It's been and interesting migration so far. It's not unprecedented numbers or rare species so much as unusual combinations.
Over the past couple weeks there have been brief pulses of some species while other, expected species have been sparse.
KESTRELS had 1 day last week and 1 day the previous week where they dominated the island ..... literally dozens here at any moment ...... as many as 4 perched on the patio with others hunting around the island at the same time.
I saw 3 in hunting hovers simultaneously over the front lawn.
There was one feeding on its second kill (a sparrow) on the edge of the patio while another chowed down on a GOLDFINCH on the other side of the yard.
One of the fun things was watching Kestrels repeatedly trying to tackle FLICKERS, most of whom reacted with distain, very rarely allowing themselves to flush, to interrupt their feeding, or to consider the little raptors to be a real threat.
Between those days there was hardly a glimpse of a Kestrel, maybe a couple for an entire day.
PEREGRINES & MERLINS likewise dominated for a day and a half, with 2 to 5 on the island any any one time. Otherwise, they've been only occasional with maybe a couple sighted per day.
Our other frequent migrant raptor, HARRIERS, have been fairly normal.
There will be one or two most every day, with up to a half dozen here on occasion.
They can be expected to show up anytime from mid-day to mid-afternoon and they will hunt more or less continuously through late afternoon and often well past sunset.
On two nights (September 28th & 29th),quite a few LEACHES STORM PETRELS grounded around the house, in numbers usually seen in summer.
Leaches nest here and fledge quite late, some into October. But most chicks seem to have been gone by then and none of the Petrels appeared to be carrying food.
Also saw a couple WILSON'S STORM PETRELS among the group.
Aviators but not avian, late season MONARCH BUTTERFLIES made great showings twice over the past week. On both days several hundred individuals passed through. At times I could see a couple dozen or more at a glance.
I checked after dark and found a lot of the butterflies perching on the sides of buildings:18 on the north wall off our house.
On the second day I located one COMMON BUCKEYE and one RED ADMIRAL among the Monarchs but not much else, other than resident CABBAGE WHITES & SULPHURS.
Over last night (Thursday), which was essentially clear and moonlit, it looked like a strong migrant flight.
That was born out with an abundance of sparrows peppering the grounds come daylight.
The lion's share proved to be WHITE THROATED SPARROWS, followed closely by JUNCOS.
There were a few more COWBIRDS & SONG SPARROWS around but fewer CHIPPING & SAVANNAH SPARROWS.
A single ROBIN, perhaps the first since early summer, also appeared.
There were also a mixture of warblers, with YELLOW RUMPED bring most abundant.
I found a RED EYED VIREO dead on the lawn. They are commonly among warbler/sparrow flights.
Later today (Friday), 2 or 3 BALTIMORE ORIOLES found the patio and explored around the buildings but they seemed to ignore the oranges and jelly that were on offer.
And to point up my suggestion that this fall is a bit unusual, I heard, then spotted a DOWNY WOODPECKER.
Now for context: Flickers are very numerous during migration, both Spring & Fall. SAPSUCKERS are annual and some years numerous.
Other woodpeckers are seen about once in 5 years.
So this Downy got my attention.
And, by the time I identified it as a female, a male flew up to the railing just outside the kitchen window.
Both explored for insects, but with no trees they had limited prospects so I put out a suet block to go with some oil seed.
When I retreated to the house they quickly returned ....... except now there were 3 Downys.
Definitely a notable day.
But, just like the pitchmen on infomercials, "Wait! There's more!"
I was only casually watching the Downys feed and squabble, and occasionally duck or freeze when a Harrier cruised by, when I realized there was a new player in the game.
Perched just at the edge of the lawn, 30 feet in front of the kitchen window, was a RED BELLIED WOODPECKER (only the 2nd that I've seen out here.)
As darkness fell that R. Belly was on the patio, feeding with the sparrows, Cowbirds and one of the Baltimores.
Seals are still abundant. They are mainly GRAY SEALS and, on days when the wind is down, the vocalizations from 100 to 200 are surprisingly loud over the 1/2 mile of water between here and their haul-out on Gull Rock.
BATS were seen, on two different days, hawking insects in the lee of the houses. (Bats commonly hunt by day out here because there are virtually no night-flying insects on the island.)
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