Week Ending June 12, 2016

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First, I’d like to offer my sincerest apologies for the lateness of this week’s birding blog entry. I have been out of the area (in northern Minnesota) since 10 Jun, and did not have the chance to get everything taken care of before I departed Virginia Beach. Hopefully, next week’s will be back on track, so thanks to those who patiently waited. As is typical of the month of June, birding was very slow across the region with not a whole lot of sightings that were out of the ordinary. WEEKLY WEATHER: Warm weather continued on from last week with the daily high increasing to 89.0 degrees F (a 6.7 degree rise from last week’s average); the average daytime lows dropped a bit though, to 70.1 degrees F (a 2.6 degree decrease). Overall, we hit a peak high on Sunday (12 Jun) of 97 degrees F (a new high mark for the calendar year), and a low daytime temperature of 60 degrees F, on Thursday (9 Jun). We experienced precipitation on three of the seven days this week, with a total of 1.53 inches of rain. Most of this occurred on Tuesday (7 Jun) when 1.27 inches fell.

For the first week in a while, no birds that would be considered to be RARITIES were observed. TOP BIRDS this week including some of our breeding species that can be hard to find, including a Least Bittern (6 Jun / Back Bay NWR / Rebecca Walawender), a Northern Bobwhite (11 Jun / Pefley Lane near Munden Point Park / David Clark), and also the continuing reports of the nesting Mississippi Kites on Burroughs Road in the Throroughgood region of Virginia Beach. Also, a Clapper Rail (Karen & Tom Beatty) was  observed out on the rocky shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel’s first Island (South Thimble Island). This species itself is not unusual in Virginia Beach, but according to comments in the Hampton Roads Wildlife Enthusiasts Facebook group (Ned Brinkley), it is highly unusual to see this occur outside of the migration period for this species during April & May, so a very neat find, and one captures with nice photographs! Interestingly, while rarities were absent, we did see several LATE OCCURRENCES (lingering winter residents or spring migrants), including Spotted Sandpiper (6 Jun / Pleasure House Point / Rob Bielawski), and (6 Jun / Back Bay NWR / Rebecca Walawnder); Red Knot (6 Jun / Back Bay NWR / Rebecca Walawender); and American Coot (6 Jun / Back Bay NWR / Rebecca Walawender). Lastly, WEEKLY RELEVANT SPECIES DOCUMENTED BY MEDIA submitted for Virginia Beach this week included the following, which as mentioned previously,  during the summer months, breeding species get their time to shine, and will make up the majority of ‘relevant’ sightings. This week’s Virginia Beach eBird media postings included: MONDAY (6 JUN) – Wood Duck (Kings Grant Lakes / Rob Bielawski); Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Green Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Clapper Rail, American Oystercatcher, Spotted Sandpiper, Laughing Gull, Black Skimmer, Northern Mockingbird and Red-winged Blackbird (Pleasure House Point NA / Rob Bielawski). THURSDAY (9 JUN) – Clapper Rail, American Oystercatcher, Laughing Gull & Royal Tern (South Thimble Island / Karen & Tom Beatty); Black Scoter, Royal Tern and Sandwich Tern  (Fort Story / Karen & Tom Beatty). LOOKAHEAD: Since I’m writing this report so late, a lookahead doesn’t make much sense to write, but if you have not yet been made aware, there is a BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK present on Lake Joyce near Dubay Properties (see Ron Furnish & Marie Mullins' report for more information)! It has been a long time since this species has been found inside Virginia Beach’s boundaries (2013 was the last occurrence according to VARCOM’s reports), so for anyone in the area, this is a must find bird!

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For more information on the Weekly Birding Blog, please check out this Journal Overview Page on the website. It provides background information as to what sightings are considered for the blog, the format of the blog, and will likely answer other questions any readers might be wondering about as well.

