Those of you watching the weather this late-fall season will have noted that
we've had three storms of some strength that have swept up from the
southern-central part of the continent (Texas area), all since just before
Thanksgiving.
For about 20 years, these storms have been linked to the transportation of
birds from the Southwest and Southern Great Plains to the eastern seaboard
(whether these birds are misoriented or just caught up in the storms is a
question raised but not yet clearly answered). For over 10 years, Cape May has
found
these storms very productive for Cave Swallows. Increasingly, various late
and western warblers, flycatchers, and orioles have shown strong association
with these storms, especially on lake and ocean coasts.
After each of these 2004 storms in Virginia, we've had western birds: Cave
Swallows aplenty (not counting the Hurricane Ivan birds in mid-September),
three
Ash-throated Flycatchers, a Mountain Bluebird, and the Black-chinned
Hummingbird - a species first noted in the East at Cohasset, Massachusetts 25
November
1979. We thought that record would stand as unique, but it was the first of
many, as it turned out: the species is annual in states to our south now.
A fourth storm is coming today and tonight (southwesterly winds now, to be
followed by northwesterly after the storm passes to our north); strong
upper-level winds are blowing all the way into the mid-Atlantic from Texas and
the Gulf
Coast. This is a rather late storm to be bringing warblers and other
insectivores (or so one might assume, based on past storms), but it may be a
good
time for western sparrows (Harris's is a good example of a mid-continental
species we might expect), Townsend's Solitaire (three to our north in the past
few
weeks), Western Tanager, White-winged Dove, Bullock's Oriole, or Mountain
Bluebird (ours was the third on the East Coast this season). Western
warblers,
flycatchers, and orioles are not unreasonable expectations, and Paul Lehman
also notes that these storms can bring young Purple Gallinules northward.
I am unfortunately quite tied down with writing projects at the moment and so
not able to get out and beat the bushes much until after Christmas, but I do
want to encourage folks with time to bird coastal areas, lakeshores,
peninsulas, and any "island" of habitat that seems to be attractive to a
variety of
passerines. The finch flight this year is all the more reason to get out and
look around - and don't forget the passage of two Black Guillemots past
southern
New Jersey (CBBT would make a good spot for one!). Also, it's good to keep
hummer feeders and fruit in the backyard - Maryland has a Calliope Hummingbird
from two storms ago, its first.
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA
You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx. To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
