Oct 27 - ESE wind, clear skies, cool overnight temps (2C), seasonally strong migration on radar...
https://ebird.org/checklist/S405881198
Highlights:
1 Ross's Goose
11 Cackling Goose
70 Brant
1 Little Gull
48 Common Loon
1 Peregrine Falcon
3000 American Robin
350 Cedar Waxwing
90 Purple Finch
440 Pine Siskin
1 Fox Sparrow
~25,000 Blackbirds
The Ross's Goose flew south offshore inside a flock of Cackling Geese. It would have been pretty easy to assume it was a Snow Goose inside a flock of Canada's - but they'll have to be sneakier if they want to get past this sneaki boi.
The Brant were really perplexing. Way up high and inland - not where you expect to see Brant in Huron County. Again - there was no hiding their true identities. Bunching and unbunching as they do. More compact that Cackling Goose... At a basic level, the GISS of Cackling Goose reminds me of Northern Pintail ... Brant is more like a Mallard. A big flock - the day after James Bay emptied of birds... I wouldn't have minded a closer look, but in reality, I was super excited to spot them and be aware of the unusual nature of the sighting.
An adult Little Gull offshore is reasonably expected this time of year, but still nice. Juv Peregrine Falcon was nice.
A point of contrast to the next day. Lots of AMRO and blackbirds, moderate finch flight. Generally speaking, it felt like a huge number of birds migrating - but the flight lines were fanned out, with some birds pushing inland - reducing concentration. Blue skies make it slightly harder to spot birds as well.
Oct 28 - SE wind, cloudier, warmer overnight (9C), virtually no migration on radar.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S406136887
Highlights:
300 American Robin
550 Cedar Waxwing
460 Purple Finch
4 White-winged Crossbill
1360 Pine Siskin
~7,000 Blackbirds
I suspect the difference in Geese had to do with the conditions on James Bay on Oct 26 - not really the local conditions.
The reduction in American Robin and Blackbirds was quite interesting to me. The flight lines were more concentrated. I suspect a significantly reduced flight happened, but better concentration along the shoreline, due to a slight tweak in wind direction.
For whatever reason, irruptive finches (and waxwings) seem to enjoy a warm headwind - and the slight shift worked wonders to concentrate a solid flight right overhead. There is a real difference in behaviour & flight conditions when compared to our typical annual diurnal migrants.
Nothing groundbreaking - but it was fun setup to compare each day. It was actually the opposite from a week earlier - where the cool day with a large radar movement had SE winds at dawn, but the next warmer / slower day shifted more east. It really helps highlight that the concentrating wind had a greater effect on the finches, whereas the radar movement was corelated to the Robins & Blackbirds.
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