The yesterday's freezing rain and adverse gales, along with the overnight tempest, wasn't particularly conducive to migration but a few birds seemed to move as the wind shifted briefly a bit to the west.
I'm looking at a bright male ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK, feeding on the patio. It wasn't here yesterday.
I've also been watching a CATBIRD bathing in a rain puddle. I suspect that it's a single individual that's been hanging around for several days.
I'm looking at a bright male ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK, feeding on the patio. It wasn't here yesterday.
I've also been watching a CATBIRD bathing in a rain puddle. I suspect that it's a single individual that's been hanging around for several days.
It's exceptionally flighty and ignores oranges and grapes. I'll try grape jelly tomorrow but I think he may be one of those rare Catbirds without a sweet tooth.
There are more CHIPPING SPARROWS & WHITE THROATED SPARROWS than we had yesterday.
JUNCOS continue to dominate the numbers but there are lots of SONG SPARROWS and increasing SAVANNAH SPARROWS.
Several IPSWICH type Savannahs are hanging around, too.
FLICKERS are numerous but ROBINS are diminishing and the HERMIT THRUSHES of last week are nowhere to be found.
The various black birds have moved on, leaving a sole female BROWN HEADED COWBIRD that is loath to abandon the white millet on the patio.
I spotted a WREN of uncertain species for a few seconds this afternoon. They like the boulder areas and any of you who know the island will appreciate that a large army of those tiny critters could stay hidden there indefinitely.
No RAPTORS for two days except for a couple KESTRELS hunkered down and a MERLIN driving through the freezing rain yesterday morning. That changed just a bit ago with a late-day appearance of a spiffy PEREGRINE FALCON perched on the rocks near the observation blinds.
There are more CHIPPING SPARROWS & WHITE THROATED SPARROWS than we had yesterday.
JUNCOS continue to dominate the numbers but there are lots of SONG SPARROWS and increasing SAVANNAH SPARROWS.
Several IPSWICH type Savannahs are hanging around, too.
FLICKERS are numerous but ROBINS are diminishing and the HERMIT THRUSHES of last week are nowhere to be found.
The various black birds have moved on, leaving a sole female BROWN HEADED COWBIRD that is loath to abandon the white millet on the patio.
I spotted a WREN of uncertain species for a few seconds this afternoon. They like the boulder areas and any of you who know the island will appreciate that a large army of those tiny critters could stay hidden there indefinitely.
No RAPTORS for two days except for a couple KESTRELS hunkered down and a MERLIN driving through the freezing rain yesterday morning. That changed just a bit ago with a late-day appearance of a spiffy PEREGRINE FALCON perched on the rocks near the observation blinds.
How many songbirds do you guess are are in the open?
After a solid week of increasing ALCID presence ashore, they have not landed for this past 4 nights nor even been present around the island. Tonight there were a few just offshore but not really enough to form a raft. It doesn't look promising for any of them to come ashore. Even those few seem to be filtering away as the sun drops.
EIDERS are giving a good accounting for themselves and HARLEQUINS remain steady.
Some SCOTERS have been around but the lion's share of the migrants tend to pass a fair distance from us.
Also distant have been occasional LOONS but usually too high and distant to distinguish species.
GANNETS, in particular mature adults, have been frequent today. They didn't show any special direction of travel but they would certainly be migrants.
DOUBLE CREASTED CORMORANTS travelled past all day in small but frequent groups. There were about 100 crowded together on Gull Rock, having a rest but they have now departed.
Yesterday saw more WHITE WINGED GULLS than usual, likely because they were foraging in the on-shore wind. One young GLAUCOUS GULL scaled back and forth along our lee shore for some 3 hours, offering lots of close, low-level observation. time.
50 to 100 GREY SEALS have been hauling out on Gull Rock recently. Among them are a good number of this year's young.
After a solid week of increasing ALCID presence ashore, they have not landed for this past 4 nights nor even been present around the island. Tonight there were a few just offshore but not really enough to form a raft. It doesn't look promising for any of them to come ashore. Even those few seem to be filtering away as the sun drops.
EIDERS are giving a good accounting for themselves and HARLEQUINS remain steady.
Some SCOTERS have been around but the lion's share of the migrants tend to pass a fair distance from us.
Also distant have been occasional LOONS but usually too high and distant to distinguish species.
GANNETS, in particular mature adults, have been frequent today. They didn't show any special direction of travel but they would certainly be migrants.
DOUBLE CREASTED CORMORANTS travelled past all day in small but frequent groups. There were about 100 crowded together on Gull Rock, having a rest but they have now departed.
Yesterday saw more WHITE WINGED GULLS than usual, likely because they were foraging in the on-shore wind. One young GLAUCOUS GULL scaled back and forth along our lee shore for some 3 hours, offering lots of close, low-level observation. time.
50 to 100 GREY SEALS have been hauling out on Gull Rock recently. Among them are a good number of this year's young.
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