Lower Rennies/Migration

[Martin Berrigan]

I have been checking the information on the expected migration for the Orange-crown,and Yellow-throated warbler.I will now be recording the information on e-bird as when they leave is very important to me,I will also post here when that day comes.The Orange-crowned warbler can be expected to make the move any day now and they are on there way North but a huge movement happens about the 5th of April so I do not expect the warbler to be here on the 15th of April.The Yellow-throated migrates later then the Orange and should be expected sometime after the 15th of April to the 1st of May to depart,hopefully soon after the 15th,I'll check last year's information but finger's crossed he never comes back to Rennies River and follows his lot away from Newfoundland and closer to Costa Rico in September,same goes for the Orange-crowned,never come back in Winter.I have done 25 day's per Month tending to the site before Sunrise January/March and February,and many visits every storm and especially during the super cold front which is a miracle they survived it,I saw both birds in stress which is very hard to witness and that is why I wish they never come back in Winter.I tend to the site and every need those warbler's needed to make it,my team of Ladies H.J's,J.B,and C.M along with J.P and K.D have kept me supplied thru the process to tend to the site.This will add to my list of birds in winter that I have given everything I could possibly give to help them survive,it's no easy process!.Here's my list:Pippin-Pine warbler Bowring Park;Ruby-crowned Kinglet,Pine warbler General Protestant Cemetery;Tennessee warbler,Kelly's Brook;major assistance to the Legion team running off Starlings to ensure Cape May and Yellow-breasted Chat were not bullied from they're Winter feed site,by far the worse thing I was ever a part of,banging sticks like a nut in a open field,and now a Orange-crown and a Yellow-throated warbler Lower Rennies along with some assistance last year at Lower including the Western Tanager and Baltimore Oriole.I suffered major loses in Kelly's Brook with two Wilson warblers one lost to Snowmaggeddom and another on the mildest day in February,it was either 14 or 17 degree's celcius,just can't stop the hawk but with food a Wilson warbler is a definite to make it,lost two Parula's mid winter in Kelly's Brook.The site will be highly maintained until the 15th of April,Orange is expected to be gone,and a full shut down end of April,if the Yellow is still around he'll have the slanted jelly bowl he leans too,and one lower suet cage with sticks.Please post here under this post if you wish sightings of the birds,the vagrants in April.Gerard

[Martin Berrigan]

On Tuesday, March 28, 2023 at 10:00:32 AM UTC-2:30, Martin Berrigan wrote:
> I have been checking the information on the expected migration for the Orange-crown,and Yellow-throated warbler.I will now be recording the information on e-bird as when they leave is very important to me,I will also post here when that day comes.The Orange-crowned warbler can be expected to make the move any day now and they are on there way North but a huge movement happens about the 5th of April so I do not expect the warbler to be here on the 15th of April.The Yellow-throated migrates later then the Orange and should be expected sometime after the 15th of April to the 1st of May to depart,hopefully soon after the 15th,I'll check last year's information but finger's crossed he never comes back to Rennies River and follows his lot away from Newfoundland and closer to Costa Rico in September,same goes for the Orange-crowned,never come back in Winter.I have done 25 day's per Month tending to the site before Sunrise January/March and February,and many visits every storm and especially during the super cold front which is a miracle they survived it,I saw both birds in stress which is very hard to witness and that is why I wish they never come back in Winter.I tend to the site and every need those warbler's needed to make it,my team of Ladies H.J's,J.B,and C.M along with J.P and K.D have kept me supplied thru the process to tend to the site.This will add to my list of birds in winter that I have given everything I could possibly give to help them survive,it's no easy process!.Here's my list:Pippin-Pine warbler Bowring Park;Ruby-crowned Kinglet,Pine warbler General Protestant Cemetery;Tennessee warbler,Kelly's Brook;major assistance to the Legion team running off Starlings to ensure Cape May and Yellow-breasted Chat were not bullied from they're Winter feed site,by far the worse thing I was ever a part of,banging sticks like a nut in a open field,and now a Orange-crown and a Yellow-throated warbler Lower Rennies along with some assistance last year at Lower including the Western Tanager and Baltimore Oriole.I suffered major loses in Kelly's Brook with two Wilson warblers one lost to Snowmaggeddom and another on the mildest day in February,it was either 14 or 17 degree's celcius,just can't stop the hawk but with food a Wilson warbler is a definite to make it,lost two Parula's mid winter in Kelly's Brook.The site will be highly maintained until the 15th of April,Orange is expected to be gone,and a full shut down end of April,if the Yellow is still around he'll have the slanted jelly bowl he leans too,and one lower suet cage with sticks.Please post here under this post if you wish sightings of the birds,the vagrants in April.Gerard

