Spring surveys: Week 5

Surveys were completed every day for the week ending 13 May. The week began rather dismally, but a total of 97 species were tallied on campus by week's end. There were some highlights:

• An Osprey snagging a fish from Fairlane Lake on 8 May.
• A Peregrine falcon flyover on 12 May.
• A Red-headed Woodpecker counted on the North American Migration Count on 9 May.
• Hooded Warbler, also found on that count.
• The second Summer Tanager of the season on 10 May.

Twenty-one warbler species were found during the week, although only Yellow-rumped Warblers and Nashville Warblers were counted in two-digit numbers. The day with the highest warbler diversity was on 12 May, with 16 species.

Mid-migration has been stalled. There were few new arrivals this week: Blackburnian Warbler on 8 May, Eastern Wood-Pewee on 9 May, Bay-breasted Warbler on 10 May, and Orange-crowed Warbler on 11 May.

Weather fronts favorable for migrant movement were just not happening this past week, but things look set to change for the next few days. We should see the rest of the expected migrants, as well as larger numbers.