Today's News
A/CPB
Netropical Migratory Songbird Update: May 15, 1997
USFWS
Here is this week's "Weather Forecast for the Birds" provided by ornithologist Dr. David Aborn. In addition, Canadian naturalist Don Davis comments about migration in the Great Lakes area, and forwards a note from Karl Konze at Point Pelee National Park:
"Point Pelee National Park is on the north shore of Lake Erie, at the junction of two major bird flyways", explains Don. "Hence, it one of North America's best birdwatching sites. Located near Leamington, Ontario (42 N, 82.5 W), it is near the southernmost part of Canada and is on the same latitude as northern California." The point is at the end of a long peninsula which reaches 9 miles into Lake Erie. This makes it a good stopover place for migratory birds crossing the lake.
SFSU Meteorology
"It seems that cool weather has stalled the monarch migration in Ontario," said Don. "I note that the jet stream has dipped below the Great Lakes - possibly preventing warm air from the south from entering the province and allowing cool northern air to dominate our weather.
"Here is a comment from Point Pelee National Park:
'Migration activity remains slow this morning. It has been at least two weeks without a significant influx of birds. The diversity is not bad but the numbers continue to remain slow. People have been wondering what is happening with the migration. Have the birds passed through already or are there still many to come? This is becoming an especially common question, one that is hard to answer.'"
Submitted by Don Davis
Toronto, ON
Donald_Davis@stubbs.woodsworth.utoronto.ca
To: Journey North
from: David Aborn
"Dear Students:
"The storm system I mentioned last week moved through here on Friday. While it
was not an especially strong front, it moved through slowly so that there was
poor migration weather all day Friday. I went out on Saturday to find that the
rain and north winds had forced many birds to land. The big winner was Least
Flycatcher. I saw over 30 of them. There were also lots of catbirds,
Swainson's Thrushes, and Yellow Warblers, a few American Redstarts, Wilson's
Warblers, and Black-throated-green Warblers, and one Baltimore Oriole. The
oriole was a male feeding on oak flowers (called catkins), and would sing
occasionally.
"This week, there is another front that is supposed to pass through central Texas tonight and into tomorrow. Once again, that means migrants will encounter poor flying weather and will have to land. I will probably look around tomorrow afternoon or on Friday to see what is around. As the front moves east, similar conditions should exist, so it should be good birding this weekend in the east.
"We are heading toward the end of another spring migration, at least down here. Farther north, things should be improving, as birds that arrived along the Gulf coast a couple of weeks ago should be reaching their breeding grounds in the northern US and southern Canada. Some of the Swainson's Thrushes I saw Saturday will go all the way up to Alaska to breed, and they won't arrive there until June! I always enjoy migration, and I hope you have too. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Have a great summer!"
David
David_Aborn@baylor.edu
The FINAL Neotropical Migratory Songbird Update Will be Posted on May 22, 1997.