[Maine-birds] Thoughts on Birding Hurricane Sandy and the Hill's Beach Hummingbird (long)

Hi all,

With the Outdoor Journal on Mainetoday.com still out of commission, I have been unable to post blogs.  In addition to the one that I have ready to go regarding my recent book signing, et al, road trip (awesome birding in Cape May and NYC, for example), I had promised a blog about the Hill's Beach Hummingbird.

 

In brief here, for the moment, the simple answer is "we're still working on it."  There's quite a bit of evidence that it is "just" a Rufous, but there are a few things that I am finding a bit off.  I just haven't had a chance to really sit down and study the bird (via my photos and those of others) and the literature, and I have limited experience with Selasphorus hummingbirds in the fall. 

 

This is not an easy identification.  In fact, a bird that overwintered in Cape May, NJ last winter was "just another Rufous" until it began to molt towards spring and it turned into the state's first record of Broad-tailed.  Needless to say, care is warranted, and rushing to judgment with immature Selasphorus is rarely wise.  With the exceptional rarity of even Rufous Hummingbirds in Maine, it is worth being extra careful.  I hope to expand on my opinion – and the opinion of others – on this bird soon.

 

Next, I have been asked by a number of you about the upcoming storm. This is another perfect topic for a blog post, but alas…see above.  A brief overview of tropical storm related birding is in the "Birding and Weather" chapter of my book, and I highly recommend the referenced article on Tropical Storm Ernesto from North American Birds.  There is also a very good summary of Hurricane Irene from last year in the current edition of NAB, but I see that is not yet available on the ABA website.

 

As for Sandy herself, this is interesting. The challenge that meteorologists have with predicting this storm – any complex storm, really - is that weather forecasting is based on models: models that are based on a series of variables and simple statistics.  When a+b+c happen at x date under y circumstances, this is what happens.  But this storm is truly unprecedented, so the forecasts have been widely varying and far from certain. 

 

As the storm gets closer to making landfall, there are a few less variables to consider, and as with any storm, the models become more accurate.  In fact, right now, there is impressive consensus between models – all of which treat various variables various ways.  The website I use for tracking and learning about these storms is Weather Underground.  I like how they put all of the information available in one easy-to-browse page.  Here's the info on Sandy:

http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at201218_5day.html

 

I'll leave it to the professional meteorologists to forecast the weather…I'll stick to the birds.  However, the same lack of precedence that meteorologists are dealing with comes into play when attempting to predict what birds will be where – at least by the time the storm makes it this far north.  While the "best" birding of the storm will likely be where the storm makes landfall, and where it begins to dissipate inland (currently predicted to be over Pennsylvania and New York), the size and strength of this storm should produce some interesting birds and birding here in Maine as well.

 

First, we'll start by looking at what is – and is not – showing up to our south. I've begun checking the listserves from North Carolina through Nova Scotia.  You can access the recent posts for each list here: http://birding.aba.org/

 

Here in Maine, I am hesitant to suggest specific birds and specific places because we have so little precedence for such a weather event.  The simple answer is: go birding!  Anywhere…every bit of data, even negative data will help us understand the dynamics of strong storms and its effects on birds.

 

At the very least, the sustained onshore winds (already kicking up out of the northeast) will produce some good seawatching at usually-productive seawatching locations along the coast.  The high coastal tides (full moon plus the onshore winds and storm surge) suggest it's worth checking the margins of saltmarshes where birds like lingering Nelson's and Saltmarsh Sparrows and perhaps migrant rails (Yellow???) might be pushed up to the edges.  The Eastern Road Trail through Scarborough Marsh certainly comes to mind.

 

If the storm stays strong enough for long enough, I would think western mountain lakes could be interesting (as during Irene), but my guess right now is that the storm will deposit entrained seabirds well to our south.  At the very least though, the storm could ground migrant waterbirds that are usually flying high overhead.  Many storms at this time of year will result in scoters, loons, grebes, and so on at inland bodies of water in better-than-average numbers.

 

I would not be surprised at all to find "displaced" birds along the shore, both before, during, and especially after the storm.  Forster's Terns and Black Skimmers in particular come to mind.  Regular locations for roosting terns and/or gulls should probably be scrutinized – well into next weekend.

 

Very few long-distance migrant landbirds are still on the move, so unlike previous earlier-October storms, I don't see much likelihood for landbird vagrants from the south.  Yellow-billed Cuckoos perhaps?  I am half-expecting to see the return of a bunch of swallows, especially Tree Swallows that get blown around once the storm makes landfall.  Meanwhile, the size of this storm may help facilitate the arrival of Cave Swallows that have shown a nearly-annual propensity for arriving in the Mid-Atlantic States at least at this time of year.

 

Personally, I am really intrigued about days further down the line.  As the storm speeds up and heads to the Canadian Maritimes and beyond, the counter-clockwise rotation of the extra-tropical low could facilitate the arrival of birds from the northeast and perhaps even Greenland and Europe.  This could include geese, and I am personally having daydreams of a Northern Lapwing.  It's too late for Northern Wheatears, I suppose, and most other landbirds. 

 

Basically, I would just suggest going birding, or even just keeping an eye on your feeders.  It would be great to have an eye on every lake, every river, and every beach, but that is obviously not possible.  Chose a location that is convenient for you and check it out. 

 

In the end, who knows what we might find out there, but if we're not out there, we won't find anything (insert safety first lecture here).

 

Good luck!

 

-Derek

 

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Jeannette and Derek Lovitch
Freeport Wild Bird Supply
541 Route One, Suite 10
Freeport, ME 04032
Ph: (207)865-6000/Fax: (207)865-6069
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