Week Ending June 5, 2016

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As with the previous week, noteworthy and unusual observations were slow during this 7-day period, as the spring songbird migration is now past us, and shorebirds are also wrapping up. June and July are generally considered to be the ‘breeding season’ for birds, and therefore most of the observations from now until August will likely be of the species that nest in Virginia Beach, including birds that remain here year-round (permanent residents) and those the winter south of us but return each year to breed (summer residents). As unexpected rarities pop up, they will certainly be covered in this blog as well, but the likelihood of spotting something truly unusual declines outside of the migration windows of spring and fall. Still, birds are a dynamic group of wildlife, and strange things can occur at any point in time. Some items to note this week, the impoundments at Princess Anne WMA’s Beasley Tract are being drained, which means the Green-winged Teal sighted there a week ago will not likely have habitat for nesting this summer. Also, if the Purple Gallinule is still present, it may be seeking out a new home. Water levels at Back Bay NWR’s freshwater impoundment system remain pretty high for the time of year, and while this is great for wading species like herons and egrets, it doesn’t bode too well for the shorebirds that can use the mudflats. Though, shorebirds are dwindling right now as it is since most species breed in the high Arctic of the far north. We’ll see their return starting again in July. WEEKLY WEATHER: The finale of May and the start of June proved to be a rather warm timeframe, and tropical weather became a focal point as the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season began on 1 Jun. With a major spike in the temperatures occurring last week, the momentum was essentially maintained again, with the daily high of 83.3 degrees F (a minor 1.6 degree drop from last week’s average); the average daytime lows rose though, to 72.7 degrees F (a 7.4 degree increase) which means our days felt much warmer this week since we didn’t get to experience the early morning or late evening cooldown’s of the previous 7 days. Overall, we hit a peak high on Sunday (5 Jun) of 93 degrees F (matching the high mark set on 26 May), and a low daytime temperature of 71 degrees F, on Wednesday (1 Jun), a remarkable 14 degree rise over last week’s daytime low! We experienced precipitation on three of the seven days this week, with a total of 2.22 inches of rain. Most of this occurred on Monday (30 May) when 1.29 inches fell, and then late on Sunday a very strong storm front moved across Virginia Beach with winds gusting to 60 mph; only 0.61 inches of rain was recorded, but more likely fell since gauges can’t accurately measure rainfall when it is moving almost horizontally due to the winds. Lastly, Tropical Storm Bonnie, which had spawned on 27 May, and made landfall at Charleston, SC on 29 May, continued its slow trek along the coast this week, moving northeastward towards the Outer Banks of North Carolina. On Wednesday, while the remnants of the tropical storm were situated just off Cape Hatteras, a “six-pack” (named for the smaller fishing boats with a maximum group capacity of 6 individuals) pelagic trip which left from Rudee Inlet aboard the Top Notch was benefited by the easterly winds produced by the low pressure system to the south. More on those sightings below!

