Storm Wrap-Up and Migration Forecast
By Patrick Comins on September 20, 2012, 8:42pm
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Tuesday’s storm was an impressive event. The weather briefly resembled Irene when the final line of thunderstorms passed through central Connecticut. The storm did produce some good birds and some great birding, but I was surprised it didn’t bring more in the way of rarities. An immature White Ibis was photographed in Stratford, but could have been the same individual that was seen in West Haven after the last southerly blow. A Blue Grosbeak was seen at the Smith Richardson Tree Farm in Westbrook and a Black Tern at Sherwood Island State Park and 3 White-rumped Sandpipers at Hammoansset.
There were a few American Golden-Plovers reported from around the state and a Black-bellied Plover at Rocky Hill Meadows, surely blown in by the storm. Black-bellied Plovers, while much more common in coastal Connecticut than American Golden-Plovers, are far less often seen inland than their uncommon golden cousins. Remarkably, a Fork-tailed Flycatcher was photographed in Nassau, NY (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kfeustel/8003950925/in/photostream) , a spectacular vagrant from southern South America. Let me say that again, from southern South America. I was expecting the winds to bring up something from the south, but not that far south!
Regardless of the lack of real rarities in Connecticut, it was a great time to get out birding. Good numbers of migrant landbirds and great hawk flights were recorded after the storm both yesterday and today (Thursday), including some new arrivals: American Pipit and White-throated Sparrow. During inclement weather our regular migrants can become grounded and also can be more active throughout the day before and during storms. Warblers and many other songbirds migrate at night and are apparently inactive during the daylight hours as they rest up for the next night’s journey. In fact, we don’t really know where these birds go during the day! One can witness 10,000 warblers pass through Bluff Point around dawn and disappear by 9 a.m. No one ever sees those birds again during the day. Will they be the same ones that delight birders at Cape May, NJ a few days later, or will they not be seen again until they reach Central or South America?
The two highlights of the storm for me were the Blackburnain Warbler pictured above, which was flitting about in red osier dogwood near the feeders at my office (at the Bent of the River in Southbury) and a Peregrine Falcon flying over my yard in the evening despite pouring rain and near gale-force winds. Blackburnian Warblers are normally denizens of the treetops. A brief glimpse of one as they sing from 50’ up in an oak tree can make your whole week. (For a photo of a the firethroat in all his glory, see this photo form local photographer Jim Zipp: http://www.jimzipp.com/cpg/displayimage.php?album=113&pos=23 ) . The above pictured bird was an immature male, more subdued in tone, but beautiful in its own right and seeing one 20’ away from me is a thrill I’ll always remember.
Shorebird numbers and variety in Connecticut continue to disappoint and there is a noticeable lack of juvenile shorebirds so far this fall. The storm’s much needed rainfall could provide benefits for some time though. Many rain pools were left behind at places like Rocky Hill Meadows, which should remain through the weekend and could attract some good birds. Weather wise, migration should be in a bit of a holding pattern through the weekend with an easterly flow shifting around to the west and southwest. It should be pleasant weather to be outside and a great weekend to visit one of the state’s migration festivals (see my first article for details on those, or this article about hawk watching in Connecticut in the Hartford Courant: http://www.courant.com/features/hc-hawk-watch-connecticut-20120921,0,2001816.story ).
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