Regional Migration Analysis: 25 September – 2 October 2015
Andrew FarnsworthThe Cornell LabOct 02, 2015
Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco, Ryan Schain
Continental Summary
Light to moderate flights in the West, particularly the northern extents, featured American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck, Northern Flicker, Varied Thrush, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and Dark-eyed Junco, while the East saw moderate to very heavy flights from the middle of the period that featured Tundra Swan, Northern Pintail, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Lincoln’s Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, and Dark-eyed Junco.
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Scattered light to locally heavy movements occurred across the region from the weekend through the early portion of the work week, as patches of favorable and marginal conditions allowed some birds to take flight. Changes arrived by Monday night in the Upper Midwest, where heavy and very heavy flights occurred; Tuesday saw these flights extend to the east behind the frontal passage. Wednesday and Thursday nights’ flights were extensive, though tempered to primarily moderate to locally heavy intensities. Note the exception in New England, where the effects (primarily extensive precipitation) of a strong low pressure center kept birds grounded.
Top Movers
Increasing
Species
Increase from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
White-crowned Sparrow
174%
4.4
Dark-eyed Junco
92%
6.8
Golden-crowned Kinglet
114%
5
Fox Sparrow
715%
0.8
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
36%
10.4
Harris's Sparrow
345%
0.6
White-throated Sparrow
24%
15
Dunlin
46%
2.1
Hermit Thrush
51%
3
Pine Siskin
124%
0.9
Brown Creeper
38%
3.2
Yellow-rumped Warbler
19%
20
Orange-crowned Warbler
48%
2.1
Rusty Blackbird
60%
1.1
American Pipit
40%
2.1
Swamp Sparrow
21%
9
Ring-necked Duck
79%
0.8
Winter Wren
35%
2
Decreasing
Species
Decrease from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Red-eyed Vireo
-59%
5
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
-48%
5.7
Broad-winged Hawk
-65%
1.3
Chestnut-sided Warbler
-60%
1.5
American Redstart
-40%
8.7
Scarlet Tanager
-54%
2.1
Philadelphia Vireo
-61%
1.1
Yellow-throated Vireo
-68%
0.6
Common Yellowthroat
-34%
15.3
Black-and-white Warbler
-43%
5.8
Wilson's Warbler
-61%
0.9
Eastern Wood-Pewee
-40%
6.2
Magnolia Warbler
-37%
8
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
-77%
0.4
Cedar Waxwing
-29%
14.7
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
-38%
5.2
Cape May Warbler
-52%
1.7
Swainson's Thrush
-41%
5.7
White-eyed Vireo
-50%
1.2
Black-throated Green Warbler
-39%
7.5
Gray Catbird
-24%
33.9
House Wren
-31%
8.4
Bay-breasted Warbler
-47%
2
Least Flycatcher
-63%
0.5
Northern Parula
-36%
5
American Kestrel, Ryan Schain
Gulf Coast and Southeast
Moderate to heavy flights graced the western reaches of the region, primarily in Texas, for the first half of the period. Movements farther east were generally more localized and of lesser intensities. But Tuesday night saw region wide flights, varying from moderate movements in the southeastern coastal Plain to heavy flight in the Mississippi River valley and over Texas. The intensities of the flights increased on Wednesday night in the Florida Panhandle and in the southern Appalachians. Note that Thursday night saw continued heavy flights along parts of the Gulf Coast, while the Carolinas experienced a full halt to the system in extensive precipitation.
Top Movers
Increasing
Species
Increase from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
62%
3.5
Peregrine Falcon
39%
2.8
American Kestrel
26%
7.8
House Wren
36%
4.1
Orange-crowned Warbler
42%
1.3
Lincoln's Sparrow
90%
0.6
Gray Catbird
16%
17
Yellow-rumped Warbler
52%
0.8
Brown Thrasher
17%
19.4
Northern Flicker
15%
10.9
Gray-cheeked Thrush
31%
1.5
Nelson's Sparrow
-2650%
0.2
Northern Mockingbird
13%
52.8
Sharp-shinned Hawk
22%
2.2
Boat-tailed Grackle
13%
9.8
Savannah Sparrow
41%
0.6
Palm Warbler
11%
5.6
Northern Harrier
16%
2.1
Northern Pintail
43%
0.5
Ruddy Duck
38%
0.5
Decreasing
Species
Decrease from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Baltimore Oriole
-54%
2.3
Great Crested Flycatcher
-52%
1.9
Cape May Warbler
-46%
1.3
Yellow Warbler
-35%
5.5
Yellow-throated Vireo
-36%
2.6
Least Flycatcher
-52%
0.8
Purple Martin
-67%
0.4
Hooded Warbler
-33%
2.9
Bank Swallow
-79%
0.1
Veery
-37%
1.2
Red-eyed Vireo
-24%
9.3
Bobolink
-54%
0.4
Summer Tanager
-26%
7.3
Canada Warbler
-60%
0.3
Blackburnian Warbler
-36%
1.3
Eastern Kingbird
-31%
2
Black Tern
-66%
0.3
Orchard Oriole
-60%
0.3
Acadian Flycatcher
-32%
2
Blue-winged Warbler
-39%
0.8
Black-and-white Warbler
-20%
7.6
Tundra Swans, Ian Davies
Great Plains
A light to moderate pulse in the central and southern Plains kicked off the weekend, followed by heavier migration on Sunday night in the northern reaches of the region. After a frontal boundary pushed through the region on Monday night, with some moderate to heavy flights in tow, much larger and heavier movements occurred on Tuesday night; these were primarily in the central and southern Plains. Following this large pulse of birds, the remainder of the period was generally quiet, with much more localized and lower intensity movements.
Top Movers
Increasing
Species
Increase from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Dark-eyed Junco
83%
10.4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
73%
24.4
White-throated Sparrow
80%
12.3
Yellow-rumped Warbler
49%
27.7
Golden-crowned Kinglet
-1379%
0.9
Tundra Swan
348%
0.9
Orange-crowned Warbler
28%
20.2
Nashville Warbler
34%
16.9
Lesser Scaup
55%
1.7
American Pipit
52%
1.7
Sharp-shinned Hawk
24%
5.3
Osprey
17%
11.9
Harris's Sparrow
44%
2.1
Decreasing
Species
Decrease from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Yellow Warbler
-94%
0.1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
-54%
4.2
Common Nighthawk
-60%
2.7
Cliff Swallow
-88%
0.3
Red-eyed Vireo
-47%
2.8
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
-58%
1
Black Tern
-65%
0.6
Wilson's Phalarope
-93%
0.1
Least Flycatcher
-51%
0.7
Bank Swallow
-74%
0.3
Warbling Vireo
-37%
2
Say's Phoebe
-67%
0.3
Black-and-white Warbler
-44%
1.3
Barn Swallow
-25%
13
Cooper's Hawk
-24%
6.6
Philadelphia Vireo
-41%
1.1
Yellow-headed Blackbird
-44%
1
Semipalmated Plover
-54%
0.5
Yellow-throated Vireo
-59%
0.2
Cackling Goose, Brian Sullivan
West
Light to moderate flights kicked off the weekend, with the most intense of these occurring in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies on Saturday night. Beginning on Monday night, light to moderate flights continued in many areas across the region, gradually diminishing over the course of the week as conditions became less favorable (and scattered precipitation increased). By the end of the week, movements were substantially more localized to portions of the Pacific Northwest, central California, and portions of the southern Rockies.