While the Purple Gallinule at Princess Anne WMA’s Beasley Tract was not seen during the last 7 days, and it may or may not be around anymore, several TOP BIRDS were observed. The BLACK-NECKED STILT first observed on 17 May was observed again this week through Tuesday (31 May) but no sightings occurred after this, and several individuals did submit checklists from the park so it appears they have departed, likely flying further north towards Chincoteague NWR where pairs have nested in previous years. A COMMON GALLINULE was heard at the park also on Tuesday (31 May) by Karen & Tom Beatty, but no sightings of this species occurred this week. Benefitting from the low pressure system south of us, Tracy Tate was able to find a single SOOTY SHEARWATER off of 85th Street Beach on Wednesday (1 Jun) and a Red Knot was observed on the beach at Back Bay NWR (Karen & Tom Beatty). Additionally that same day, Wilson’s Storm-Petrels were reported near-shore as the “six-pack” pelagic trip (Bob Ake, Ned Brinkley, Todd Day, James Fox, Mike Stinson & Jason Strickland) was heading out from Rudee Inlet en route to Norfolk Canyon which sits in Northampton County waters about 60 miles offshore along the continental shelf break. While the storm-petrels were the only noteworthy species observed within Virginia Beach’s boundaries by this group, it is important to note that they also observed Great, Sooty, Manx & Audubon’s Shearwaters, Wilson’s, Leach’s & Band-rumped Storm-Petrels, Red-necked Phalaropes, Pomarine Jaegers, and a Bridled Tern in Northampton County waters just to our north. For the first week in a long time, no FIRST-OF-SEASON ARRIVALS and FIRST-OF-YEAR FINDS were observed in Virginia Beach. Though no review flags in eBird were set off by LATE OCCURRENCES, American Coots, Common Loons and Black Scoters all continue to be reported. The coots should be departing soon, as any occurring through the summer months here would be rare, but the loons and scoters seem to summer off the coastline in low numbers in recent years, so they will likely continue to be reported. Lastly, there was a great number of WEEKLY RELEVANT SPECIES DOCUMENTED BY MEDIA submitted for Virginia Beach this week. During the summer months, breeding species get their time to shine, and will make up the majority of ‘relevant’ sightings. This week’s Virginia Beach eBird media postings included: MONDAY (30 MAY) – House Wren (Beach Garden Park / Rob Bielawski); Osprey (nest for Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas) (Shore Drive / Laura Mae); Common Loon (Lynnhaven Inlet / Laura Mae). TUESDAY (31 MAY) - King Rail audio (Princess Anne WMA / Karen & Tom Beatty); WEDNESDAY (1 JUN) – Eastern Screech-Owl (83rd Street / Laura Horan); Royal Tern & Black Skimmer (Back Bay NWR / Karen & Tom Beatty); Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Dale Drive / Pamela Monahan); Red Knot (Back Bay NWR / Karen & Tom Beatty). THURSDAY (2 JUN) – Canada Goose, Brown Pelican & Semipalmated Sandpiper (Camp Pendleton Restricted / Karen & Tom Beatty). SATURDAY (4 JUN) – Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Common Yellowthroat & Red-winged Blackbird (Back Bay NWR / Rob Bielawski); White Ibis & American Coot (Princess Anne WMA / Rob Bielawski); Barn Swallow (Back Bay Landing Road / Rob Bielawski); Mallard & Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Kings Grant Lakes / Rob Bielawski). SUNDAY (5 JUN) – Herring Gull & Royal Tern (South Thimble Island / Rob Bielawski). LOOKAHEAD: The effects of Tropical Storm Colin, the earliest 3rd storm of the season to ever form (5 Jun), will be worth tracking as this next few days unfolds. Currently it sits in the Gulf of Mexico but is expected to cross over towards South & North Carolina in the next couple of days. If it takes a course similar to what Bonnie took last week, the counterclockwise spin of the low pressure system could provide Virginia Beach with some stronger-than-normal, onshore winds. These onshore winds could bring in some species closer to shore than normal. Just a couple of weeks ago Ned Brinkley mentioned in the Hampton Roads Wildlife Enthusiasts Facebook group that such winds can push Parasitic Jaeger, Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, Sooty Shearwater and potentially others close to shore. Of course, the track, speed, and strength of the storm all come into play, but it worth keeping up to date on, maybe someone will get a seabird in close again like Tracy Tate’s Sooty Shearwater later week!

For more information on the Weekly Birding Blog, please check out this page on the website. It provides background information as to what sightings are considered for the blog, the format of the blog, and will likely answer other questions any readers might be wondering about as well. If you have photographs of birds you are trying to identify, consider joining the Hampton Roads Wildlife Enthusiasts Group on Facebook, there are many knowledgeable folks there who can help. The page can be found Here!

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Week Ending May 29, 2016

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After three utterly incredible weeks of springtime birding in Virginia Beach, we all expected a slow-down to eventually occur, and by about midweek the migration switch appeared to be abruptly turned to the off position. May was a truly historic month for us on the coast, and those of us who spent time outdoors were blessed by the opportunity to observe species that are not found here every spring. Most of this was due to persistent southwesterly winds early in the month, followed by strong northerlies. The southwesterlies assisted in pushing northbound songbirds that typically prefer mountain corridors towards the coastline. The northerly winds then ensured that those species would stick around in the area, as songbirds depend on tailwinds to help accelerate their nighttime travels northward. Over the past few days southerly winds took hold, which allowed for the exodus of our transient species northward, bidding us farewell until the fall season arrives. WEEKLY WEATHER: This final week of May was dominated by warm temperatures & persistent humidity. Up until this week, temperatures throughout the spring season had remained lower than typical, but this week, the daily high soared to 84.9 degrees F (an incredible 15 degree rise from last week’s average); the average daytime lows also rose considerably, to 65.3 degrees F (an 8.7 degree increase). Overall, we hit a peak high on Thursday (26 May) of 93 degrees F (18 degrees higher than last week and our hottest day of the year thus far), and a low daytime temperature of 57 degrees F, on Tuesday (24 May). We experienced precipitation on just two of the seven days this week, with a total of 0.46 inches of rain. Interestingly, with hurricane season set to commence on 1 Jun, it wasn’t a huge surprise that the Atlantic basin saw its first tropical cyclone of the season develop on Friday (27 May). This disturbance was given the title of Tropical Depression Bonnie. Earlier in the year, during January, Hurricane Alex formed, and this is why what I’m referring to as our first of the season storm was given the “B” designation rather than the expected “A”. Bonnie increased to tropical storm strength before making landfall near Charleston, SC on Sunday (29 May) where it stalled out along the coastline. The reason I bring this up, is because tropical cyclones have the ability to impact bird sightings even as far away as we are. If the track of the storm continue up the coast in the coming days, and we receive strong, onshore winds (winds blowing southeasterly or easterly from the ocean onto land), there exists a potential to spot species in close to shore that don’t typically occur here such as Parasitic Jaeger, Sooty Shearwater, Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, and maybe even Great Shearwater. Savvy seawatchers may be in for some pleasant surprises if the predicted track of the storm holds, and I know of at least one pelagic boat trip planned for the coming week as well. More on this in next week’s blog as the situation develops.

