Our radar at Binghamton had very impressive radar returns of migrating birds early this morning. I suspect a lot of arriving breeders and a continuation of the later passerine migrants. Of interest, despite decent southerly winds across much of the southern U.S east of the plains, the radar returns are pretty much lacking or very light from roughly Delaware to West Virginia to Illinois and points south. This looks to be the end of the passerine spring migration and its approaching our area. I suspect by the end of the week it will be largely over for us.
Yesterday I still had Blackpoll Warblers pretty much all over and, as I write this, I have one singing really close! Migrant blackburnian, magnolia and black-throated green warblers are still around too. I haven't seen any yellow-rumped warbler migrants lately just a few breeders here and there. Red-eyed vireos are still increasing on their breeding grounds in Broome as they arrived very late this year. I am waiting for my first Philadelphia vireo (we have had a couple reports down here already). I still haven't gotten the yellow-bellied flycatcher yet( I don't believe we have had one reported in Broome yet). I did have my first black-billed cuckoo the other day and I am hearing one distant this morning from my patio. Cedar waxwings have poured into the region the past few days with flocks all over now. Shorebird migration continues pretty much on schedule this spring as we had our first semipalmated sandpiper yesterday. Is this because they don't rely on arboreal insects which come out with leaves? Some observations on numbers. This year, rose-breasted grosbeaks, gray catbirds, eastern towhees, common yellowthroats, chestnut-sided warblers, and veeries seem especially common. Ovenbirds are all over like usual. I also have more wood thrushes than recent years. I have noticed increases in black throated blue warblers too. Since many of these species like undergrowth and edges I wonder if it is due to the loss of many ash trees? We are seeing significant mortality in Broome County and lots of undergrowth as a result. I wonder if this trend will continue. Our hemlocks continue to be healthy despite the hemlock woolly adelgid. Birds that I feel are scarcer than recent years, house finch! Its getting hard to find this species locally. They are around but not like they used to be. Anyway its time to get birding for the day. I hope many of you can get out and enjoy the summery weather today. Tomorrow its over for me, back to work! Best, Dave -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
