds spending increasing time on the island. They are gone in an hour or so but there's lots of pairing while they are here.
The overall number of terns is still very low. I would like to say 200 total but I know that it's more like 125-150.
I think that 50 nests re-activating is a realistic estimate at this point.
Whether the numbers improve and whether they nest successfully is problematic.
COMMON EIDERS are well into nesting but there are still pairs scouting for nest sites.
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