Date: 6/3/26 10:35 am From: Jane Patterson via groups.io <seejanebird...> Subject: [labird] Black Birders Week bird walk June 20, 2026
Hello BR Audubon members and LABirders!
Baton Rouge Audubon will be sponsoring a bird walk to honor Black Birders Week on June 20, 2026 at Tickfaw State Park. Registration is not required but is helpful and you may register by sending an email to <education...> let us know you're coming.
Black Birders Week events have occurred since 2020 and are usually held the last week of May. Unfortunately, that timeframe was not available for us, so ours will be held on June 20. Since this means summer heat, this will be an early event! We will meet at Tickfaw State Park at 8:00 am in the Nature Center parking lot. The walk will last about 2 hours. I will have binoculars to loan out and give a short lesson on using them. We'll walk on the boardwalks. It's fairly shady but not as much as it used to be since hurricane Ida. Be prepared for sun, bugs, and be sure to bring water. If you are 62 and older, entry to the park is free. If you're under 62, we will cover your admission. Families are welcome, but it's best of kids are 9 and older to handle binoculars and also have a longer attention span.
Please share with friends who might be interested in learning more about the birds around us!
Date: 5/26/26 4:18 pm From: Van Remsen via groups.io <vnremsen...> Subject: [labird] Venice pelagic Saturday
LABIRD: A cancellation opened up 1 spot on Saturday’s Venice pelagic trip.
Let me know ASAP if interested. Price is $213 (up from usual 190-200) to
cover increased fuel prices. Van Remsen
Date: 5/22/26 1:35 pm From: Debra Babin via groups.io <Debra.b...> Subject: Re: [labird] notes on Swallow-tailed Kite migration 2026
Thanks! It’s interesting information and it makes us happy, knowing of a specific example where our eBird checklist data was used! 😁
—Debra Canatella
On May 22, 2026, at 2:04 PM, Peter H Yaukey via groups.io <pyaukey...> wrote:
LA Birders:
I am cross-posting this with the MS and AL chatgroups.
PY
For those interested, I (and a couple students) have compiled the dates of apparent passage migrant Swallow-tailed Kites in the coastal zone from the New Orleans area east to Mobile Bay, this spring. I distinguished migrants as including any birds south of Lake Pontchartrain (where they don't breed) and in MS-AL any reports of 3 or more between the coast and the vicinity of I-10. The latter is of course, an imperfect measure for distinguishing migrants, and presumably included some breeders.
The first migrant was reported in eBird on 2/26, and I ended the analysis on 4/23 (despite kites continuing to trickle through- I saw one in New Orleans as late as mid May).
The total was 310 kites fitting the criteria described above.
The migration this year was strongly bimodal, with two surges: one from 3/3-11 (63 birds), and the second (larger) from 3/30-4/9 (188 birds). The 18 day gap between these held just 22 birds. I have not done this for other years, so do not have any sense whether bimodality is normal for this species in this area.
I plotted cold front passages on these data, and there was no obvious relationship (I was expecting a negative relationship in the form of cold fronts shutting down trans-Gulf migration and having few migrants in their wake). There was a front in the middle of the major (second) surge, and the surge was a little less strong after it but did continue for c. 3 days.
I also plotted time of day of sightings. They spanned the period 8am-5pm fairly evenly. This was interesting because it lacked a mid-day lull. Migrant raptors are often reported to show a mid-day lull when birds are so high in the air that sightings decline.
Although both date and time of day could potentially be influenced by amount of observers afield, there was no peak on weekends evident and I suspect such influences were limited bc a high number of the eBird reports of the species were incidental rather than associated with birding outings (longer eBird excursions). This may have caused them to be less focused on classic birding times of day (e.g., weekend mornings).
My quest to find concentration points for eastward moving kites accummulated few data points beyond those shared earlier in this chat; hope springs eternal for further elucidation next spring!
Cheers
PY
NOTICE: This message, including all attachments transmitted with it, is intended solely for the use of the Addressee(s) and may contain information that is PRIVILEGED, CONFIDENTIAL, and/or EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of the information contained herein is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you received this communication in error, please destroy all copies of the message, whether in electronic or hard copy format, as well as attachments and immediately contact the sender by replying to this email or contact the sender at the telephone numbers listed above. Thank you!