As to this week’s sightings in Virginia Beach, no new RARITIES were observed, but the PURPLE GALLINULE found on 16 May at Princess Anne Wildlife Management Area’s Beasley Tract continued to be observed & photographed several times throughout the week, with the most recent occurrence being on Sunday (29 May). Along with the Purple Gallinule, the BLACK-NECKED STILT first observed on 17 May at the same location was still present through Sunday as well. Interestingly, on 24 May, David Gibson observed and photographed two individuals side-by-side, marking the first time this year that more than one Black-necked Stilt has been observed simultaneously in Virginia Beach. This pair was present through Wednesday (25 May), but for the remainder of the week only a single individual was reported, so it is not clear whether both are still present though it appears that at least one has moved out of the area. Not technically a true rarity, but an observation of a Parasitic Jaeger (24 May / Rudee Inlet / Cheryl J Jacobson) is also worth noting. With spring songbird migration suffering a sharp decline & it’s likely end this week, FIRST-OF-SEASON ARRIVALS and FIRST-OF-YEAR FINDS were very hard to come by, with the only new arrival being a Wilson’s Storm-Petrel (24 May / Rudee Inlet / Cheryl J Jacobson). Review flags in eBird were also set off by a just a pair of LATE OCCURRENCES, including only American Woodcock (last observed 26 May / Princess Anne WMA / Andrew Baldelli & Tracy Tate. A report also surfaced for a pair of Green-winged Teal observed at Princess Anne WMA (25 May / Barry Kinzie & John Pancake), which is much later than the expected departure date of 5 May. Continuing the effort of promoting the use of eBird for observation reporting & media (photo/audio/video) storage, there was a great number of WEEKLY RELEVANT SPECIES DOCUMENTED BY MEDIA submitted for Virginia Beach this week, which included: TUESDAY (24 MAY) – Purple Gallinule & Black-necked Stilt (Princess Anne WMA / David Gibson); Scarlet Tanager (Five Forks Road / Tracy Tate); Semipalmated Plover, Common Nighthawk & Blackpoll Warbler (Back Bay NWR / Rob Bielawski); Purple Gallilnule (Princess Anne WMA / Lisa Rose). WEDNESDAY (25 MAY) – Swainson’s Thrush audio (Hunt Club Forest Neighborhood / Karen & Tom Beatty); Purple Gallinule (Princess Anne WMA / David Wendelken); Purple Gallinule, Black-necked Stilt & Solitary Sandpiper (Princess Anne WMA / Rob Bielawski); Eastern Screech-Owl (83rd Street / Laura Horan). THURSDAY (26 MAY) – Semipalmated Sandpiper (Pleasure House Point NA / Conor Farrell); Black-necked Stilt (Princess Anne WMA / Kim Harrell). SATURDAY (28 MAY) – Black-necked Stilt (Princess Anne WMA / Jeffrey Blalock). SUNDAY (29 MAY) – Eastern Screech-Owl (83rd Street / Laura Horan); Whimbrel (Back Bay NWR / Rob Bielawski); 

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The above listing of observations has been compiled using publicly displayed information submitted to www.eBird.org. This Weekly Birding Blog runs on a schedule of Monday through Sunday year-round. If you would like your photographs or sightings to be included in the Blog, please ensure your observation is reported to eBird by the end of day Sunday. The term “relevant media” typically refers during the spring months (Mar/Apr/May) to breeding species arrivals, spring transients & rarities; during the breeding season (Jun/Jul) the focus will be on breeding species, lingering spring transients or early fall transients & rarities; fall migration (Aug/Sep/Oct/Nov) will focus on arriving winter species, fall transients & rarities, and lastly, winter (Dec/Jan/Feb) will focus on wintering species & rarities. For more information on these types of species, please visit the Distribution section of the website, which can be accessed on the black toolbar above this blog & just below the page banner. Also, any rarities mentioned will also be added to the Noteworthy Observations listed, which can also be found under the Distribution heading above.

