Weekly Bird Reports, May 5 - 11, 2014

Hope everyone is enjoying Spring migration! Last Thursday's fall out of birds was amazing. Well now that the Festival of the birds is over and Jerry is back I hope to return to normal and get the reports to you on time. Many thanks to all who sent bird reports to me while Jerry was away, but he is back and you can resume your normal reporting to Jerry. jerrymcw@aol.com

Enjoy the rest of migration.
Toni Kelly, PIAS webeditor

Blackburnian Warbler by Toni Kelly

Northern Parula by Toni Kelly

The following birds of note were reported this week from Presque Isle State Park unless noted otherwise:

• Sandhill Crane..singles periodically through the week at Presque Isle and at the hawk watch
• Golden Eagle..2; May 9; an immature over the hawk watch at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center and one adult over Taco Bells on W. 26th St.
• Willet..1; May 9 to 11; Gull Point
• Common Tern..200+ (high count this early in the season); all week; Gull Point
• Worm-eating Warbler..1; May 8; Fry's landing
• Brewster's Warbler..1; May 8; Pine Tree Trail
• Golden-winged Warbler..2; May 8; Presque Isle
• Orange-crowned Warbler..1; May 7; Erie
• Summer Tananger..2; May 5 & 6; Vista 1 perahps a different one; May 9 to 11; Pine Tree and Graveyard Pond trails
• Clay-colored Sparrow..1; May 8; Fry's landing
  

Other less than common birds reported this week include several species of lingering ducks, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Canvasback, Redhead, Greater and Lesser scaup, Bufflehead, and Ruddy Duck.  Other birds include American Bittern, Ruddy Turnstone, Eastern Whip-poor-will, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Northern Mockingbird, Cape May and Cerulean warbler, Northern Parula, Priairie Warbler, and Orchard Oriole.

Jerry McWilliams

Hawk Watch
Observation start time: 09:00:00 
Observation end   time: 12:00:00 
Total observation time: 3 hours

Official Counter:        Jerry McWilliams
Observers:        Jerry McWilliams, Roger Donn, Sam Stull
Visitors: Pat Howell, Janet Price, and Brian Berchtold
Weather: Cloudy becoming variably cloudy with light SW wind early then calm winds, then light out of the NNW.  Temps. reached 78 F
Raptor Observations: Absolutely nothing the first two hours of the watch then a little burst of activity between 1100 and 1130 AM EST south of the watch.  The first birds sighted were a kettle of 5 immature Bald Eagles of first and second year birds at 1105 EST.  Another first year bird past the watch at 1130 EST. 

Roger Donn and Sam Stull assisted the first couple of hours. 

Non-raptor Observations: Just a couple of Eastern Kingbirds and a few American Goldfinches.
Predictions: Very warm, but a better chance of thunderstorms with the potential for heavy downpours.  A steady south wind would be good, but it won't matter if it is raining hard.  Several cold days to follow, so no birds likely for some time. 

Jerry McWilliams