Saw my first "fall" warbler yesterday, a young YELLOW WARBLER.
A few Peeps are hanging about the shore, gleaning the little animals from the rock weed and the decaying wrack at high-water mark. Only LEAST & SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS identified so far although I glimpsed a probable RUDDY TURNSTONE once and a lone WILLET passed over on Wednesday.
SAVANNAH SPARROWS are busy carrying food to their presumed 2nd broods while adults and 1st brooders agitate and shout at any intrusion into or near their territories.
SPOTTED SANDPIPERS seem to have had a low average season, judging from the numbers I've been seeing. Most chicks are barely distinguishable from the adults. Few of them still show any tail fluff.
It looks like most all the COMMON EIDERS are now on the water, although I'm still seeing an occasional over-island morning flight the gives the suspicion that there might still be stragglers that haven't hatched.
It appears that the Eiders have also had a respectable year with numbers in the mid-range.
The Alcids are chugging along and, although there are still tons to be seen on the island, the RAZORBILLS are departing.
Reports of adult/offspring pairs have come from various locations for a week or more.
Also still present in good tonnage, the PUFFINS are due to fledge any time. The earliest may have already slipped away in recent nights but I haven't yet seen any PUFFLINGS on the lawn.
The COMMON MURRE tonnage is still impressive, having started breeding only a few years ago, and the species looks to be having a productive summer.
Oh, just to answer the inevitable question: it takes approximately 2700 Puffins, 1390 Razorbills or 1030 Murres to make either an English Long Ton or a Metric Ton.
Raptor activity continues to be low, helped by the foggy days. Unfortunately, the fog seems not to hamper the 2 RAVENS which we see too often.
The Terns are benefiting from mainly favorable weather and, BUTTERFISH being the exception, from decent food for the chicks.
The ARCTIC TERNS have fledged a probable 50 or more and I'm optimistic that 100+ fledgling this year is possible.
That's a far cry from the hay-days but a big jump from zero just a couple years ago and from the dozen or two last season.
COMMON TERNS aren't as advanced in recovery but there have been a handful of known nests this year.
Those have a chance at producing at least some fledglings.
It's likely not news to many other people in other places but we have MOSQUITOS
Until recently, mosquitos were effectively unknown on MSI. I heard of one or two dubious sightings over some 17 or 18 years but never saw one myself.
About 3 years ago a very few were around. 2 years ago a few more.
Last year they really jumped to the, "Give me the DEET!", level at times.
This year, researchers are often foregoing headlamps at night and I wouldn't consider working around heavy vegetation without repellant.
Interesting to note that the advent and increase of the plague corresponds exactly to the total demise of our small resident LITTLE BROWN BAT population.
-- A few Peeps are hanging about the shore, gleaning the little animals from the rock weed and the decaying wrack at high-water mark. Only LEAST & SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS identified so far although I glimpsed a probable RUDDY TURNSTONE once and a lone WILLET passed over on Wednesday.
SAVANNAH SPARROWS are busy carrying food to their presumed 2nd broods while adults and 1st brooders agitate and shout at any intrusion into or near their territories.
SPOTTED SANDPIPERS seem to have had a low average season, judging from the numbers I've been seeing. Most chicks are barely distinguishable from the adults. Few of them still show any tail fluff.
It looks like most all the COMMON EIDERS are now on the water, although I'm still seeing an occasional over-island morning flight the gives the suspicion that there might still be stragglers that haven't hatched.
It appears that the Eiders have also had a respectable year with numbers in the mid-range.
The Alcids are chugging along and, although there are still tons to be seen on the island, the RAZORBILLS are departing.
Reports of adult/offspring pairs have come from various locations for a week or more.
Also still present in good tonnage, the PUFFINS are due to fledge any time. The earliest may have already slipped away in recent nights but I haven't yet seen any PUFFLINGS on the lawn.
The COMMON MURRE tonnage is still impressive, having started breeding only a few years ago, and the species looks to be having a productive summer.
Oh, just to answer the inevitable question: it takes approximately 2700 Puffins, 1390 Razorbills or 1030 Murres to make either an English Long Ton or a Metric Ton.
Raptor activity continues to be low, helped by the foggy days. Unfortunately, the fog seems not to hamper the 2 RAVENS which we see too often.
The Terns are benefiting from mainly favorable weather and, BUTTERFISH being the exception, from decent food for the chicks.
The ARCTIC TERNS have fledged a probable 50 or more and I'm optimistic that 100+ fledgling this year is possible.
That's a far cry from the hay-days but a big jump from zero just a couple years ago and from the dozen or two last season.
COMMON TERNS aren't as advanced in recovery but there have been a handful of known nests this year.
Those have a chance at producing at least some fledglings.
It's likely not news to many other people in other places but we have MOSQUITOS
Until recently, mosquitos were effectively unknown on MSI. I heard of one or two dubious sightings over some 17 or 18 years but never saw one myself.
About 3 years ago a very few were around. 2 years ago a few more.
Last year they really jumped to the, "Give me the DEET!", level at times.
This year, researchers are often foregoing headlamps at night and I wouldn't consider working around heavy vegetation without repellant.
Interesting to note that the advent and increase of the plague corresponds exactly to the total demise of our small resident LITTLE BROWN BAT population.
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