Despite fluctuating temperatures, things have been on a roller coaster lately with winds. For those not living on the lakefront, the different in temperature day to day can really take extremes this time of year. A warm southerly wind can warm things to 70 degrees in the Dunes. But, a quick shift from the north can plunge the birding temperature 30 degrees in one hour. Even the lightest of wind days creates thermals over land that pull the colder air over the water inland.
The week thus far has not brought any particular surprises in migration, and although we’ve had a handful of new arrivals, there haven’t been any massive movements to report. New season birds for the tower this week included Savannah Sparrow, Eastern Kingbird, Greater Yellowlegs, Warbling Vireo, Orange-crowned Warbler, and most recently yesterday the season’s first Northern Parula in migration.
The likely biggest highlight of the week came on 4/22, when a massive (for the Dunes) 200+ flock of American White Pelicans passed over the tower. It’s the largest flock we’ve recorded in the State Park. See our blog cover photo for a great shot of them passing by.
Remember that migration magic we spoke of? The next five days include moderate to strong south winds. When you mix in some rain events that could down some migrants before or even during the morning flight, the next week could be quite interesting. Scheduling a visit anytime through this weekend and early next week at dawn should provide some fruitful birding opportunities. Come join us!
Curious where we’re at for the month? Check out the eBird April Longshore Tower Trip Report (and March for comparison). We stand at 143 species for the year, and 182,000 birds for the season.
Indiana Dunes Migration Birding 