Date: 5/22/26 1:04 pm From: Patricia Lanier via groups.io <patricia.lanier...> Subject: Re: [labird] notes on Swallow-tailed Kite migration 2026
Thank you!
> On May 22, 2026, at 2:04 PM, Peter H Yaukey via groups.io <pyaukey...> wrote:
>
>
> LA Birders:
>
> I am cross-posting this with the MS and AL chatgroups.
>
> PY
>
>
>
> For those interested, I (and a couple students) have compiled the dates of apparent passage migrant Swallow-tailed Kites in the coastal zone from the New Orleans area east to Mobile Bay, this spring. I distinguished migrants as including any birds south of Lake Pontchartrain (where they don't breed) and in MS-AL any reports of 3 or more between the coast and the vicinity of I-10. The latter is of course, an imperfect measure for distinguishing migrants, and presumably included some breeders.
>
> The first migrant was reported in eBird on 2/26, and I ended the analysis on 4/23 (despite kites continuing to trickle through- I saw one in New Orleans as late as mid May).
>
> The total was 310 kites fitting the criteria described above.
>
> The migration this year was strongly bimodal, with two surges: one from 3/3-11 (63 birds), and the second (larger) from 3/30-4/9 (188 birds). The 18 day gap between these held just 22 birds. I have not done this for other years, so do not have any sense whether bimodality is normal for this species in this area.
>
> I plotted cold front passages on these data, and there was no obvious relationship (I was expecting a negative relationship in the form of cold fronts shutting down trans-Gulf migration and having few migrants in their wake). There was a front in the middle of the major (second) surge, and the surge was a little less strong after it but did continue for c. 3 days.
>
> I also plotted time of day of sightings. They spanned the period 8am-5pm fairly evenly. This was interesting because it lacked a mid-day lull. Migrant raptors are often reported to show a mid-day lull when birds are so high in the air that sightings decline.
>
> Although both date and time of day could potentially be influenced by amount of observers afield, there was no peak on weekends evident and I suspect such influences were limited bc a high number of the eBird reports of the species were incidental rather than associated with birding outings (longer eBird excursions). This may have caused them to be less focused on classic birding times of day (e.g., weekend mornings).
>
> My quest to find concentration points for eastward moving kites accummulated few data points beyond those shared earlier in this chat; hope springs eternal for further elucidation next spring!
>
> Cheers
>
> PY
>
>
> NOTICE: This message, including all attachments transmitted with it, is intended solely for the use of the Addressee(s) and may contain information that is PRIVILEGED, CONFIDENTIAL, and/or EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of the information contained herein is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you received this communication in error, please destroy all copies of the message, whether in electronic or hard copy format, as well as attachments and immediately contact the sender by replying to this email or contact the sender at the telephone numbers listed above. Thank you!
>
>
>
>
>
Date: 5/22/26 12:04 pm From: Peter H Yaukey via groups.io <pyaukey...> Subject: [labird] notes on Swallow-tailed Kite migration 2026
LA Birders:
I am cross-posting this with the MS and AL chatgroups.
PY
For those interested, I (and a couple students) have compiled the dates of apparent passage migrant Swallow-tailed Kites in the coastal zone from the New Orleans area east to Mobile Bay, this spring. I distinguished migrants as including any birds south of Lake Pontchartrain (where they don't breed) and in MS-AL any reports of 3 or more between the coast and the vicinity of I-10. The latter is of course, an imperfect measure for distinguishing migrants, and presumably included some breeders.
The first migrant was reported in eBird on 2/26, and I ended the analysis on 4/23 (despite kites continuing to trickle through- I saw one in New Orleans as late as mid May).
The total was 310 kites fitting the criteria described above.
The migration this year was strongly bimodal, with two surges: one from 3/3-11 (63 birds), and the second (larger) from 3/30-4/9 (188 birds). The 18 day gap between these held just 22 birds. I have not done this for other years, so do not have any sense whether bimodality is normal for this species in this area.
