Continuing windy weather, not to mention that recent wee winter blast, has discouraged most migrants. It hasn't done much for the BBQ season, either. I've only had a couple of decent grilling evenings this week past.
The ALCIDS have been settling in: over-nighting and hanging around for much of the day. We avoided most of last week's snow and what did come down melted quickly. Our worst period was when the system exited. There was a steady string of very strong snow squalls: almost no visibility and horizontal precipitation. Really tough flying conditions but there was a surprising amount of traffic into and out of the colony, even in the very worst conditions.
The small migrants have been barely a trickle: 1 CATBIRD; 3 WHITE CROWNED SPARROWS; a handful of WHITE THROATED SPARROWS; 1 GRACKLE; a dozen or so ROBINS; 2 STARLINGS; 1 PEREGRINE FALCON (supping on Puffin); 1 HARRIER; 1 COWBIRD; SAVANNAH SPARROWS filtering in; occasional WILSON"S SNIPE; a couple WOODCOCK.
Yesterday, Tuesday, April 14th, there is a notable up tick in White Crowned Sparrows. Several have been frequenting the patio and out muscling the usual bullies, the Song Sparrows.
It seems to be almost an annual surprise when the vanguard of migrants doesn't appear with the first new grass. Just impatient, I guess. For example: I marvel every year at the way that migrating White Throated Sparrows time their arrival so that they can excavate newly planted garden rows and that's weeks away.
The one species that had me wondering was COMMON EIDER but they have finally arrived, albeit in modest number with around 60 in the cove just ahead of Monday's williwaw.
HARLIQUINS are still plentiful with 40-50 visible at times and many mixing with the Eiders.
There are daily stop-offs by migrating Loons; mainly COMMON LOONS but occasional RED THROATED LOONS. More distant flying Loons can be spotted throughout every day, usually a handful or less but once in a while a group of upwards of 20.
There's still a flock of about 60 PURPLE SANDPIPERS on the island, more than there were for much of the time in the winter.
I suspect that the full tides that are just passing, combined with a lot of heavy sea conditions, may have forced even those surf runners to abandon most of the area's low-lying ledges and islets as they have been completely over-washed for extended periods.
The high tides and high seas didn't quite peak together but there was still some wash-over around the island. Fortunately, this early in the season, egg loss or Alcid mortality in affected burrows is unlikely. Some "ocean view" nest sites will, however, require varying degrees of renovation.
Predatory activity around the seabird colony has been quite low, compared with some other years.
The EAGLES seem otherwhere engaged this week past and other raptors nearly non-existent.
Gulls are always present but (so far) their numbers and level of aggression has been modest.
RAVENS are the worst disruption to the colony. Our apparent semi-resident pair are almost constantly present and their threat is evident in the way that the colonial birds react to them: diving for cover and hiding whenever the Ravens get close or fly over.
Gull population is pretty much at seasonal normal with some apparent over-wintered birds still present.
I saw 4 or 5 ICELAND GULLS at various times over the weekend and there are 4 GLAUCOUS GULLS (3 sub-adult, 1 adult) around that are likely the same ones which have been here all winter.
KITTIWAKES have virtually disappeared.
So far there's been no evidence of gull nesting here but there is some pairing behaviour among HERRING GULLS.
GREY SEALS are well towards their summer numbers, judging from what I'm seeing on Gull Rock, with lots emancipated pups around. We get them more frequently than adults as they seek out accessible spots away from the crush of the main herds.
BIRD OF THE DAY: BROWN THRESHER. 2 of them around for a couple of days. Amazing the amount of dirt they excavate with their bill as they forage. Although they can be pretty secretive and sulky, with no predators (or people) around we get to see them out and about our lawns and buildings for extended periods.
-- The ALCIDS have been settling in: over-nighting and hanging around for much of the day. We avoided most of last week's snow and what did come down melted quickly. Our worst period was when the system exited. There was a steady string of very strong snow squalls: almost no visibility and horizontal precipitation. Really tough flying conditions but there was a surprising amount of traffic into and out of the colony, even in the very worst conditions.
The small migrants have been barely a trickle: 1 CATBIRD; 3 WHITE CROWNED SPARROWS; a handful of WHITE THROATED SPARROWS; 1 GRACKLE; a dozen or so ROBINS; 2 STARLINGS; 1 PEREGRINE FALCON (supping on Puffin); 1 HARRIER; 1 COWBIRD; SAVANNAH SPARROWS filtering in; occasional WILSON"S SNIPE; a couple WOODCOCK.
Yesterday, Tuesday, April 14th, there is a notable up tick in White Crowned Sparrows. Several have been frequenting the patio and out muscling the usual bullies, the Song Sparrows.
It seems to be almost an annual surprise when the vanguard of migrants doesn't appear with the first new grass. Just impatient, I guess. For example: I marvel every year at the way that migrating White Throated Sparrows time their arrival so that they can excavate newly planted garden rows and that's weeks away.
The one species that had me wondering was COMMON EIDER but they have finally arrived, albeit in modest number with around 60 in the cove just ahead of Monday's williwaw.
HARLIQUINS are still plentiful with 40-50 visible at times and many mixing with the Eiders.
There are daily stop-offs by migrating Loons; mainly COMMON LOONS but occasional RED THROATED LOONS. More distant flying Loons can be spotted throughout every day, usually a handful or less but once in a while a group of upwards of 20.
There's still a flock of about 60 PURPLE SANDPIPERS on the island, more than there were for much of the time in the winter.
I suspect that the full tides that are just passing, combined with a lot of heavy sea conditions, may have forced even those surf runners to abandon most of the area's low-lying ledges and islets as they have been completely over-washed for extended periods.
The high tides and high seas didn't quite peak together but there was still some wash-over around the island. Fortunately, this early in the season, egg loss or Alcid mortality in affected burrows is unlikely. Some "ocean view" nest sites will, however, require varying degrees of renovation.
Predatory activity around the seabird colony has been quite low, compared with some other years.
The EAGLES seem otherwhere engaged this week past and other raptors nearly non-existent.
Gulls are always present but (so far) their numbers and level of aggression has been modest.
RAVENS are the worst disruption to the colony. Our apparent semi-resident pair are almost constantly present and their threat is evident in the way that the colonial birds react to them: diving for cover and hiding whenever the Ravens get close or fly over.
Gull population is pretty much at seasonal normal with some apparent over-wintered birds still present.
I saw 4 or 5 ICELAND GULLS at various times over the weekend and there are 4 GLAUCOUS GULLS (3 sub-adult, 1 adult) around that are likely the same ones which have been here all winter.
KITTIWAKES have virtually disappeared.
So far there's been no evidence of gull nesting here but there is some pairing behaviour among HERRING GULLS.
GREY SEALS are well towards their summer numbers, judging from what I'm seeing on Gull Rock, with lots emancipated pups around. We get them more frequently than adults as they seek out accessible spots away from the crush of the main herds.
BIRD OF THE DAY: BROWN THRESHER. 2 of them around for a couple of days. Amazing the amount of dirt they excavate with their bill as they forage. Although they can be pretty secretive and sulky, with no predators (or people) around we get to see them out and about our lawns and buildings for extended periods.
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