Yellow-Rumped Warblers - October in Review

Yellow-Rumped Warblers - October in Review

Saw my FOS Yellow-rumped Warblers here in Florida today on a visit to Six-Mile Cypress Slough.  But they were not actually the first that I saw this month, as these were the commonest warblers I encountered on my vacation to Eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle a few weeks ago. The vacation was new ground for me and offered a lot of opportunity for lifers like Common Ravens and Great White-Fronted Geese. Other lifers I was able to add included American Pipits, Black-billed Magpies, Western Meadowlark, Western Bluebird, Mountain Chickadee, California Quail, Western Grebe, Pygmy Nuthatch and Red-Breasted Nuthatch. I did not find all the targeted birds on my list like Baird's plover or horned lark, but I can't complain. My best sighting was the family of Trumpeter Swans living at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge near Cheney, Washington.  Beautiful birds and had a great show as they flew overhead in their vee formation

Had high hopes for a rewarding fall migration, but the pickings were slim in our corner of Florida. Few warblers, no thrushes or tanagers, and only the only oriole was an orchard oriole seen in September. The Hawk Watch event that was scheduled on October 17th as a kick-off for Ding Darling days on Sanibel Island was disappointing with low counts too.  Did have a few Kestrels, Merlins, Sharp-shined Hawks and a a couple of Northern Harriers. Though the hawks were few the Indigo Buntings, Painted Buntings, Blue Grosbeak and a Magnolia Warbler made up for it.

We also are watching in October for several of our wintering birds to arrive like House Wrens, Dunlins and Palm Warblers.  As noted at the start I had my first-of-season Yellow-rump warbler today and other birders I met at Six-mile cypress slough today reported seeing blue-headed vireo and a couple of ruby-crowned kinglets.  I did not see the vireo or kinglet, but they have arrived.

Following is a FOS listing for several species that winter in Lee County, Florida.

Belted Kingfisher  - July

Red Knot - September 27th

Palm Warbler - October 2nd

Blue-winged Teal - October 3rd

Gray catbird - October 5th

House Wren - October 17th

Northern Harrier - October 17th

Indigo Bunting - October 17th

Painted Bunting - October 17th

Eastern Phoebe - October 18th

Wilson's Snipe - October 21st

American Coot - October 23rd

Dunlin - October 25th

Yellow-rumped Warbler - October 31

Ruby-crowned kinglet - October 31st

Blue-headed Vireo - October 31st

Other species I am still waiting on include ring-billed gulls, herring gull, yellow-bellied sapsucker, savanna and grasshopper sparrows and several ducks.

My October List - (165)

