Have you experienced that sensation when you step outside on a cool and damp May morning and just know, “Today’s going to be an excellent day for birds”? The air is humid from warm south winds and intermittent storms overnight, but yet you can already hear chips from warblers and the liquid notes from thrushes overhead and the sun hasn’t risen yet.
Around April 15-20 each year, there’s a touch of magic that begins to fill the air. Throughout the first half of the season, a continuous flow of migrants has been arriving, primarily those more sensitive to immediate weather changes, having spent winter a shorter distance away. The early March warmth encouraged many of these birds to embark on an early migration. Among them were the Killdeer, robins, blackbirds, towhees, phoebes, and more.
Our long-distance migrant birds who spend their winters in Central and South America, face a lengthier journey. The more consistent daylight in the tropics postpones the onset of migration for our neo-tropical birds. The magic begins as, during this period, any south wind can propel an over-enthusiastic migrant bird. You just simply never know what bird will fly by during this time of year.
The weather this week has started to moderate again, and Wednesday brought the best conditions for migration we’ve had yet this month. Gusty south winds greeted the morning, and the threat of rain that had blanketed the area with thick clouds all morning never brought a single drop. Without rain in the sky, a decent movement of passerines took flight early. 65 species migrated past the tower site on Wednesday, April 17, adding three new species for the year. Those being a single Broad-winged Hawk, Indigo Bunting, and Pine Warbler. The first two most definitely were over-achieving medal winners on this cool and cloudy morning. Despite some good variety of hawks, no major movement took place in the gusty winds.
Other highlights for Wednesday included a lone American White Pelican, a pair of Merlins (though are anymore a daily occurrence), and the third sighting of the year of a Yellow-throated Warbler near the tower. Prior to 2020, there were fewer than 15 reports of this southern species in the state park boundaries, but whether an expansion from overshoots, climate change, or an increase in birders during the IDBF, we’re certainly seeing more during our longshore surveys in the last five years.
Another fun note is that the local Eastern Whip-poor-wills are back, tying last year’s early record Dunes date of April 10. Woodcock Dan located not one, but two among the Dunes trails, they are now being heard at multiple traditional sites in the state park. If you arrive to the tower pre-dawn you can often hear oak savanna the whip-poor-will’s enigmatic call.
We stand at 134 species for the year, and 176,340 individual birds counted! Conditions look to sour for the weekend, but early next week looks promising for the next wave of magic in the air.
Indiana Dunes Migration Birding 