The Magic of Migration
Published: April 25, 2019
Tags: General Observations, broad-winged hawk, osprey, caspian tern, common loon, greater yellowlegs, blue-gray gnatcatcher, great horned owl, yellow-rumped warbler, american robin, leucistic
Somehow, I "volunteered" to man the Hamburg Hawkwatch a few times again this year. It's actually fun if you're not counting hundreds to thousands of birds and, thankfully, my assigned days were at the slow end of the migration curve - no accident, I'm sure!
I expected my first of year (FOY) Broad-winged Hawk to be at the actual hawkwatch, but as it turned out, I found a migrant grounded by the rain down in Langford. The hawk gave some nice views as it sat in the pouring rain on a power line. Poor thing - but I enjoyed looking at him or her!
I held an unofficial hawkwatch at Birdsong on a day of good raptor movement and it yielded several nice birds. I sat on a bench and just watched as Osprey, Common Loons, Red-tailed and Broad-wings, Bald Eagles, gulls, and terns flew over. I find it fascinating to watch the magical phenomenon of migration; I could do it all day long, every day of the week. Much goes on in the skies above.
I saw a few new shorebirds coming into the area this week - both greater and lesser yellowlegs. And a leucistic American Robin was an interesting find as I drove past a farm field.
Broad-winged Hawk sitting out a rain storm
Broad-winged Hawk
Osprey flyover at Birdsong
One of several Common Loons flyovers
Caspian Tern
A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was a nice FOY!
A Greater Yellowlegs gave some close views
It was so rainy, both Great Horned Owls were in the nest - and one appeared to be protecting the chick by covering it with his wings!
My best view of a Yellow-rumped Warbler so far this year.
A leucistic American Robin. This is a condition where there is a lack of pigment in the coloring of the feathers that exhibits itself in various degrees.