Today, once again, saw much lighter migration than what we saw near the middle of the week, and thus, this is going to be a shorter report (save my giant list). Like yesterday, today was still a fantastic
day to be birding, even if the rain kept any of you at bay. Warblers were everywhere, along with vireos, thrushes, grosbeaks, and even things like RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS, and COMMON NIGHTHAWKS, both making their presence more and more know throughout the state. Another notable phenomenon: numerous warblers that are typically late migrants are moving north from their early arrivals in Southern and Central Illinois, with species like CAPE MAY and BLACKPOLL WARBLERS being the primary examples. Migration is much more muddled this year than last year, and this is producing a fantastic mix in many birders lists. This spring is producing good Big Day material, folks. The Spring Bird Count should be awesome this weekend, so good luck to all those participating!
Anyway, a large storm system is rumbling through Illinois from the West/Southwest of us, and it's pretty much shutting down most migration in the state right now. In a large eastern portion of the state that is still east of the storm system (note boundary between west winds and east winds), light migration is occurring, and will continue to do so until the storms roll in. Whatever the case in your area, tonight is not cracking up to be a great night for migration, so it seems that many of the birds around today will, for the most part, stay put tonight. Nature is remarkably unpredictable though, so I'll be interested to see what Spring Bird Counters turn up tomorrow.
Awesome. Here's my giant list of birds to be on the look out for arrivals/influxes of in YOUR area: BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, GREEN HERON, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, SORA, VIRGINIA RAIL, COMMON GALLINULE, maybe SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, PECTORAL, SPOTTED, LEAST, and SOLITARY SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, SANDERLING, UPLAND SANDPIPER, WILLET, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, FORSTER'S TERN, COMMON TERN, COMMON NIGHTHAWK, EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL, CHIMNEY SWIFT, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE, LEAST FLYCATCHER, GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER, BLUE-HEADED, WHITE-EYED, WARBLING and RED-EYED VIREO, HOUSE WREN, SEDGE WREN, MARSH WREN, all the expected swallows, all the expected sparrows (especially take note of LE CONTE'S SPARROWS, HENSLOW'S SPARROWS, GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS, and CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS), SWAINSON'S, GRAY-CHEEKED, and WOOD THRUSHES, warblers including but not limited to BLUE-WINGED WARBLERS, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, PRAIRIE WARBLERS, BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS, PINE WARBLERS, YELLOW WARBLERS, HOODED WARBLERS, BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS, NORTHERN PARULAS, LOUISIANA + NORTHERN WATERTHRUSHES, WORM-EATING WARBLERS, COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, SCARLET and SUMMER TANAGERS, ORCHARD and BALTIMORE ORIOLES, BREWER'S, RUSTY, and YELLOW HEADED BLACKBIRDS, INDIGO BUNTINGS, BOBOLINKS, and possibly early DICKCISSELS. And with migration, there are always chances of early overshoots and vagrants too.
Happy Spring Bird Counting!
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