Golden Triangle Audubon Bird Alert Update -- April 6, 2010

Migrants were present in Sabine Woods yesterday (Monday) in relatively small numbers. A total of 14 warbler species were seen, including a first of season Kentucky Warbler.  A Yellow-throated Warbler was seen, and a Prairie Warbler. Northern was the only Waterthrush, possibly the same bird first seen last Friday.  There were two Worm-eating and two Prothonotary Warblers reported.  Other warblers included Yellow, Northern Parula, Tennessee and Hooded. Vireos included Red-eyed and Yellow-throated.  Two Scarlet and four Summer Tanagers were present, along with one Yellow-billed Cuckoo.  One Eastern Wood-Pewee was the only flycatcher reported. A Wood Thrush was seen.

Numbers today (Tuesday) were apparently smaller.  A (or is it the?) Prairie Warbler was seen again.  Since Prairie Warblers mostly winter in the West Indies and are not known to cross the Gulf in any numbers, this may be a bird working east from the Florida Panhandle.  Also seen at Sabine Woods today was a first of season male Painted Bunting, two Summer Tanagers and four Eastern Kingbirds. There was a Wood Thrush on Pilot Station Road.

The timing of tomorrow's front is still a little late to induce tomorrows arrivals to descend at the coast.  The forecast time at the coast is about 8 or 9 p.m.  So unless a squall line develops ahead of the front (and that does happen sometimes!), it will be too late.  However, it likely will be enough to dissuade migrant that are on the coast from leaving northwards, and will give those that did stop an opportunity to move "laterally" into the woods for the night.

The front is forecast to continue all the way across the Gulf, reaching the Yucatan coast Thursday evening, with winds there shifting to the north.  The weather thereafter is forecast to be dominated by the "Bermuda" High, which will linger over Georgia and South Carolina, leaving north winds over much of the Gulf and the Yucatan at least through Monday.  The high is forecast to then move back to the east (towards Bermuda), changing the winds over the Gulf to more easterly.  Thus, unfortunately, the weekend does not hold much promise of heavy flights of migrants.  There is some prospect of a front on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.  This could get interesting, if birds hold up on the Yucatan in the face of the prolonged northerly winds and then "release" only to encounter a front over the Texas coast.  But seven or eight days is far too far in the future for accurate weather predictions!

From reports by John Haynes, Sally Moffet and Jana Whittle.

John A. Whittle