Migration Continues to be Slow

Monday May 4th

Our little corner of Florida continues to be quite slow for local birders as the migrants take advantage of favorable winds and fly past us. Even the migrant hot spot at Ft DeSoto Park in Tampa Bay has been very slow. Its good for the birds and not so much for us.

Rose-breasted seen at Sanibel Lighthouse

But a recent bout of weather has contributed a few interesting spring migrants. In the past few days I was able to add samplings of neotropicals to include Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, Blackpoll Warbler, Cape May Warbler,  Magnolia Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, Eastern Kingbird, Northern Waterthrush, American Redstart and Orchard Oriole.

Other folks have found Blue-winged Warblers, Yellow-throated Vireo, Summer Tanagers, Bobolinks, Wilson's Phalarope, and White-rumped Sandpiper.

Black-and-White Warbler at Six-Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Other species are arriving in the area to take up summer residence, such as the much appreciated and popular Swallow-tailed Kites. They arrive just as February gives way to March and will be gone about the end of July. The Common Nighthawks are just arriving now and will be around till about the end of August. Purple Martins are already fledgling there broods and will soon be free-ranging. A few Chimney Swifts have pasted through and some will spend the summer with us. Gray Kingbirds have also arrived and the Least Terns that nest on our beaches should be increasing their local population soon.  A good place to see many of these species during the summer is down at the River District in Ft Myers.

Orchard Oriole at Sanibel Lighthouse

Cape May Warbler at Ding Darling NWR