I will let the following two email messages speak for themselves, but for the
Evelyn Wood speedreading take-home message: the coast, from Back Bay to
Chincoteague, should be superb for western vagrants, today through the weekend!
The following was sent to me on Friday by Paul Lehman at Cape May:
"We seem to have a strengthening low-pressure area heading
northeast to the Great Lakes and Ontario, ahead of which there will be a
good southerly and southwesterly flow for the next 48 hours up into the
East, for even longer along the immediate East Coast--all the way from
the Gulf Coast states. Seems like good potential for rarities and
reverse migrants. The first reasonable following cold front to
concentrate them at favored locales isn't due here in the Mid-Atlantic
until mid-week, however, but we'll see.... Can anyone spell
"C-A-V-E-S-W-A-L-L-O-W" or "A-S-H-T-H-R-O-A-T"?"
Paul
The news this morning:
"Today, Monday, with the shift to a NW wind following the mostly
southerlies over the weekend, some 4+ Cave Swallows (a single and a
group of 3) appeared flying by the hawkwatch at Cape May Point St. Pk.
this morning. Also found this morning for about an hour was an
Ash-throated Flycatcher at Higbee Beach WMA. Just like clockwork!
The southerly flow was also probably at least partly responsible for the
following birds being seen around Cape May over the weekend or today: 3
Common Nighthawks together, 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Chimney Swift,
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Western Kingbird, 3 species of vireos and 11
species of warblers, Blue Grosbeak, 2 or 3 Barn Swallows, several
Baltimore Orioles.......and the unmentionable, disappearing
frigatebird!!
This morning there was also an excellent flight of regular migrants,
including at least 75,000 robins, many hundreds of bluebirds, 250+
Purple Finches, 200+ Rusty Blackbirds, etc., as well as 2-3 Goshawks,
Golden Eagle, etc.
There is also a report of a hummingbird coming to a feeder/yard in
Barnegat Light that sounds like it is probably a Ruby-throated. Still
awaiting confirmation on the ID.
--Paul Lehman"
Enticing?
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA
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