boom and bust in April

the 2 weeks of April were typical for migration. Many bust days when temperature and wind were against migrant birds, but also some impressive boom days. When the conditions turn just right for flying north, birds, after waiting impatiently, rush in hordes! There's a definite urge to move in spring, contrary to the leisure pace of fall. In spring, birds want to secure the best neck of the woods before anyone else: location, location, location, if you want a mate!

So, when the weather cleared, kinglets and juncos moved in numbers. We banded 170 birds one day and 175 another one, the highest one-day totals ever seen in spring at Cabot Head!

It's not just in the nets that excitment occurs: Golden Eagles graced the sky on several occasions in April. A young seemed to have stayed a few days around Cabot Head, as we observed it on consecutive days. It perched from time to time on the bluff. On one unique occasion, 2 Golden Eagles were soaring together, an adult and a young! Several Bald Eagles of all ages were also seen quite regularly.

Now it's May and warblers are coming through, showing off their bright colourful plumage! 8 species have been detected so far: numerous, numerous Yellow-rumped Warblers, numerous Palm Warblers (a numerous down than Yellow-rumps), handfuls of Pine, Black-throated Green and Black-and-White Warblers, and only fingers of Cape May, Nashville and Black-throated Blue Warblers.

Every day brings high expectations, because every day brings new species for the season! More are to come, as I should report (hopefully more regularly) in this blog.