This week has been as poor for morning flight/vismig as it gets, thanks to the cold weather. We noticed there were a number of migrants in Neenach on Tuesday so we started beating the bushes on Wednesday. Neenach and the southern foothills (Pine Canyon Rd) have lots of warblers, flycatchers, tanagers, thrushes and grosbeaks. The same birds have been present all week, feeding in the same areas. None seem to have moved on and no new ones have arrived. In Neenach there are 2 Vermillion Flycatchers, which along with a number of Western Tanagers, Western Kingbirds and others, are quite obviously following the food and can move multiple blocks from day to day. The feeders also have the same 8 Black-headed Grosbeaks, 8 Bullocks Orioles plus 1 Pine Siskin and 7 Cassin's Finches that still think it is winter - there was 2 inches of snow briefly yesterday.

It will be interesting to see how much longer these northbound migrants stay here given there is no big warm up and more suitable winds for migrating in the forecast. It also begs the question, why aren't they moving now when the drive to get to the breeding grounds is so strong. My guess is that the cold air and the lack of help with uplift from warmer air makes flying harder and not very energy-efficient. Perhaps someone has worked it out for sure. There is always a reason in nature.

Richard Crossley

Crossley Books