Light to moderate mid and end of week flights in the West featured numerous waterfowl, Varied Thrush, Hermit Thrush, and Pine Siskin, while extensive moderate to heavy flights last weekend saw the passage of Brant, Bufflehead, Red-throated Loon, Bald Eagle, Wilson’s Snipe, Merlin, Brown Creeper, Saltmarsh Sparrow, and Dark-eyed Junco.
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A moderate and locally heavy weekend movement persisted through Sunday for the Northeast. But Monday night saw the arrival of much less favorable conditions for movement, including warming temperatures and southerly flow, shutting down flights for the region. With the eventual passage of a frontal boundary on Wednesday and Thursday nights, moderate to heavy flights returned to the region, first in the Upper Midwest and then for portions of the Ohio River Valley and northern Appalachians.
Top Movers
Increasing
Species
Increase from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Bufflehead
110%
2.8
Hooded Merganser
79%
3.3
Dunlin
67%
5.2
Pine Siskin
38%
4.7
Fox Sparrow
34%
4.1
Red-breasted Merganser
42%
2
American Tree Sparrow
18%
2.8
Red-throated Loon
71%
0.9
Common Goldeneye
98%
0.6
Dark-eyed Junco
8%
25.9
American Black Duck
15%
8.6
Brant
25%
2.7
Black Scoter
35%
1.7
Rusty Blackbird
19%
4.2
Horned Grebe
28%
1.8
Black-bellied Plover
26%
3.9
Ruddy Turnstone
89%
0.7
Long-tailed Duck
51%
0.6
Green-winged Teal
12%
8.7
Northern Shrike
64%
0.3
Decreasing
Species
Decrease from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Indigo Bunting
-80%
0.4
Northern Parula
-86%
0.1
Black-throated Green Warbler
-74%
0.5
Blackpoll Warbler
-57%
1.7
Gray Catbird
-37%
8.4
Black-throated Blue Warbler
-62%
0.7
Blue-winged Teal
-49%
1.7
Pine Warbler
-51%
1.4
Nashville Warbler
-58%
1
Palm Warbler
-33%
8.4
Tree Swallow
-37%
6.2
Great Egret
-28%
5.9
Cape May Warbler
-92%
0
Common Yellowthroat
-32%
4.3
Magnolia Warbler
-80%
0.1
Eastern Phoebe
-20%
14.2
House Wren
-42%
1.6
Swainson's Thrush
-66%
0.4
Osprey
-35%
2.7
American Redstart
-82%
0.1
Black-and-white Warbler
-86%
0.1
Blue-headed Vireo
-31%
3.5
Tennessee Warbler
-54%
0.6
Chimney Swift
-104%
-0.1
Red-eyed Vireo
-67%
0.3
Saltmarsh Sparrow, Ryan Schain
Gulf Coast and Southeast
An intense and extensive movement kicked off the weekend, with moderate to very heavy flights on Friday night continuing more locally through Sunday night. But this major movement was the highlight of the week, as return flow and its generally unfavorable conditions spread through the region beginning on Monday. These primarily southerly and unfavorable winds kept most movements local and light. Note, however, that some of the easternmost reaches of the region continued to experience more intense movements, particularly in Florida on Thursday night.
