Thanks, Ned.
Still learning how specific weather events affect birds in the
mid-atlantic. Sort of thinking out loud a bit here.
Is it correct to presume that the scoters and other sea ducks that are
turning up across the eastern third of the country (TN, WV, KY, central VA)
are birds that are fleeing ice on the Great Lakes? At first consideration
I would think that the White-wings in Va, for example, are in fairly close
promixty to birds already wintering in the Chesapeake and may have come
from that source. But now that I consider it, it may be more likely that
these are birds that stopped short of the Atlantic coast on there way S
from the Great Lakes.
Would be interested on thoughts on this.
Ellison
On Sun, Jan 26, 2014 at 10:31 AM, Ned Brinkley <23cahow@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Just today, there seemed to be signs that cold weather to the north is
having an effect on birds in southeastern Virginia.
In checking Lake Foster and Crystal Lake (in Cape Charles town), I have
found Wilson's Snipe, Horned Grebe, Northern Shoveler (all unexpected),
female Common Merganser (third or fourth town record), female Red-breasted
Merganser (not expected on freshwater ponds), in addition to the continuing
male Wood Duck and the growing flocks of Redheads (now at 24) and
Ring-necked Ducks (almost 100). I think I have recorded Common Merganser
fewer than 10 times in the county since 1980.
Also in the past few days, flocks of blackbirds (almost absent in December
and early January) are appearing, though nothing unexpected in them, but
many thousands of birds around, including at town feeders, where they are
cleaning everything out.
One of the most astonishing birds I've seen at my feeder - a tailless
Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow - appeared this morning. I have only one
other town record of the species, only one other county record of the
subspecies (12 years ago), and this fall/winter has been one of the worst
on record in this county for the species in the past maybe 15 years. So my
feeling is that this bird could be the start of birds escaping the bitter
cold and snow to the north. But it could well be a bird that has been
around in town for months! Who knows. I was surprised to see it,
certainly. I have not had a reappearance of the Painted Bunting from
earlier in the month, but the feeder birds all seem to be rotating a lot
more, now that about 10 people feed birds in town.
Whatever the situation with bird movements, with another Arctic blast
coming in a few days (far worse for people, and birds, to our north), it's
a great time to check sea coasts, unfrozen lakes, feeders, fruiting trees,
field edges, etc. for new arrivals.
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA
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