Date: 5/14/24 6:22 am From: 'Nancy Lang' via NFLbirds <nflbirds...> Subject: Re: [NFLbirds] It ain't over till it's over!
Just returned. Refuge open. One small hitch diverts briefly to Old Woodville but otherwise a smooth but slow ride to SMNWR from Tallahassee. Damage in Tallahassee and parts of Woodville is severe. Refuge had little change.
Nan
On Friday, May 10, 2024 at 01:00:29 PM EDT, 'C or M Johnstone' via NFLbirds <nflbirds...> wrote:
Might not want to head to SMNWR, we were informed refuge was closed this morning due to all the storm damage. Pretty bad here around Woodville - trees and power lines down everywhere, houses and businesses damaged, power out. Woodville hwy was closed, don't know if it's reopened. Matt
From: "Lucy and Bob Duncan" <robertaduncan...>
Sent: 5/10/24 10:59 AM
To: Nflbirds <nflbirds...>, Albirds <albirds...>
Subject: [NFLbirds] It ain't over till it's over!
Hi all,
We have fallout conditions occurring now along the coast as a heavy squall line is over us. The rain does not extend into the Gulf any distance but this is enough to put birds down. They had light to moderate S or SW winds during the night, so they could be headed toward the NW FL - AL coasts. Yes, it IS late for migrants but birds can still occur in small trickle outs well into May. But if memory serves me correctly, we had a classic type fallout as late as 12 May, mostly late migrants. Today's condition extends all the way to about St. Marks NWR.
The presence of about 7 Eastern Kingbirds on the point that juts into Pensacola Bay near my house before the storms hit tells me birds were flying last night. Will there be more to follow?
Bob DuncanGulf Breeze, FL
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Date: 5/14/24 6:21 am From: 'Nancy Lang' via NFLbirds <nflbirds...> Subject: [NFLbirds] St. Marks
Just returned. Refuge open. One small hitch diverts briefly to Old Woodville but otherwise a smooth but slow ride to SMNWR from Tallahassee. Damage in Tallahassee and parts of Woodville is severe. Refuge had little change.
Nan
On Friday, May 10, 2024 at 01:00:29 PM EDT, 'C or M Johnstone' via NFLbirds <nflbirds...> wrote:
Might not want to head to SMNWR, we were informed refuge was closed this morning due to all the storm damage. Pretty bad here around Woodville - trees and power lines down everywhere, houses and businesses damaged, power out. Woodville hwy was closed, don't know if it's reopened. Matt
From: "Lucy and Bob Duncan" <robertaduncan...>
Sent: 5/10/24 10:59 AM
To: Nflbirds <nflbirds...>, Albirds <albirds...>
Subject: [NFLbirds] It ain't over till it's over!
Hi all,
We have fallout conditions occurring now along the coast as a heavy squall line is over us. The rain does not extend into the Gulf any distance but this is enough to put birds down. They had light to moderate S or SW winds during the night, so they could be headed toward the NW FL - AL coasts. Yes, it IS late for migrants but birds can still occur in small trickle outs well into May. But if memory serves me correctly, we had a classic type fallout as late as 12 May, mostly late migrants. Today's condition extends all the way to about St. Marks NWR.
The presence of about 7 Eastern Kingbirds on the point that juts into Pensacola Bay near my house before the storms hit tells me birds were flying last night. Will there be more to follow?
Bob DuncanGulf Breeze, FL
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Date: 5/10/24 10:00 am From: 'C or M Johnstone' via NFLbirds <nflbirds...> Subject: RE: [NFLbirds] It ain't over till it's over!
Might not want to head to SMNWR, we were informed refuge was closed this morning due to all the storm damage. Pretty bad here around Woodville - trees and power lines down everywhere, houses and businesses damaged, power out. Woodville hwy was closed, don't know if it's reopened. Matt
----------------------------------------
From: "Lucy and Bob Duncan" <robertaduncan...>
Sent: 5/10/24 10:59 AM
To: Nflbirds <nflbirds...>, Albirds <albirds...>
Subject: [NFLbirds] It ain't over till it's over!
Hi all,
We have fallout conditions occurring now along the coast as a heavy squall line is over us. The rain does not extend into the Gulf any distance but this is enough to put birds down. They had light to moderate S or SW winds during the night, so they could be headed toward the NW FL - AL coasts. Yes, it IS late for migrants but birds can still occur in small trickle outs well into May. But if memory serves me correctly, we had a classic type fallout as late as 12 May, mostly late migrants. Today's condition extends all the way to about St. Marks NWR.