Week Ending May 22, 2016

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For a third straight week, bird observations remained off the charts as the peak of spring migration was likely met and passed this week across the region. Back Bay NWR remained a warbler hotspot, and Princess Anne WMA’s Beasley Tract continued the trend of offering up great shorebirding; Rudee Inlet provided views of northbound species as well. WEEKLY WEATHER: Strong easterly winds, overcast skies, and precipitation seemed to dominate this third week of May. Temperatures from Monday-Sunday dropped considerably from the previous 7-day timeframe to a daily high of 69.9 degrees F (a 7.1 degree drop from last week’s average); the average daytime lows also dropped, to 56.6 degrees F (a 2.4 degree decrease). Overall, we hit a peak high on Tuesday (17 May) & Saturday (21 May) of 75 degrees F (9 degrees lower than last week), and a low daytime temperature of 48 degrees F, on Monday (16 May). We experienced precipitation on four of the seven days this week, with a total of 0.77 inches of rain. The continuance of winds out of the north and east provided another great week for birds in Virginia Beach, as migration efforts were somewhat stalled until conditions turn more favorable for migrants to continue northward. The passing of a low pressure system to our south on Friday provided a perfect setup of conditions for seawatching heading into the weekend as well, and many birders were able to capitalize on this weather pattern. There was some excellent RARITIES observed this week in the county, so we’ll get into those first! On Monday (16 May) evening while walking the dike system at Princess Anne WMA’s Beasley Tract, an adult PURPLE GALLINULE was observed & photographed (Rob Bielawski). This is the first seemingly-healthy individual of this species that has been observed in Virginia Beach since 1981 according to eBird (though there may be more recent observations just not reported into this database). Some further history on this species, in 2013, a window-strike victim of this species was picked up near Shore Drive by Karen Roberts, rehabilitated, and subsequently released in its typical range far south of here. Also, in Nov 2015, a deceased individual was found at the Oceanfront and identified by Mary Catherine Miguez and along with assistance from Karen Beatty, the specimen was donated to Old Dominion University. Given our past history with this species in Virginia Beach, observing one of these magnificently-colored birds alive & well made for one extremely exciting outing. The individual was observed again on Tuesday morning but then went hidden by Tuesday evening, with no additional re-sightings on Wednesday. However, on Thursday, it was again re-sighted in the early afternoon, and later observed in the evening hours. As of the close of the weekend, the gallinule was last seen early on Saturday morning and though many attempted over the next 36 hours, it could not be found through the rest of the weekend. While out searching for the Purple Gallinule on Tuesday (17 May) morning, a BLACK-NECKED STILT was also observed (James Marcum) and this individual stayed through Sunday, primarily on the northern of the two largest impoundments in the Beasley Tract but also having been observed occasionally to the south. Notably, this was the first of its species to be validated in 2016 for Virginia Beach through eBird though there was a report of one at Back Bay NWR a few weeks ago which sadly provided scant details and therefore was dismissed. Also on Tuesday, though in the evening hours, a trip to Beasley Tract didn’t yield the Purple Gallinule, but a COMMON GALLINULE was observed (Rob Bielawski / Tommy Maloney / Jason Schatti), making this the third rarity in two days to be found within a hundred yards of one another! A photograph submitted to the Hampton Roads Wildlife Enthusiasts Facebook Group yielded a SANDHILL CRANE identity to an individual that was observed (8 May / Ashville Park Boulevard / Suellen Stewart); this is the first of its kind to be reported from Virginia Beach since 1979, though again, there might be other reports out there but none with specific mentions of a date between then and now. This individual could also be the same crane that was observed in Suffolk and Chesapeake over the week or two prior. On Friday (20 May), after a week or so of persistent easterly winds, a first-of-season SOOTY SHEARWATER was observed along the beach at Back Bay NWR (Cathy Williamson & Family). Several more individuals were observed on Saturday (21 May) from Rudee Inlet & Back Bay NWR (Andrew Baldelli & Tracy Tate), and on Sunday a lingering individual was observed and photographed at Back Bay NWR (Andrew Baldelli, Rob Bielawski, Jason Strickland & Tracy Tate). This individual spent most of its time on the water, and could be an injured or weakened bird so it may be prone to be sighted again near shore. It did spend some time gliding, which is encouraging.

