Other than Thursday, the past week (and more) saw us socked in solidly with fog, keeping visibility generally in the 300 foot range. Unsurprisingly, there was little migratory movement seen here.
Saturday brought classic Fall: clear, damp night followed by a cool, sunny, low wind day. And other than a couple isolated periods of heavy cloud and scattered showers, Sunday and Monday were nearly as nice.
The small winds were all around the compass but a fair bit of time the general flow was favorable for migrants and our diversity and totals reflected those conditions.
Raptors moved strongly with 3 day totals of PEREGRINES 40+; MERLINS 15+; KESTRELS 5; HARRIERS 11.
As would be expected, the prey species were not so happy to have their foraging interrupted as they repeatedly dashed for cover.
Nonetheless, there was good diversity apparent, if not big numbers. Some individuals chose to spend 2 or more days resting and foraging while some barely paused. Several species were first represented by a singleton but were joined by more each day, then departed more or less together.
Saturday through Monday, in addition to the raptors, we hosted:
BROWN CREEPER (2); WHITE BREASTED NUTHATCH (2); RED BREASTED NUTHATCH (30+); EASTERN PHOEBE (8); EASTERN WOOD PEWEE (3); GREAT CREASTED FLYCATCHER (3); EMPIDONAX (LEAST?) FLYCATCHER (1); CEDAR WAXWING (2); CHIPPING SPARROW (16); SAVANNAH SPARROW (several dozen); SONG SPARROW (several dozen); WHITE THROATED SPARROWS (several hundred); WHITE CROWNED SPARROW (2); SWAMP SPARROW (8); JUNCOS (7); "YELLOW SPARROWS" aka BOBOLINKS (3); COWBIRD (2); BLUE JAY (8); FLICKER (50+); REDSTART (females)(4); BLACK THROATED BLUE WARBLER (1); BLACKBURIAN WARBLER (2); PALM WARBLER (4); YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER (4); WARBLER UNIDENTIFIED (15+); GOLDFINCH (100+); PURPLE FINCH (20+); PINE SISKIN (20); RAVEN (semi-resident)(2); AMERICAN CROW (migrants) (17): MOURNING DOVE (4); GREY CATBIRD (2); CARDINAL (female)(1); DICKCISSAL (2) .
The exceptional birds, in addition to the (rare out here) Cardinal, were 3 BARN SWALLOWS, with 1 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday. All seemed in good shape and foraging successfully.
Passing nearby and/or foraging near the island:
CANADA GEESE (7); BRANT (5); COMMON EIDER (14); RED BREASTED MERGANSER (5); COMMON LOON (4); RED THROATED LOON (2); GREAT CORMORANT (50+); DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANT (50+); GREAT BLACK BACKED & HERRING GULLS (several hundred); ICELAND GULL (2); KITTIWAKE (30+); ATLANTIC PUFFIN (2); RAZORBILL (100+); GREAT SHEARWATER (35+); SOOTY SHEARWATER (3); SHEARWATER UNIDENTIFIED (200+); NORTHERN GANNET (several hundred).
Today, Tuesday the 6th, started with overnight fog, clearing out around dawn, light wind and mainly sunny. It also started with a surprising number of flycatchers simultaneously feeding around the buildings. I confirmed 2 Great Crested Flycatchers, at least 6 Phoebes, 1 Pewee and 1 Least Flycatcher. There were also 3 or 4 which I couldn't ID.
Raptors also started early with a couple Peregrines moving before sunrise and a Harrier already eating breakfast on the patio when the first sunrays arrived.
The bird(s) of the day were dark blobs sitting atop the outhouse until the first sunlight backlit one brilliant red top-knot. REDPOLLS! A pair and about as early as I've ever seen them.
So, from this view point, it looks like we are, indeed, headed into a "finch winter".
I've only seen four MONARCH BUTTERFLIES today; all bucking the 15 knot Southerly wind. That's stark contrast against the past 3 days.
At least 3 dozen Monarchs passed through on Saturday and a good few stopped overnight. Sunday I saw at least 30 feeding and fighting as a steady trickle arrived and departed the island.
There are still some small patches of PURPLE ASTER in bloom but it's disappearing quickly. By Monday, the DANDELION crop on the lawn was a big attraction.
The finches are taking notice of that crop, as well. They are on the flower heads as fast as they go to seed.
There haven't been very many other butterflies around: a few Whites & Sulphurs and the Monarchs somehow still manage to find occasional Ladies to squabble with and bully.