Top Movers
Increasing
Species
Increase from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
White-throated Sparrow
42%
8.2
Gadwall
57%
2.8
Golden-crowned Kinglet
49%
5.1
Winter Wren
65%
1.9
Yellow-rumped Warbler
17%
17.3
Dark-eyed Junco
51%
2.1
Green-winged Teal
42%
2.9
American Wigeon
31%
2.5
Ruddy Duck
36%
2.3
Greater Yellowlegs
21%
5.5
Northern Pintail
36%
2.2
Black Scoter
133%
0.3
Song Sparrow
15%
11
Cedar Waxwing
61%
2.2
Orange-crowned Warbler
24%
5.2
Double-crested Cormorant
15%
21.5
Wilson's Snipe
25%
4.3
Brown Creeper
51%
1
Tree Swallow
16%
9
Saltmarsh Sparrow
97%
0.3
Ring-necked Duck
20%
1.6
American Kestrel
14%
16.4
Dunlin
29%
2.3
Pine Siskin
53%
0.5
Decreasing
Species
Decrease from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Chimney Swift
-69%
1.6
Swainson's Thrush
-65%
1.6
Magnolia Warbler
-57%
2.8
Red-eyed Vireo
-69%
1.3
Indigo Bunting
-49%
7
Scarlet Tanager
-70%
0.7
Tennessee Warbler
-53%
2.4
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
-59%
1.3
Summer Tanager
-60%
1.4
Blackburnian Warbler
-98%
0
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
-42%
5.1
Northern Parula
-44%
4.5
American Redstart
-32%
8.2
Bobolink
-94%
0
Blue Grosbeak
-64%
0.7
Chestnut-sided Warbler
-71%
0.4
White-eyed Vireo
-32%
9.7
Common Yellowthroat
-30%
13.1
Ovenbird
-43%
2.9
Yellow-throated Warbler
-40%
3.3
Wood Thrush
-52%
1
Yellow Warbler
-82%
0.2
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
-49%
1.4
Prairie Warbler
-39%
3
Gray-cheeked Thrush
-54%
0.8
American Tree Sparrow, Ryan Schain
Great Plains
The region experienced a quiet weekend for migration as southerly flow and high pressure had birds mostly staying put. Locally light and moderate flights on Monday night were primarily central and northern Plains events, whereas more intense movements, including some locally very heavy flights, occurred in the central and southern Plains on Wednesday night. But the whole system shut down on Thursday night with extensive precipitation associated with circulation around an arriving low pressure center.
Top Movers
Increasing
Species
Increase from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
Ring-necked Duck
165%
9.3
Cackling Goose
105%
3.3
Merlin
181%
2.9
Herring Gull
58%
4.6
Horned Grebe
50%
5.6
Gadwall
31%
11.4
American Wigeon
31%
8.7
Dark-eyed Junco
23%
34.7
Bonaparte's Gull
53%
3.3
Ring-billed Gull
21%
24.1
American Tree Sparrow
16%
5.5
Bald Eagle
26%
10.9
Ruddy Duck
25%
10.2
Lesser Scaup
43%
3.4
Green-winged Teal
22%
11.9
Redhead
25%
8.6
Winter Wren
94%
1.9
Whooping Crane
60%
1
Greater White-fronted Goose
35%
3.9
Song Sparrow
18%
21.3
Rusty Blackbird
44%
1.7
Bewick's Wren
55%
1.8
Decreasing
Species
Decrease from Last Week
% of Checklists Reporting
House Wren
-95%
0.2
Barn Swallow
-89%
0.4
Nashville Warbler
-80%
0.7
Common Yellowthroat
-80%
0.6
Nelson's Sparrow
-87%
0.3
Orange-crowned Warbler
-44%
6.8
Eastern Phoebe
-51%
4.4
Turkey Vulture
-32%
15.9
Lincoln's Sparrow
-39%
8.4
Brown Thrasher
-65%
1.2
Swainson's Hawk
-72%
0.3
Snowy Egret
-61%
0.8
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
-24%
13.2
Sedge Wren
-40%
2.2
Red-winged Blackbird
-26%
21
Black-throated Green Warbler
-64%
0.4
Blue-headed Vireo
-79%
0.2
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
-36%
3.2
Red-headed Woodpecker
-57%
1.2
Blue Jay
-14%
38.1
Common Grackle
-18%
11.1
Pectoral Sandpiper
-59%
0.7
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
-74%
0.2
Pine Siskin, Ryan Schain
West
Scattered precipitation kept most birds grounded for the start of the period across the region. By Sunday scattered light flights occurred in California and portions of Oregon. These movements persisted through Tuesday night, and even intensified, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. The remainder of the period saw a continuation of lesser intensity flights along the Pacific and in portions of the Desert Southwest.