I plotted cold front passages on these data, and there was no obvious relationship (I was expecting a negative relationship in the form of cold fronts shutting down trans-Gulf migration and having few migrants in their wake). There was a front in the middle of the major (second) surge, and the surge was a little less strong after it but did continue for c. 3 days.
I also plotted time of day of sightings. They spanned the period 8am-5pm fairly evenly. This was interesting because it lacked a mid-day lull. Migrant raptors are often reported to show a mid-day lull when birds are so high in the air that sightings decline.
Although both date and time of day could potentially be influenced by amount of observers afield, there was no peak on weekends evident and I suspect such influences were limited bc a high number of the eBird reports of the species were incidental rather than associated with birding outings (longer eBird excursions). This may have caused them to be less focused on classic birding times of day (e.g., weekend mornings).
My quest to find concentration points for eastward moving kites accummulated few data points beyond those shared earlier in this chat; hope springs eternal for further elucidation next spring!
Cheers
PY
NOTICE: This message, including all attachments transmitted with it, is intended solely for the use of the Addressee(s) and may contain information that is PRIVILEGED, CONFIDENTIAL, and/or EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of the information contained herein is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you received this communication in error, please destroy all copies of the message, whether in electronic or hard copy format, as well as attachments and immediately contact the sender by replying to this email or contact the sender at the telephone numbers listed above. Thank you!
Date: 5/20/26 12:22 pm From: Bill Fontenot via groups.io <williamrodneyfontenot...> Subject: Re: [labird] For Hummer Gardeners
Rob/Ken —
Please email me privately and I’ll give you my number.
Bill Fontenot
500 Saint Catherine St.
Lafayette, LA 70506
> On May 20, 2026, at 11:21 AM, Bill Fontenot via groups.io <williamrodneyfontenot...> wrote:
>
> I’ve got the old-school cultivar of anise sage (Salvia guaranitica) for anyone who would like some. Just contact me via email and let me know when you’ll be around. This cultivar (might actually be the straight species) blooms all spring and summer into the fall. It grows 30-36” tall. This one runs via stolons to form sizable colonies (up to 10-12’ if allowed).
>
> Years ago Dennis Demchek did a sugar content study of all LA hummer plants. At 30% sugar content, anise sage blew away all other plants — most of which ranged between 12-20%.!Drought and flood tolerant, blooms nicely in sun or shade, and completely winter-hardy up through zone 6.
>
> Bill Fontenot
> 500 Saint Catherine St.
> Lafayette, LA 70506
>
>
>
>
>
Date: 5/20/26 9:21 am From: Bill Fontenot via groups.io <williamrodneyfontenot...> Subject: [labird] For Hummer Gardeners
I’ve got the old-school cultivar of anise sage (Salvia guaranitica) for anyone who would like some. Just contact me via email and let me know when you’ll be around. This cultivar (might actually be the straight species) blooms all spring and summer into the fall. It grows 30-36” tall. This one runs via stolons to form sizable colonies (up to 10-12’ if allowed).
Years ago Dennis Demchek did a sugar content study of all LA hummer plants. At 30% sugar content, anise sage blew away all other plants — most of which ranged between 12-20%.!Drought and flood tolerant, blooms nicely in sun or shade, and completely winter-hardy up through zone 6.
Bill Fontenot
500 Saint Catherine St.
Lafayette, LA 70506
Date: 5/9/26 10:39 am From: Peter H Yaukey via groups.io <pyaukey...> Subject: Re: [labird] Louisiana eBird trivia question
LaBirders:
I am revisiting my TRSW mega-count trivia question from February, with new intel.
Yesterday, Van R shared the following w me about his massive TRSW count.
Peter — I’m going to photograph my species account on this next time I get in to the Museum (where my field notes are housed), and then add it to eBird account. This was in the general vicinity of Sabine NWR and was a mass of migrants going to roost. Aware of how extraordinary the sight was, we devoted a fair amount of time figuring out how to make a reasonable estimate. We started by trying to determine how much space a 100X100X100 cube occupied (1 million birds) and then how many of those cubes we were seeing. We did that several times and then rounded down to a whole number of cubes (10) to reflect the exceptionally high likely measurement error. There were also considerable numbers beyond the limits of our vision to resolved effectively, so we considered the estimate conservative. Paul laughed at my initial estimate of several hundred thousand and walked me through the the math of 3-dimensions, which we humans have great difficulty with. Unforgettable lesson.