There were also a few DRAGONFLIES on patrol but, unfortunately, far too few to make a dent in the voracious MOSQUITOES.
-- Saturday brought classic Fall: clear, damp night followed by a cool, sunny, low wind day. And other than a couple isolated periods of heavy cloud and scattered showers, Sunday and Monday were nearly as nice.
The small winds were all around the compass but a fair bit of time the general flow was favorable for migrants and our diversity and totals reflected those conditions.
Raptors moved strongly with 3 day totals of PEREGRINES 40+; MERLINS 15+; KESTRELS 5; HARRIERS 11.
As would be expected, the prey species were not so happy to have their foraging interrupted as they repeatedly dashed for cover.
Nonetheless, there was good diversity apparent, if not big numbers. Some individuals chose to spend 2 or more days resting and foraging while some barely paused. Several species were first represented by a singleton but were joined by more each day, then departed more or less together.
Saturday through Monday, in addition to the raptors, we hosted:
BROWN CREEPER (2); WHITE BREASTED NUTHATCH (2); RED BREASTED NUTHATCH (30+); EASTERN PHOEBE (8); EASTERN WOOD PEWEE (3); GREAT CREASTED FLYCATCHER (3); EMPIDONAX (LEAST?) FLYCATCHER (1); CEDAR WAXWING (2); CHIPPING SPARROW (16); SAVANNAH SPARROW (several dozen); SONG SPARROW (several dozen); WHITE THROATED SPARROWS (several hundred); WHITE CROWNED SPARROW (2); SWAMP SPARROW (8); JUNCOS (7); "YELLOW SPARROWS" aka BOBOLINKS (3); COWBIRD (2); BLUE JAY (8); FLICKER (50+); REDSTART (females)(4); BLACK THROATED BLUE WARBLER (1); BLACKBURIAN WARBLER (2); PALM WARBLER (4); YELLOW RUMPED WARBLER (4); WARBLER UNIDENTIFIED (15+); GOLDFINCH (100+); PURPLE FINCH (20+); PINE SISKIN (20); RAVEN (semi-resident)(2); AMERICAN CROW (migrants) (17): MOURNING DOVE (4); GREY CATBIRD (2); CARDINAL (female)(1); DICKCISSAL (2) .
The exceptional birds, in addition to the (rare out here) Cardinal, were 3 BARN SWALLOWS, with 1 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday. All seemed in good shape and foraging successfully.
Passing nearby and/or foraging near the island:
CANADA GEESE (7); BRANT (5); COMMON EIDER (14); RED BREASTED MERGANSER (5); COMMON LOON (4); RED THROATED LOON (2); GREAT CORMORANT (50+); DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANT (50+); GREAT BLACK BACKED & HERRING GULLS (several hundred); ICELAND GULL (2); KITTIWAKE (30+); ATLANTIC PUFFIN (2); RAZORBILL (100+); GREAT SHEARWATER (35+); SOOTY SHEARWATER (3); SHEARWATER UNIDENTIFIED (200+); NORTHERN GANNET (several hundred).
Today, Tuesday the 6th, started with overnight fog, clearing out around dawn, light wind and mainly sunny. It also started with a surprising number of flycatchers simultaneously feeding around the buildings. I confirmed 2 Great Crested Flycatchers, at least 6 Phoebes, 1 Pewee and 1 Least Flycatcher. There were also 3 or 4 which I couldn't ID.
Raptors also started early with a couple Peregrines moving before sunrise and a Harrier already eating breakfast on the patio when the first sunrays arrived.
The bird(s) of the day were dark blobs sitting atop the outhouse until the first sunlight backlit one brilliant red top-knot. REDPOLLS! A pair and about as early as I've ever seen them.
So, from this view point, it looks like we are, indeed, headed into a "finch winter".
I've only seen four MONARCH BUTTERFLIES today; all bucking the 15 knot Southerly wind. That's stark contrast against the past 3 days.
At least 3 dozen Monarchs passed through on Saturday and a good few stopped overnight. Sunday I saw at least 30 feeding and fighting as a steady trickle arrived and departed the island.
There are still some small patches of PURPLE ASTER in bloom but it's disappearing quickly. By Monday, the DANDELION crop on the lawn was a big attraction.
The finches are taking notice of that crop, as well. They are on the flower heads as fast as they go to seed.
There haven't been very many other butterflies around: a few Whites & Sulphurs and the Monarchs somehow still manage to find occasional Ladies to squabble with and bully.
There were also a few DRAGONFLIES on patrol but, unfortunately, far too few to make a dent in the voracious MOSQUITOES.
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