The trail is safe today to go to the Willow tree,the feeder's are now just two cages of suet and two bowls of Grape jelly.It appear's having the site scaled down with food and removing the meal-worm feeder and eliminating meal-worm has led to a very quiet,relaxed site with no Starlings whatsoever.The warbler's Yellow-throated and Orange-Crowned are at the site today.Some animal a small rodent eats all the jelly from the upper bowl every night so I have to refill before first light every day which is a drag but the end is soon.The Yellow-throated was reported warbling on the 3rd of April which is just two day's away and Orange-crowned I expect although I can't say for sure but according to migration waves of this warbler I just can't see it staying any longer then the 10th,his crew are in full migration mode.The Yellow-throated could leave any day also but I expect mid to late April,the faster they leave the better,it's just day's now.Also cars can drive in alongside the Tennis court building,not a whole lot of room but surely enough.Gerard

[Martin Berrigan]

I may have got it wrong concerning expected migration dates,it appear's the Yellow-throated is pretty much as far North as they go about the 15th of April so maybe the Yellow-throated may leave first,it was April 3rd that the bird started warbling last year,same bird,not the same bird who knows but it may move before or by the 15th hopefully.The Orange-crown has a much longer migration going far North but the Yellow-throated about mid United States and a bit above.It's a hard call but concerning the maps on both,they may just leave around the same time somewhere around the 15th of April.The last sighting of the Tennessee warbler was by J.W's on the 21st of April in Kelly's Brook,the last sighting of Pine warbler General Protestant Cemetery was 13th of April,we know Pippin jumped the gun in good weather 25th of March,so it's close,it's any day now!.If this bird starts to warble on the 3rd as last year that would be quite amazing,no warbling this a.m,but it's really warm out.Gerard

[Martin Berrigan]

It's the 5th of April both warbler's still eating at intervals of twenty minutes,just wanted to report that this particular Yellow-throated warbler has not warbled,last year's Yellow-throated started warbling on the 3rd of April but it's been a much colder spring,but warms well later day almost every day.The Creeper's are still active at the suet but the only two birds there this a.m to feed were both the warbler's,soon after Junco's started coming in and that was 6:55 a.m.Both birds active this afternoon,it's a very scaled down quiet birding site,we limit the food and only provide two cages,two bowls.This has led to a feed site with no Starlings whatsoever,it's as if when using meal-worm they could smell them,no meal-worm a very chill site.Has stated earlier you can now park in the Tennis court lot just stay away from the deep snow,most of the trail the path is snow free.The Northern Mocking bird is flying around in circles chasing junco's and Black-capps away from his feed site,he favors a peanut-butter suet stick that C.M provides,she also provides the bird with Grape jelly and the bird is super healthy due to the food she has provided,surely great nutrition when the berry crop diminished.Finally seen a fly today but they are not plenty,with a steady zero degree's they may just hold on much later into April.Just wanted to say congrats to the e-birder's on getting the Whooper Swan,it seems to me that a Swan which has the know how to use the ocean as a feed site,be aware of eel grass as a source of food surely is displaying the skills of a wild Swan,I just do not see a domesticated Swan landing and swimming on a cool ocean and feeding on eel grass as domesticated,actually seems as far from a domesticated Swan as I am from Labrador,just a thought!.Gerard

[Martin Berrigan]

This am both warblers are feeding on grape jelly and neither of them are warbling.A Song sparrow,one particular Junco now also eating grape jelly for about a week now.Yesterday the Creeper's were about they feed on the suet facing Quidi Vidi on the Old Willow tree.Any observation of warbling I will report and I expect it to happen this week coming,it's a good sign that they will be getting ready to leave.The Yellow-throated has been observed in the high canopy as of late and the Orange-crowned just doing his thing.Due to a rodent eating grape jelly at high jelly bowl on Willow tree every night it gets refilled every am as it's the Orange-crowned's favorite spot,hopefully they will both be on they're way by at least the Tennessee warbler's last sighting year's back on the 21st,or better yet on the 13th of April last sighting of a Pine warbler in the Cemetery way back when,it's close,the trail is now fully ice and snow free except the parking lot,but lots of parking there also now.Gerard

[Martin Berrigan]

