I continue to monitor reports of birds for KOS data set record-keeping. Not
sure if I'm just getting this impression, but there seem to be an above-average
number of reports of "early" arrivals this year ... record or near-record
songbirds in particular. It could just be in the increase in the use of eBird,
which is putting more and more reports "out there" in a timely fashion.
This is just an appeal to everyone to look twice at everything this time of
year and try to get photos of anything that seems abnormal. The *normal*
progression of songbird arrivals this time of year is for many of our *summer
resident* songbirds to return first, along with *a few* of the earliest
migrants that are going farther north. Most of the warblers being reported in
Louisville and Lexington right now, for example, are summer residents like
Northern Parula, Yellow-throated, Black-and-white, Louisiana Waterthrush, et
al. Mixed in with these residents are some of the earlier migrants like
Black-throated Greens, Palms, Nashvilles, and now some of the first groups of
Yellow-rumpeds. In the thrush realm, Hermit should be the predominant species
still (at least at "migrant traps" like the city parks and cemeteries) with
summer resident Woods returning and *perhaps* an occasional Swainson's. An
example of an odd report to me is the Beckham Bird Club field trip this past
Sunday in Louisville; 3 Swainson's Thrushes were reported but *no* Hermits ...
this to me is essentially "impossible" so I have inquired as to possible data
entry error or mis-ID.
Review resources like eBird and the Annotated Checklist of the Birds of
Kentucky weekly to become more familiar with what should and shouldn't be
around yet. In both you will find reports that *may* not be accurate, but the
trends illustrated by both are very helpful. That will help focus attention on
oddities like the occasional early migrant that normally isn't around for
another week or two. There *are* early individuals for sure, but they are
typically the exception rather than the rule and worth documenting. Someone
mentioned all the 'first arrivals' of Wood Thrushes within a day or two of each
other last week, which is a remarkably predominant aspect of bird migration.
BPB, Louisville
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