1. Greater White-fronted Goose - Idaho
2. Canada Goose  - Washington & Idaho
3. Trumpeter Swan - Washington
4. Muscovy Duck (Domestic type) - Florida
5. Wood Duck - Washington
6. American Wigeon  - Washington & Idaho
7. Mallard  - Washington & Idaho
8. Mallard (Domestic type)  - Florida
9. Mottled Duck  - Florida
10. Blue-winged Teal  - Washington & Florida
11. Northern Pintail  - Washington
12. Canvasback  - Idaho
13. Ring-necked Duck  - Washington & Idaho
14. Lesser Scaup  - Washington & Idaho
15. Bufflehead  - Washington & Idaho
16. Common Merganser  - Idaho
17. Ruddy Duck  - Washington & Idaho
18. California Quail  - Idaho
19. Ring-necked Pheasant  - Washington & Idaho
20. Wild Turkey  - Washington
21. Pied-billed Grebe  - Florida, Washington & Idaho
22. Western Grebe  - Idaho
23. Brown Pelican  - Florida
24. Double-crested Cormorant  - Florida, Washington & Idaho
25. Anhinga  - Florida
26. Great Blue Heron  - Florida, Washington & Idaho
27. Great Egret  - Florida
28. Snowy Egret  - Florida
29. Little Blue Heron  - Florida
30. Tricolored Heron  - Florida
31. Reddish Egret  - Florida
32. Cattle Egret  - Florida
33. Green Heron  - Florida
34. Black-crowned Night-Heron  - Florida
35. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron  - Florida
36. White Ibis  - Florida
37. Glossy Ibis  - Florida
38. Roseate Spoonbill  - Florida
39. Wood Stork  - Florida
40. Black Vulture  - Florida  
41. Turkey Vulture  - Florida
42. Osprey  - Florida
43. Snail Kite  - Florida
44. Bald Eagle  - Florida
45. Northern Harrier Florida,  - Washington & Idaho
46. Sharp-shinned Hawk  - Idaho & Florida
47. Cooper's Hawk  - Washington & Florida
48. Red-shouldered Hawk  - Florida
49. Red-tailed Hawk  - Florida, Washington & Idaho
50. Crested Caracara  - Florida
51. American Kestrel  - Florida, Washington & Idaho
52. Merlin  - Florida
53. Peregrine Falcon  - Florida
54. Common Moorhen  - Florida, Washington & Idaho
55. American Coot  - Florida, Washington & Idaho
56. Limpkin  - Florida
57. Sandhill Crane   - Florida
58. Black-bellied Plover  - Florida
59. Wilson's Plover  - Florida
60. Semipalmated Plover  - Florida 
61. Piping Plover  - Florida
62. Killdeer  - Florida & Idaho
63. American Oystercatcher  - Florida
64. American Avocet  - Florida
65. Spotted Sandpiper  - Florida
66. Greater Yellowlegs  - Florida & Washington
67. Willet  - Florida
68. Lesser Yellowlegs  - Florida
69. Marbled Godwit  - Florida
70. Ruddy Turnstone  - Florida
71. Red Knot  - Florida
72. Sanderling  - Florida
73. Western Sandpiper  - Florida
74. Least Sandpiper  - Florida
75. Dunlin  - Florida
76. Short-billed Dowitcher - -Florida
77. Long-billed Dowitcher  - Idaho
78. Wilson's Snipe  - Florida
79. Bonaparte's Gull  - Idaho
80. Laughing Gull  - Florida
81. Ring-billed Gull  - Idaho
82. California Gull  - Idaho
83. Common Tern  - Florida
84. Forster's Tern  - Florida
85. Royal Tern  - Florida
86. Sandwich Tern  - Florida
87. Black Skimmer  - Florida
88. Rock Pigeon Florida,  - Washington & Idaho
89. Eurasian Collared-Dove  - Florida
90. Mourning Dove  - Florida, Washington & Idaho
91. Common Ground-Dove  - Florida
92. Monk Parakeet  - Florida
93. Burrowing Owl  - Florida
94. Barred Owl  - Florida
95. Ruby-throated Hummingbird  - Florida
96. Belted Kingfisher  - Florida & Idaho
97. Red-headed Woodpecker  - Florida
98. Red-bellied Woodpecker  - Florida
99. Downy Woodpecker  - Florida & Washington
100. Hairy Woodpecker  - Washington
101. Red-cockaded Woodpecker  - Florida
102. Northern Flicker  - Florida, Idaho & Washington
103. Pileated Woodpecker  - Florida
104. Eastern Phoebe  - Florida
105. Say's Phoebe  - Idaho
106. Great Crested Flycatcher  - Florida
107. Loggerhead Shrike  - Florida
108. Northern Shrike  - Washington
109. White-eyed Vireo  - Florida
110. Blue Jay  - Florida
111. Florida Scrub-Jay  - Florida
112. Black-billed Magpie  - Washington & Idaho
113. American Crow  - Washington, Idaho & Florida
114. Fish Crow  - Florida
115. Common Raven  - Washington & Idaho
116. Northern Rough-winged Swallow  - Florida
117. Barn Swallow  - Florida
118. Black-capped Chickadee  - Washington & Idaho
119. Mountain Chickadee  - Washington
120. Tufted Titmouse  - Florida
121. Red-breasted Nuthatch  - Washington & Idaho
122. Pygmy Nuthatch  - Washington
123. Brown-headed Nuthatch  - Florida
124. Carolina Wren  - Florida
125. House Wren  - Florida
126. Marsh Wren  - Washington
127. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  - Florida
128. Golden-crowned Kinglet  - Washington
129. Ruby-crowned Kinglet  - Washington & Idaho
130. Eastern Bluebird  - Florida
131. Western Bluebird Washington & Idaho
132. American Robin  - Washington & Idaho
133. Gray Catbird  - Florida
134. Northern Mockingbird  - Florida
135. European Starling  - Washington, Idaho & Florida
136. American Pipit  - Idaho
137. Cedar Waxwing  - Idaho
138. Northern Parula  - Florida
139. Magnolia Warbler  - Florida
140. Yellow-rumped Warbler  - Washington, Idaho & Florida
141. Yellow-throated Warbler  - Florida
142. Pine Warbler  - Florida
143. Prairie Warbler  - Florida
144. Palm Warbler  - Florida
145. Black-and-white Warbler  - Florida
146. American Redstart  - Florida
147. Common Yellowthroat  - Florida
148. Eastern Towhee  - Florida
149. Chipping Sparrow  - Idaho
150. Song Sparrow  - Idaho
151. White-crowned Sparrow  - Washington & Idaho
152. Dark-eyed Junco  - Washington & Idaho
153. Northern Cardinal  - Florida
154. Blue Grosbeak  - Florida
155. Indigo Bunting  - Florida
156. Painted Bunting  - Florida
157. Red-winged Blackbird  - Washington & Florida
158. Eastern Meadowlark  - Florida
159. Western Meadowlark  - Washington
160. Common Grackle  - Florida
161. Boat-tailed Grackle  - Florida
162. Brown-headed Cowbird  - Washington
163. House Finch  - Washington
164. American Goldfinch  - Idaho & Washington
165. House Sparrow  - Washington & Florida