It's the 14th and both the Yellow-throated warbler and Orange-crowned warbler at Lower Rennies are still there,neither of them is warbling and that is a sure sign of a movement by them which will happen hopefully soon,the weather has been cool and will remain cool the whole month so because of the temperatures a migration by them might be prolonged. By April the 14th on the migration map all Yellow-throated's have arrived at they're breeding spots,the Orange-crowned they are still on the move but it's close.The next 7 days should be it although I feel one will linger but I'm hoping the warbling starts real soon,and they leave real soon.Gerard

[Alvan Buckley]

It sounds like the Eurasian Blackbird has left Cartwright this week. They typically return to Norway in the last week of March/first week of April so it was expected that this bird would soon leave. I hope she makes it wherever she's going! Maybe it'll be back in November or December :)

[Martin Berrigan]

On Friday, April 14, 2023 at 2:44:52 PM UTC-2:30, Alvan Buckley wrote:
> It sounds like the Eurasian Blackbird has left Cartwright this week. They typically return to Norway in the last week of March/first week of April so it was expected that this bird would soon leave. I hope she makes it wherever she's going! Maybe it'll be back in November or December :)

First a major Thank-you to the provider's for the Eurasian Blackbird,what a job you did this year,punishing temperatures,truly a record for all three birds I gather the Redwing in Nascopi,Ben in Labrador City.If there are any specific articles written on the Cartwright Eurasian Blackbird I would love to read up on the journey,and would love a little insight into how the provider's are dealing with it,surely a new experience for them and we all know "breaking up is hard to do",when a bird leaves that people have put such an effort in to there is definitely a hollow feeling when they leave but also a feeling of achievement,so great job to the provider's to the Eurasian Blackbird,great job by Ben's buddy and Vernon and friends at the Nascopi ski Hill with the Redwing who I think left long ago.The Yellow-throated is observed today to be eating at a excessive rate,very active,excited somewhat flying often to high canopy,this could be it,the bird does a wispy whistle which can be heard from a distance and now it's quite constanct,tomorrow a.m will be an important hour to observe and late this evening if this bird feeds right into dusk like the Pine warbler did at the General Protestant Cemetery,this will be this birds last day at Lower Rennies.I will observe at Dusk this evening,if I see this behavior I will report.Gerard

[Martin Berrigan]

The weather has been very cool and dreary and this weather can be expected for many successive days,it's been hard weather to motivate the warbler's to leave,there has been no warbling.It's just the 19th of April but with this weather I can see both of them The Yellow-throated and Orange-crown making no move to migrate as the conditions are just not prime.I finished my fourth day clean-up at Kelly's Brook and there is major bug action happening under leaves,everything is moving in the bug world but due to the cold flies are limited.It is still peaceful at the Willow tree site with not much interference from Starlings.I have not seen the Creeper's at the Willow tree site for many day's now and limited visits to feed by Black-capps.The Song sparrow is still enjoying suet.Both warbler's were present this a.m,alway's the Yellow-throated first,he's there at 6:15 am when I arrive and twenty minutes later the Orange-crown arrives.The Orange-crown warbler's chest and below the chin has been turning much more yellowish in the last five day's,when bright out it's very easy to note.Information dictates that the Orange-crown migrates not by length of daylight but more by the availability of bugs,thus we can expect this warbler to stay on,due to the fact that the Yellow-throated has not warbled and last year's Yellow-throated warbled on the 3rd it's either a different Yellow-throated or the same bird that will not warble until conditions change for the better,basically the weather is nothing to sing about.As I fortgot to post this message I just got back from my second visit and both birds visiting feeder's but they are also out catching flies and working the habitat,both birds flew off across Fieldians Gardan's and flew towards Winter Avenue.Gerard

[Martin Berrigan]

