Winds spiked just after sunrise at Sunset Beach bringing howling northeast gusts after a calm night of active migration. The high winds seemed to subdue songbirds in morning flight, though plenty of other birds were blasting over including waterbirds and raptors. Totals of 57 species and 3826 individuals were counted at Sunset Beach.
The strong tailwind seemed to drift the southbound flightline overhead to the western bay shore. Yellow-rumped Warblers were streaming steadily south totaling 1504 south and 201 north. Few other warblers were in the mix, the runner up being 13 Blackpoll Warblers of which most were northbound. Typically northeasterly winds mean a more easterly flightline given that birds in morning flight tend to tack into the wind, though today a fair number of reorienting migrants were also on the overhead flightline as they battled the winds.
Waterfowl movements were fairly slow today, though were highlighted by the season’s first Greater Scaup. Other waterbirds were moving in much greater numbers, including a nice later season push of southbound White Ibis totaling 333, and Double-crested Cormorants moving steadily as well with 153. Small flocks of Great Blue Herons were moving over very high as well tallying 58. The hen Common Eider also continued by the northern pound nets. A Common Nighthawk up over the campground at sunrise was a late surprise.
The northeast winds brought an excellent flight of 909 raptors to the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch, highlighted by a very strong movement of 303 Cooper’s Hawks. This is the sixth highest day record for Cooper’s Hawks at this site. Sharp-shinned Hawks put up a respectable fight but took home a rare loss to their larger cousins with a total of 239. Merlins took third for the day with 119. A total of 152 was also a good day for Great Blue Herons at the hawkwatch. After a weeklong absence, an adult male Ruby-throated Hummingbird was a nice surprise, as males typically migrate before females and immature hummingbirds.
Southwest winds and warm temperatures return tomorrow before a major weather shift over the weekend bringing cold, strong wind, and rain chances. Pre-frontal days like tomorrow are sometimes slow, though on occasion the southwesterlies trigger interesting movements ahead of the arriving front.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s daily migration update on CVWO social media and the CVWO blog: https://vawildliferesearch.org/cvwo-blog
And
follow along with the count live every morning on Trektellen: https://trektellen.nl/count/view/3748/20261015
