MACHIAS SEAL ISLAND REPORT
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RALPH ELDRIDGE
Sep 20, 2017, 11:15:45 AM9/20/17
to Maine birds
The weather forecast said rain overnight. They were right.
North East wind at 10-15 knots and dripping wet fog & drizzle but....................it was raining birds!
Conditions have been right for several nights to get significant low-altitude migration and large drop-outs.
Numbers seen here have been escalating over the past few nights.
Monday night the drop-out was quite large.
Today in the wee hours there was at least triple the number of birds here, easily one of the largest drop-outs that I've seen, and it intensified as we got closer to dawn.
I spent a total of about 4 hours outside, mostly just standing still. Kind of fun to see which species and/or individuals viewed me as a wind-break, an insect trap or a cozy, heated perch.
As with the previous night (Monday/Tuesday), this latest flight appeared to be dominated by COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, PARULAS, FEMALE REDSTARTS & BLACK THROATED GREEN WARBLERS. Of course virtually every other usual warbler species was represented as well. I identified 21 warbler species Monday night and 22 species last night.
Tuesday AM I saw numerous BALTIMORE ORIOLES. This AM I saw ORCHARD ORIOLES: 5 for certain.
Since daylight there have been several Thrushes (possibly HERMIT THRUSHES) and several Cuckoos (all or most appeared to be BLACK BILLED CUCKOOS).
While the visibility opened up yesterday afternoon we had up to 5 HARRIERS, along with several SHARP SHINNED HAWKS, an adult EAGLE and a few MERLINS. At least 3 of the Harriers were adult males, the first of that gender that I've seen this fall.
It's unclear how many of the raptors stayed here when the visibility closed in but this morning I've seen 2 of the Harriers and 1 each of the Merlins & Sharpies. A juvenile Harrier has been seen feeding on the lawn once yesterday and twice this mornings. A Sharpie was seen grabbing a warbler from the side of the lighthouse this morning and a Merlin did the same thing yesterday.
The wind is forecast to strengthen tonight but remain North East while drier, clear air will move in. I think that these slowed & stalled birds will likely grab the favourable air flow and push southward tonight.
North East wind at 10-15 knots and dripping wet fog & drizzle but....................it was raining birds!
Conditions have been right for several nights to get significant low-altitude migration and large drop-outs.
Numbers seen here have been escalating over the past few nights.
Monday night the drop-out was quite large.
Today in the wee hours there was at least triple the number of birds here, easily one of the largest drop-outs that I've seen, and it intensified as we got closer to dawn.
I spent a total of about 4 hours outside, mostly just standing still. Kind of fun to see which species and/or individuals viewed me as a wind-break, an insect trap or a cozy, heated perch.
As with the previous night (Monday/Tuesday), this latest flight appeared to be dominated by COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, PARULAS, FEMALE REDSTARTS & BLACK THROATED GREEN WARBLERS. Of course virtually every other usual warbler species was represented as well. I identified 21 warbler species Monday night and 22 species last night.
Tuesday AM I saw numerous BALTIMORE ORIOLES. This AM I saw ORCHARD ORIOLES: 5 for certain.
Since daylight there have been several Thrushes (possibly HERMIT THRUSHES) and several Cuckoos (all or most appeared to be BLACK BILLED CUCKOOS).
While the visibility opened up yesterday afternoon we had up to 5 HARRIERS, along with several SHARP SHINNED HAWKS, an adult EAGLE and a few MERLINS. At least 3 of the Harriers were adult males, the first of that gender that I've seen this fall.
It's unclear how many of the raptors stayed here when the visibility closed in but this morning I've seen 2 of the Harriers and 1 each of the Merlins & Sharpies. A juvenile Harrier has been seen feeding on the lawn once yesterday and twice this mornings. A Sharpie was seen grabbing a warbler from the side of the lighthouse this morning and a Merlin did the same thing yesterday.
The wind is forecast to strengthen tonight but remain North East while drier, clear air will move in. I think that these slowed & stalled birds will likely grab the favourable air flow and push southward tonight.
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