On Tuesday, March 28, 2023 at 10:00:32 AM UTC-2:30, Martin Berrigan wrote:
> I have been checking the information on the expected migration for the Orange-crown,and Yellow-throated warbler.I will now be recording the information on e-bird as when they leave is very important to me,I will also post here when that day comes.The Orange-crowned warbler can be expected to make the move any day now and they are on there way North but a huge movement happens about the 5th of April so I do not expect the warbler to be here on the 15th of April.The Yellow-throated migrates later then the Orange and should be expected sometime after the 15th of April to the 1st of May to depart,hopefully soon after the 15th,I'll check last year's information but finger's crossed he never comes back to Rennies River and follows his lot away from Newfoundland and closer to Costa Rico in September,same goes for the Orange-crowned,never come back in Winter.I have done 25 day's per Month tending to the site before Sunrise January/March and February,and many visits every storm and especially during the super cold front which is a miracle they survived it,I saw both birds in stress which is very hard to witness and that is why I wish they never come back in Winter.I tend to the site and every need those warbler's needed to make it,my team of Ladies H.J's,J.B,and C.M along with J.P and K.D have kept me supplied thru the process to tend to the site.This will add to my list of birds in winter that I have given everything I could possibly give to help them survive,it's no easy process!.Here's my list:Pippin-Pine warbler Bowring Park;Ruby-crowned Kinglet,Pine warbler General Protestant Cemetery;Tennessee warbler,Kelly's Brook;major assistance to the Legion team running off Starlings to ensure Cape May and Yellow-breasted Chat were not bullied from they're Winter feed site,by far the worse thing I was ever a part of,banging sticks like a nut in a open field,and now a Orange-crown and a Yellow-throated warbler Lower Rennies along with some assistance last year at Lower including the Western Tanager and Baltimore Oriole.I suffered major loses in Kelly's Brook with two Wilson warblers one lost to Snowmaggeddom and another on the mildest day in February,it was either 14 or 17 degree's celcius,just can't stop the hawk but with food a Wilson warbler is a definite to make it,lost two Parula's mid winter in Kelly's Brook.The site will be highly maintained until the 15th of April,Orange is expected to be gone,and a full shut down end of April,if the Yellow is still around he'll have the slanted jelly bowl he leans too,and one lower suet cage with sticks.Please post here under this post if you wish sightings of the birds,the vagrants in April.Gerard

The weather has been completely opposite of what a warbler may feel comfortable to migrate,sure even the Northern Mockingbird appears to be in a holding stance,I heard the Mockingbird vocalize this am but not seen,the bird screams whenever I go to put a little jelly in but remained hidden from sight.The Yellow-throated and Orange-crowned warblers were both seen this am and can be independant of the feeder's when slightly milder but they are back to regular visits, flies are limited due to cold,just the worse weather for a possible starry clear night migration.The Orange-crown made a terrible attempt at it's particular sounding warble which after watching many on youtube the warble is more of a sound of thrilling like a Junco but different,it was completely broken,funny actually to hear it,looking at many first year pictures it appears to me to be first year and may also be a factor in a late movement of migration plus the terrible weather,the greyish head fully signifies a East coast Orange-crown vrs. a west coast Orange-crown.The Yellow-throated appears to be a adult but I can't find one picture on-line of a juvenile Yellow-throated,may have heard a warble a day ago from a distance but clearly no warbling.I have expectations that the first clear night all those birds leave,never seen a April where weather is so cool at a average of zero celcius the whole month,Labrador will see better weather and has been seeing better weather then the East coast.A Yellow-throated that warbled on the 3rd of April last year,can't be the same bird,C.F is going to analize his pictures but we'll never really know. Just gotta Love this Greenland North-east low depression air flow,with this cool weather it will be in my opinion a healthier grow season this year,it's always better for dogberries and cones in Fir's and Spruces not to start early,the later the better to last thru Winter,the first clear day/night I will be at Lower very late in the evening and early the next morn'n to see if I can observe a warbler eating late into the evening,and early to see if there have been any departures.Kelly's Brook is blocked with garbage again,the second clean up after flooding garbage has started.Gerard

[Martin Berrigan]

Yellow-throated warbler was eating when I arrived at 6:30 pm,was alerted by a walker who was talking with a friend that the bird was actively eating before I arrived and the warbler ate until 7:05 pm and went straight to the high canopy,this could be it,or it's so cool he's hungry.All three birds have migrated from Labrador,something has gotta happen soon here,the forecasts states we are in for 14 straight day's of mostly Northerly winds,definitely the next 8 day's so it's a hard call.Be great if they did move on so that we could distinguish between a new arrival and Winter dwellers,I will be doing a very extensive first light observation tomorrow as this late night feeding is what a Pine warbler did in the General Protestant Cemetery before the bird migrated,I actually watched the bird eat into dusk and fly into one of the highest Pines,I knew it was the end of the season and the bird was never seen again.Gerard

[Les Sweetapple]

Hi Gerard, trying to contact you regarding the swan and your contact with Clyde. Could I get your telephone #. It not ok. no problem.
Les

[Martin Berrigan]

Hey Les,I'm on it.I called Clyde to get permission to give you his number,he'll very soon call me back and then I will immediatedly contact you,sadly he's not home at the moment.For some reason I cannot reply to author here,but you probably can reply to author and sent me your contact information.Gerard

[Les Sweetapple]

I also can not use author reply.
Les