Thursday, April 2, 2009

Blog on Migration

My thanks to Patty who posted on Georgia Birders Online about a blog she had found on migration. If you have not seen this, you need to go to http://badbirdz2.wordpress.com/ It is great for following the migrating birds. Today even though it was raining I was out with a good group of birders on Jekyll. It was low tide so all the shorebirds were way out.
So we headed to the Jekyll Island Campground Bird Sanctuary. There was so much action I couldn't get any photographs. It was so much fun just the same. Northern Parulas, Black & White Warblers, Yellow-throated Warblers, a single Black-throated Blue Warbler, lots of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, White-throated Sparrows and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. There was a pair of Eastern Towhees right out in the open. The female was gathering pine straw as the male sang. At one point the Black & White Warbler landed on the ground right beside us. Whoa! that was fun. Another highlight was a White-eyed Vireo right at eye level with 10 feet of us. This image was taken last year but it is a White-eyed Vireo. Today is overcast and rainy, sorry to say we did not have blue sky.

Here is an image of last year's parula in the bird bath at the Bird Sanctuary. He is back again this year and singing up a storm.

4 comments:

Dawn Fine said...

I have been following badbirds site for a few months now...its so exciting to see whats happening..from what I read you should be in birdie heaven just about now...sounds like you are!

NatureisAwesome said...

Thanks for posting your sightings on our site Badbirdz2, we really appreciate it. Birds are on the move north and Georgia has been looking amazing for the last few days. After the storms passed lots of birds that have been grounded by weather are finally taking to the wing once again. Raptors are starting to move as well, good numbers are being reported from Ft. Clinch in JAX everyday. We have been watching the diurnal raptor movement on the radar and just picked up some birds moving north along the coast heading into Georgia. You should start to see N. Harriers, Cooper’s, Sharpies, Swallow-tailed Kites, and Broad-winged etc... Lots of first of season birds are being reported as well, spring migration is upon us once again. Well thanks again and also thanks for the link on you blog. We will continue to post information on migrating birds entering Georgia when we see movement on the radar.
We love your blog; we are also two banders, artist, photographers, and crazy about birds. Sounds like we have something in common. LOL

Nature is Awesome
Angel & Mariel
Badbirdz2.wordpress.com

Lydia said...

Hi Angel and Mariel,
Wow! I can not wait to get outside to see what coming through. Thanks for the tips.

Angel & Mariel said...

Hey all you Georgia birders, the radar looked great last night. Birds were still flying into Georgia in the late morning. Migrant traps should be your best bet today. The real birding seems to be in S. Carolina with a weather system that seems to have shut down migration. There could be localized "fall-out" conditions along the coast over there. Good birding to all and share you reports with us, we will really appreciate it.

Nature is Awesome
Angel & Mariel