The presence of about 7 Eastern Kingbirds on the point that juts into Pensacola Bay near my house before the storms hit tells me birds were flying last night. Will there be more to follow?
Bob Duncan
Gulf Breeze, FL
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Date: 5/6/24 7:07 am From: Marianne Korosy <mkorosy...> Subject: Re: [NFLbirds] What's with waxwings?
I have been hearing flocks of waxwings as I'm cycling along the St. Marks
bike trail in Woodville, just south of the intersection of the bike trail
and Oak Ridge Rd. There are patches of what looks like crushed mulberries
on the bike trail in that area. Maybe related to the presence of waxwings?
Marianne Korosy
Tallahassee, FL
On Sun, May 5, 2024, 8:27 PM 'C or M Johnstone' via NFLbirds <
<nflbirds...> wrote:
> Even before I took up birding, waxwings struck me as impossibly beautiful
> and they have remained a favorite. This is my ninth winter in FL, the last
> 7.5 as a permanent resident, so I don't have a large data set from which to
> glean. But it seems to have been an odd year for Cedar Waxwings. Through
> February, waxwings were virtually absent - I recall two flocks, one of a
> few birds and the other of a few dozen. Since then, waxwings have been
> more abundant than in previous winters, and still present in the dozens
> around our place near Woodville.
> Waxwings are quite the wanderers and unpredictable, Bohemians more so than
> Cedars. A bit of a waxwing aside here - Bohemians were a jinx bird for me
> when I lived in southern Michigan. Chasing reports of a Bohemian mixed in
> a flock of Cedars always ended in a whiff. Shortly after moving to northern
> Michigan, in a winter walk at a local state park, I encountered wave after
> wave of enormous flocks of Bohemians. Thousands, beyond my ability to
> estimate. With much effort, I found a few Cedars in the swarm. The only
> time I have nicked a life bird in such initial abundance. Matt Johnstone
>
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> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/nflbirds/0cc63af3fe2848fc96614c56086ed3d1%40e58e5db7bf514060ae647fd64975890e > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/nflbirds/0cc63af3fe2848fc96614c56086ed3d1%40e58e5db7bf514060ae647fd64975890e?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > .
>
Date: 5/5/24 5:56 pm From: Galveston Ornithological Society <galornsoc...> Subject: RE: [NFLbirds] What's with waxwings?
I think what many people don't realize is that many to most (or all?) of our late spring records of waxwings come from birds wintering in the Tropics. I've had them well into May, right off the Gulf, and even a June 1 record. I've seen them around Celestun (Yucatan) in May while snake hunting.
I have had the feeling that the vast majority of our birds wintering in the Deep South leave by March. I suspect the same holds true for Blue-winged Teal here in Texas, though I cannot say about Florida.
Hope that helps.
Jim in Galveston
_____
From: 'C or M Johnstone' via NFLbirds [mailto:<nflbirds...>] Sent: Sunday, May 5, 2024 7:27 PM To: <nflbirds...> Subject: [NFLbirds] What's with waxwings?
Even before I took up birding, waxwings struck me as impossibly beautiful and they have remained a favorite. This is my ninth winter in FL, the last 7.5 as a permanent resident, so I don't have a large data set from which to glean. But it seems to have been an odd year for Cedar Waxwings. Through February, waxwings were virtually absent - I recall two flocks, one of a few birds and the other of a few dozen. Since then, waxwings have been more abundant than in previous winters, and still present in the dozens around our place near Woodville.
Waxwings are quite the wanderers and unpredictable, Bohemians more so than Cedars. A bit of a waxwing aside here - Bohemians were a jinx bird for me when I lived in southern Michigan. Chasing reports of a Bohemian mixed in a flock of Cedars always ended in a whiff. Shortly after moving to northern Michigan, in a winter walk at a local state park, I encountered wave after wave of enormous flocks of Bohemians. Thousands, beyond my ability to estimate. With much effort, I found a few Cedars in the swarm. The only time I have nicked a life bird in such initial abundance. Matt Johnstone
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Date: 5/5/24 5:27 pm From: 'C or M Johnstone' via NFLbirds <nflbirds...> Subject: [NFLbirds] What's with waxwings?