It remains by far the biggest concentration of birds I’ve ever seen — incomprehensible numbers stretching to the limits of the horizon and bigger than any of our late fall TRSW tornadoes.
________________________________
From: <labird...> <labird...> on behalf of Peter H Yaukey via groups.io <pyaukey...>
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2026 9:57 AM
To: sandabar10 <sandabar10...>; <kisforkryptonite...> <kisforkryptonite...>; Peter H Yaukey <PYaukey...>
Cc: Anne Gaiennie <annegaiennie...>; <Kcolley71...> <Kcolley71...>; LABIRD List <labird...>
Subject: Re: [labird] Louisiana eBird trivia question
WARNING: This email originated outside of the University of New Orleans system. The sender of this email could not be validated and may not actually be the person in the “From” field. Do NOT click links or open attachments if the message seems suspicious in any way. Never provide your user ID or password.
Well now, I see that allaboutbirds.org cites a BBS-based estimate of global breeding population at 20 million TRSW, so 10 million sounds more plausibly a majority than I would have imagined!
PY
________________________________
From: <labird...> <labird...> on behalf of Peter H Yaukey via groups.io <pyaukey...>
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2026 5:15 AM
To: sandabar10 <sandabar10...>; <kisforkryptonite...> <kisforkryptonite...>; Peter H Yaukey <PYaukey...>
Cc: Anne Gaiennie <annegaiennie...>; <Kcolley71...> <Kcolley71...>; LABIRD List <labird...>
Subject: Re: [labird] Louisiana eBird trivia question
WARNING: This email originated outside of the University of New Orleans system. The sender of this email could not be validated and may not actually be the person in the “From” field. Do NOT click links or open attachments if the message seems suspicious in any way. Never provide your user ID or password.
My reply was referring to TRSW- with some of the other seabirds visible on the screenshot, I am not sure, as seabirds can sometimes have a large slice of their global population nesting in a confined area- I would have to research.
PY
________________________________
From: <labird...> <labird...> on behalf of Peter H Yaukey via groups.io <pyaukey...>
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2026 5:10 AM
To: sandabar10 <sandabar10...>; <kisforkryptonite...> <kisforkryptonite...>
Cc: Anne Gaiennie <annegaiennie...>; <Kcolley71...> <Kcolley71...>; LABIRD List <labird...>
Subject: Re: [labird] Louisiana eBird trivia question
WARNING: This email originated outside of the University of New Orleans system. The sender of this email could not be validated and may not actually be the person in the “From” field. Do NOT click links or open attachments if the message seems suspicious in any way. Never provide your user ID or password.
Sorry for the late reply!
I do not have any kind of overall population estimate on hand for the species, but I would not think it was approaching a majority. Very numerous and widespread species.
PY
________________________________
From: sandabar10 <sandabar10...>
Sent: Monday, February 9, 2026 7:08 PM
To: <kisforkryptonite...> <kisforkryptonite...>; Peter H Yaukey <pyaukey...>
Cc: Anne Gaiennie <annegaiennie...>; <kcolley71...> <kcolley71...>; LABIRD List <labird...>
Subject: Re: [labird] Louisiana eBird trivia question
WARNING: This email originated outside of the University of New Orleans system. The sender of this email could not be validated and may not actually be the person in the “From” field. Do NOT click links or open attachments if the message seems suspicious in any way. Never provide your user ID or password.
Just wondering. With those numbers could the events comprise the majority of those species?
Thanks. Sandra
-------- Original message --------
From: "John Dillon via groups.io" <kisforkryptonite...>
Date: 2/9/26 6:23 PM (GMT-06:00)
To: <pyaukey...>
Cc: Anne Gaiennie <annegaiennie...>, <kcolley71...>, LABIRD List <labird...>
Subject: Re: [labird] Louisiana eBird trivia question
I confess I already knew it. I’m a nerd for numbers. 10 million if I recall correctly? I once had an estimated million Tree Swallows in late March at Rockefeller with photos and videos. It was insane.
