BirdCast and other thoughts (NO SIGHTINGS)

[Ed McDevitt]

Finally, with the wind shifted, allowing our migrants to get unstuck, from last Thursday night to Monday night the total number of birds in flight over Cook County was 15,673,100. No 5-night period last Spring came close to that number. The total for this Spring so far is 43,227,000. Last Spring's number for the same period was 38,147,000. Things are looking up (so to speak).

Just as a curiosity, yesterday, a beautiful day to be outside,  I sat out on our 5th floor condo balcony in River Forest doing some work on my computer. I kept hearing warbler song, so I turned Merlin on for an extended period. Here's what Merlin heard (I can confirm I too heard most of them). I was too busy to look for the birds, so went with what I heard (no, I didn't run an eBird list) 

American Redstart
Bay-breasted Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Red-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Chimney Swift
Northern Cardinal
American Robin
House Sparrow

This list accords in most ways with what our Migration Bird Walks group saw at Thatcher Woods last Saturday .

By the way, Merlin itself says that the Yellow-throated Vireo is not expected at this time.

Ed McDevitt

Facts don't take sides.
Fact-checking is not a political act.
Anyone who objects to fact-checking
Is looking to con you.
The term for that person: liar.

(630) 651-6227 (C)