Waterfowl migration will be slowing down soon and shorebirds, waders, and shorebirds will be picking up. The first warblers should show up in Ohio this week. Using the Ohio Ornithological Society’s weekly checklist feature (for April 4), here is a list of what we can expect for new arrivals and those birds which have been straggling and will leave us this week.
First arrivals this week
Snowy Egret (rare)
Cattle Egret (rare)
Yellow-crowned Night-heron (rare)
Broad-winged Hawk (rare)
Sora (rare)
Solitary Sandpiper (rare)
Dunlin (rare)
Franklin’s Gull (rare)
Caspian Tern (rare)
Common Tern (rare)
Whip-poor-will (rare)
Marsh Wren (rare)
Black-throated Green Warbler (rare)
Yellow-throated Warbler (rare)
Black-and-white Warbler (rare)
Brewer’s Blackbird (rare)
Last departures this week
Red-throated Loon (rare)
Northern Shrike (rare)
Snow Bunting (rare)
The calendar rules when it comes to migration. Weather only augments or inhibits the numbers of birds that we encounter during their travels. Some birds (usually the smaller birds) are far more likely to be affected by weather. So when are the more favorable times to be out birding this week in Ohio? Here’s a summary:
Migration should be about normal this evening and maybe even a little better than normal tomorrow morning. Possibly wicked weather conditions tomorrow evening (Monday) will probably put down some migrants. It appears that quite a cold air mass will be coming in over the top of lower warm air creating conditions for thunderstorms and maybe even tornadoes.
But the latter half of the week looks pretty favorable for migration with warmer air temperatures on the surface as well as warmer currents aloft. Thursday evening (4/7/11) through Monday morning (4/11/11) should be quite favorable statewide for both small and larger migrants. Birders will have to dodge some precipitation throughout this period, but the temperature and air currents should be great for the birds. The latter half of the week will actually have the Jet Stream in a Summer pattern with weather systems coming out of Southwestern U.S. instead of the Pacific Northwest (Winter pattern).
I am certainly ready for warmer temperatures and new migrants!