Even before I took up birding, waxwings struck me as impossibly beautiful and they have remained a favorite. This is my ninth winter in FL, the last 7.5 as a permanent resident, so I don't have a large data set from which to glean. But it seems to have been an odd year for Cedar Waxwings. Through February, waxwings were virtually absent - I recall two flocks, one of a few birds and the other of a few dozen. Since then, waxwings have been more abundant than in previous winters, and still present in the dozens around our place near Woodville.
Waxwings are quite the wanderers and unpredictable, Bohemians more so than Cedars. A bit of a waxwing aside here - Bohemians were a jinx bird for me when I lived in southern Michigan. Chasing reports of a Bohemian mixed in a flock of Cedars always ended in a whiff. Shortly after moving to northern Michigan, in a winter walk at a local state park, I encountered wave after wave of enormous flocks of Bohemians. Thousands, beyond my ability to estimate. With much effort, I found a few Cedars in the swarm. The only time I have nicked a life bird in such initial abundance. Matt Johnstone
Date: 5/5/24 12:52 pm From: Don Morrow <donaldcmorrow...> Subject: [NFLbirds] Early May at SMNWR
It is early May at St. Marks NWR. Wild Rose is blooming and dragonflies are
swarming along the levees. Chuck-wills-widows calling loudly in the night,
give way to singing Marsh Wrens as the sun rises. Our breeding birds are
already consumed by territorial defense and nesting as the refuge slides
inexorably into summer. Spring migration is mostly over. There are still a
few boreal forest-nesting songbirds and arctic-bound shorebirds moving
through, but their numbers have peaked and are dropping.
Ah, but April!
Always the big month for Spring migration, this year saw almost six million
shorebirds, ducks, sparrows, vireos, waders, flycatchers, warblers,
orioles, thrushes, tanagers, and grosbeaks transit the refuge. There was a
notably strong April migration this year. These birds launched from
Caribbean islands, South America, and the Yucatan peninsula directed by a
primal urge to head north to their breeding grounds. The random chance of
winds and storm fronts pushed some of them towards St. Marks. A few were
bound for the refuge and stopped here. Most just glanced down in the
darkness as they passed over. Others landed here to feed before continuing
their journey. Perhaps another million birds will move through before
Spring migration ends in June.
Each day in April is different. St. Marks saw four big pulses of migrant
songbirds over the month and one big pulse of ducks. Shorebirds tend to
move through more steadily.
April weather was favorable for transiting songbirds and, yet, the refuge
still saw twenty-four warbler species drop in. Some, like Cerulean,
Kentucky, Yellow and Magnolia were scarce, but others like Palm,
Black-and-white & Northern Parula came through in large numbers.
By April, most of our over-wintering ducks are gone. April always sees a
spike of migrant Blue-winged Teal and Northern Shovelers at the refuge.
Last month, 160 teal and 72 shovelers came through on one day in mid-month.
The shovelers are now gone; the teal, which winter as far south as Brazil,
will continue to trickle through into June.
This was a robust year for shorebird migration. Thirty-two species of
shorebirds were reported, including Piping & American Golden Plovers;
Solitary, Stilt, Baird’s, Pectoral & White-rumped Sandpipers and Wilson’s
Phalarope. Shorebird numbers have dropped by over fifty percent from their
February peak. They will continue to drop as the remaining late migrants
finish moving through from South America.
Birds are still moving, but you should come down to the refuge soon if you
want to catch the last few Spring migrants. Even if you don’t, there is
still a lot to see at the refuge. Beautyberry and Partridge Pea are about
to flower. Otter kits will soon start following their mothers on foraging
trips. Bobwhites are calling in the morning from the flatwoods and the
eternal miracle of morning sunlight playing across the marshes is happening
daily.
Date: 4/18/24 10:43 am From: 'bendy32309' via NFLbirds <nflbirds...> Subject: RE: [NFLbirds] Western kingbird Miccosukee greenway
Saw it. Thanks for reporting.Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
-------- Original message --------From: 'Tom and Lisa Jackson' via NFLbirds <nflbirds...> Date: 4/18/24 12:37 PM (GMT-05:00) To: Nflbirds <nflbirds...> Subject: [NFLbirds] Western kingbird Miccosukee greenway
Now at the Edenfield entrance. Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
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Date: 4/18/24 9:37 am From: 'Tom and Lisa Jackson' via NFLbirds <nflbirds...> Subject: [NFLbirds] Western kingbird Miccosukee greenway
Now at the Edenfield entrance.
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
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