House Wrens, Western Tanagers, Brown-headed Cowbirds, American Biterns, scads of shorebirds (usual migrants), more Nashville and Black-throated Gray Warblers, Gray Flycatchers (east side). It get to be hard to catch up, oh and another Hermit/Swainson’s Thrush debate.
Pretty decent movement last night. Again, not “Green Doughnut” great but widespread at 20 dBZ+.
OK, there is just too much to get through, and i’ve been off grid for only four days.
I’m probably going to miss something; in the Metro area new arrivals are:
Wilson’s Warbler, Cassin’s Vireo and Hammond’s Flycatcher.
In Oregon; Western Kingbirds, Black-headed Grosbeak, House Wren and Bullock’s Oriole.
Not much to see on last night’s radar, and i am behind in other areas, so that’s it for today.
We’re going to save disk space today – no radar loops. They’re pretty boring anyway — 10 dBZ with only a few patches up into the 20’s.
Most action was out of Ridgefield and Steigerwald. Nationally the Central Flyway was the hot spot. See Paul’s archive for that loop.
But we are getting reports. In the metro area: Nashville Warblers, Hammond’s Flycatcher (earliest by six days) Vesper and Chipping Sparrows.
And a remarkable House Wren in Clallam County, WA.
Admin. note — i will be off grid until next Wednesday. See the sidebar for links to stay abreast of this Spring’s migration.
NOUS66 KPQR 010407
FTMRTX
Message Date: Oct 01 2017 04:08:15
As of 0400 UTC Sunday, October 1, 2017, KRTX radar continues to experience signi
ficant technical issues which prevent the reliable operation of the radar. Howev
er, KRTX has been repaired to the point where NWS Portland can run the radar a f
ew minutes at a time before KRTX fails again. Until further notice, this will on
ly be done for testing purposes or if threatening weather approaches. /Weagle
Yeah, that sucks.
On the ground:
Timothy Lake had tons of Western Grebes, reports of dozens of Common Loons on Saturday but i didn’t see any on Sunday but it was raining pretty steadily, Barrow’s Goldeneye are still on the lake and a lone Red-necked Grebe was seen.
On the valley floor Varied Thrush and Dark-eyed Juncos are moving in, i saw, and most remarkably heard still singing a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Fox and Golden-crowned Sparrows are increasing in numbers, Cackling Geese are being reported into the thousands, Sandhill Cranes are into the hundreds, a few Mallard and Green-wing Teal males are coming out of eclipse, House Wrens and Western Wood Pewees are apparently gone. Still no reports of Buffleheads.
Since RTX is down i’m throwing in the loop for ATX (Seattle). We still have solid movement through out the Sound and most noticeable across the Strait.
And then there were birds!
Big weekend for the Pacific Flyway. I have the Friday/Saturday loop, but left in on another computer; it looks pretty much like today’s Sunday/Monday loop. Saturday/Sunday was muted by weather.
More arrivals: Western Kingbird, Western Tanager, Lazuli Bunting, Black-headed and Evening Grosbeak, Bullock’s Oriole, Sora, Empids, Wilson’s and Nashville Warbler, and Cassin’s and Warbling Vireo. All five Swallows have now been reported as well as Vaux’s Swift. Big numbers of the early migrants as well, House Wren, Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned Warblers. Pelicans and Purple Martins are more widely reported on Sauvie Island.
Many birds are already on, or building, nests and even some fledglings are being seen. I even saw a Green-winged Teal male transitioning to eclipse plumage this weekend.
I haven’t seen or heard a Ruby-crowned Kinglet in a while; Golden-crowned Sparrow numbers are down, Migrant Fox and Lincoln’s Sparrows are pretty much off the radar. Water Fowl numbers are dropping as well.
Let’s see, what’s left? From memory (so don’t hold me to this) Swainson’s Thrush, Yellow Warbler, Western Wood Pewee, Red-eyed Vireo (rare but annual nesting resident) Willow Flycatcher and ……?
I really should change the title of these posts. The Pacific Northwest is a big place and i don’t keep tabs of much outside of the Portland/Vancouver Basin and the Willamette Valley. So, for example, when the Puffins return to the coast, i’ll miss it by a couple of weeks to a month, they’re back, but i’m not sure of when they arrived.
We had an abbreviated flight last night; lasting from about 8 PM to 2 AM, and it wasn’t particularly widespread. I’m pretty sure the birds are as sick of the rain as i am but at least it was spread out and not too heavy.
Big night for the Atlantic and especially the Mississippi Flyways.
San Diego is reporting the first Lazuli Buntings and Western Kingbirds. We don’t usually get Ash-throated Flycatchers in the Metro area but the Central Valley (CA) is now reporting them.
Locally: Hammond’s Flycatchers, House Wrens, Bullock’s Orioles and Yellow Warblers have now been reported.
A solid night of ….. rain. I’m sure birds are slipping through, we just can’t see them.
So i put in the National Composite (thanks Paul) and the wind map. A good study today about migration and weather. Big flight up the Central Flyway, shut down behind the squall line but advancement up the Atlantic Flyway ahead of the weather.
Central Valley is reporting Bullock’s Orioles, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Purple Martins, House Wrens, Wilson’s, Nashville and Yellow Warblers. The Yellow and Nashville Warblers have made it to the Metro Area as well as the Purple Martins.
Another night of moderate migration. Seems like most movement was departures.
House Wren seems to be the new wave of summer residents to arrive en mass. But reports of early Western Tanagers and Swainson’s Thrush are popping up in the southern reaches of Oregon.
A new low pressure system is building offshore. If it holds off from forming rain cells we might get a nice southerly wind to push migrants northward tomorrow.
Moderate movement around the region last night but heavier than last night.
Early House Wrens, more Nashville Warblers and Cassin’s Vireos. Common Yellowthroats are everywhere now. Vesper Sparrows have returned to their north valley breeding grounds.
The weather is a mixed and confused bag of competing systems right now, so it’s hard to tell where this is going in the next few days.
birds over portland - 2 