In addition to the aforementioned Purple Gallinule, Black-necked Stilt and Sooty Shearwater, Virginia Beach also saw FIRST-OF-SEASON ARRIVALS and FIRST-OF-YEAR FINDS this week which included: Willow Flycatcher (16 May / Princess Anne WMA / Andrew Baldelli) and a later-than-expected, though still first-of-year, report of an American Woodcock (17 May / Princess Anne WMA / Elisa Flanders). Review flags in eBird were also set off by a few LATE OCCURRENCES, species that have lingered beyond their expected departure dates, including: a single female Bufflehead (last observed 16 May / Princess Anne WMA / Rob Bielawski); a single Northern Shoveler drake (last observed 20 May / Princess Anne WMA / Rexanne Bruno); a Black-throated Green Warbler (last observed 21 May / Back Bay NWR / Rob Bielawski); ); and an individual Pied-billed Grebe (last observed 22 May / Princess Anne WMA / Tracy Tate). Continuing the effort of promoting the use of eBird for observation reporting & media (photo/audio/video) storage, there was a great number of WEEKLY RELEVANT SPECIES DOCUMENTED BY MEDIA submitted for Virginia Beach this week, which included: MONDAY (16 MAY) – Bay-breasted Warbler & Scarlet Tanager (Back Bay NWR / Bob McAlpine); Bay-breasted & Blackpoll Warbler (Back Bay NWR / Rob Bielawski); Mississippi Kite (Burroughs Road / Tracy Tate); Northern Shoveler & Purple Gallinule (Princess Anne WMA / Rob Bielawski);  TUESDAY (17 MAY) – Northern Shoveler, Purple Gallinule & Black-necked Stilt (Princess Anne WMA / Kim Harrell); Northern Shoveler, Purple Gallinule & Black-necked Stilt (Princess Anne WMA / Robert Ake); Common Gallinule & Black-necked Stilt (Princess Anne WMA / Rob Bielawski); WEDNESDAY (18 MAY) – Northern Shoveler & Black-necked Stilt (Princess Anne WMA / Jason Strickland); Northern Shoveler (Princess Anne WMA / David Gibson); Solitary Sandpiper & Yellow Warbler (Princess Anne WMA / David Gibson); THURSDAY (19 MAY) – Sora, Purple Gallinule & Black-necked Stilt (Princess Anne WMA / Todd Day); Sora, Purple Gallinule & Black-necked Stilt (Princess Anne WMA / Rob Bielawski); FRIDAY (20 MAY) – Red Knot, Gull-billed Tern & Black-throated Green Warbler (Back Bay NWR / Rob Bielawski); SATURDAY (21 MAY) – White-rumped Sandpiper (Princess Anne WMA / James Fox); Black-necked Stilt (Princess Anne WMA / Jason Strickland); Mississippi Kite (Burroughs Road / Rob & Ruth Bielawski); and SUNDAY (22 MAY) – Sooty Shearwater (Back Bay NWR / Rob Bielawski & Jason Strickland); Cattle Egret (Princess Anne WMA / Lisa Rose); Baltimore Oriole (Back Bay NWR / Steve Myers); Blackpoll Warbler (Back Bay NWR / Daniel Carlson). With the third week of May coming to a close, migration for songbirds should now be on the downswing, however, there are still plenty of great birds out there to observe. Shorebirds are still moving through in force, and depending on the wind directions, the next week could continue the very fruitful trend we have all enjoyed over the past three weeks!

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The above listing of observations has been compiled using publicly displayed information submitted to www.eBird.org. This Weekly Birding Blog runs on a schedule of Monday through Sunday year-round. If you would like your photographs or sightings to be included in the Blog, please ensure your observation is reported to eBird by the end of day Sunday. During the spring months (Mar/Apr/May), ‘relevant media’ typically refers to rarities and transients, and first arrivals of breeding species. For more information on these types of species, please visit the Distribution section of the website, which can be accessed on the black toolbar above this blog & just below the page banner. Also, any rarities mentioned will also be added to the Noteworthy Observations listed, which can also be found under the Distribution heading above.