The Spring 2022 season will long be remembered for the fantastic May we are having. The large-scale weather pattern reversed itself from the late April shutdown, and the persistent high pressure over the Atlantic seaboard was replaced with a low pressure off the coast of the mid-Atlantic. Ahead of this feature a decaying ‘cold’ front passed through our area around May 8. On the ground we had westerly winds turning north and then north-northeast, and the gates of late season migration opened up! We banded almost as many birds in the last 5 days as we did in the first 6 weeks of the season.
This current wave of birds started out on May 8 with a lot of Common Yellowthroats and American Redstarts, and a majority were female birds. The second-year male redstarts with their patchy black faces were also abundant, and a straggling Prairie warbler was in the mix. Redstarts and Yellowthroats eased off a bit on May 9, but more Ovenbirds were around, and a Magnolia Warbler was a treat. None of these birds stayed long as recaptures from other days were few and far between.
The overnight radar loops continued to show influxes of birds coming into the area from the east; either the Bahamas or eastern Cuba. These flocks were settling onto Cape Florida and immediately getting down to the business of feeding. Strangler figs packed with fruit and newly leafed out gumbo limbos crawling with caterpillars were ready for them.
The wind had shifted around to the north from being west to northwest the past two days, but the birds kept coming in on May 10 and May 11. One last Gray Catbird was banded on the 10th, probably the last one we will see until October, when they return to spend the winter. Redstarts and Yellowthroats leveled off, and Blackpolls finally started arriving. They stuck to the tops of the trees, with the glaring exception of a flock of 5 females that were caught together in the same net. Northern Waterthrush picked up the pace, and their numbers increased daily. They came in a distinct wave around mid-morning on the 10th, but dozens were arriving at sunrise on the 11th.
But mostly the Connecticut Warblers arrived. They have a narrow window when they migrate through our area, peaking in the second week of May. We usually band at least one, but birders can easily miss seeing them in spring. But every once in a while the weather cooperates to bring us a bunch. We banded 3 on the 10th, 4 on the 11th, and 8 on the 12th! The total of 18 Connecticuts banded since May 5 eclipses the previous record of 15 from 2007. And we still have 3 more days!
Thrushes are here, too, and a Veery was banded along with 5 Bicknell’s Thrush yesterday and today. We have not banded any Gray-cheeked Thrush or intergrades yet. Bicknell’s winter exclusively in the Greater Antilles while the Gray-cheeks go down to South America. They can be very difficult to separate from the (usually) more common Gray-cheeked Thrush, but it can be done in the field by song and in the hand by smaller measurements and a warm rufous tone to the upperparts.
May 12 2022
| SPECIES | NEW | RECAP |
| Common Ground-dove | 1 | – |
| Bicknell’s Thrush | 3 | – |
| Northern Parula | 2 | – |
| Cape May Warbler | 1 | – |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | 11 | 4 |
| Blackpoll Warbler | 4 | – |
| Black & white Warbler | 1 | – |
| American Redstart | 13 | 1 |
| Ovenbird | 6 | 2 |
| Northern Waterthrush | 36 | – |
| Connecticut Warbler | 8 | – |
| Common Yellowthroat | 12 | 2 |
| Common Grackle | 2 | – |
| TOTAL | 100 | 9 |
Spring 2022 Totals (from March 15)
| SPECIES | NEW | RETURN |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 1 | – |
| Common Ground-dove | 4 | – |
| Chuck-will’s Widow | 4 | – |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | 1 | – |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | 1 | – |
| Blue-headed Vireo | 1 | – |
| Black-whiskered Vireo | 1 | – |
| Veery | 1 | – |
| Bicknell’s Thrush | 6 | – |
| Wood Thrush | 1 | – |
| Gray Catbird | 72 | 4 |
| Brown Thrasher | 1 | – |
| Northern Parula | 22 | – |
| Magnolia Warbler | 3 | – |
| Cape May Warbler | 18 | – |
| Black-throated Blue Warbler | 117 | – |
| Prairie Warbler | 72 | – |
| Western Palm Warbler | 9 | – |
| Blackpoll Warbler | 14 | – |
| Black & white Warbler | 54 | 3 |
| American Redstart | 232 | 1 |
| Worm-eating Warbler | 40 | – |
| Swainson’s Warbler | 14 | – |
| Ovenbird | 136 | 3 |
| Northern Waterthrush | 116 | – |
| Louisiana Waterthrush | 3 | – |
| Kentucky Warbler | 2 | – |
| Connecticut Warbler | 18 | – |
| Common Yellowthroat | 150 | 1 |
| Hooded Warbler | 2 | – |
| Northern Cardinal | 8 | 13 |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | 1 | – |
| Indigo Bunting | 4 | – |
| Painted Bunting | 4 | 1 |
| Common Grackle | 4 | – |
| # BIRDS CAPTURED | # SPECIES | # NETS | NET HOURS | CAPTURE RATE (BIRDS/100NH) | |
| SEASON TOTAL | 1163 | 35 | 25 | 8246 | 14.71 |
Phenomenal!! Reading this is more exciting than any play-by-play commentary for the final of any sports tournament. So exciting! Happy you all are having a ball at the Cape!! I got out and birded a couple days ago and was impressed by all of the redstarts and yellowthroats and it ties in exactly with what you described. Kicking myself for not looking for a CONW today when you all banded EIGHT!!! Hoping the last few days are equally magical 🙂