The next 10 days in weather

Just took a glance at the 10-day forecast and felt like commenting on it. No, nothing really unusual is forecast  to happen (highs of 70 degrees have become ho-hum this month). But we're approaching the heart of migration and watching the weather is just so important if you want to maximize your birding at this time of year.

Thursday through Saturday we'll see winds of a southerly flavor with mostly sunny skies and above average temperatures. This is prime weather for early arrivals and overshoots from the south. Think Swallow-tailed Kite (one of the classic April overshoots) and an assortment of warblers including Yellow-throated and Prothonotary.

Clouds build in on Saturday and rain will break out Sat nite or early Sunday and continue for a couple of days, quite possibly into early Tuesday. This one might not be the soaker we were hoping for, as we are in a legit drought with high fire concern, but we'll take what we can get! Despite the weather, don't necessarily cancel your birding plans. Hit the coast and inland waterways for shorebirds and waterfowl. Check yellowlegs flocks for Ruff. Go through ibis flocks for the now annual White-faced. It's not too early for a Caspian Tern to drop in. And it's not too late to dig up a Little Gull if you can find some Bonaparte's to sort through. Waterfowl may be found on inland reservoirs after being knocked down by the poor weather. Rainy conditions can be awfully exciting during migration. I've listed only a few of the possibilities.

After the rain pulls out it looks like we will see rebounding temps and again a switch to SW winds. Then we'll be back to seeing migration in full swing, and the more typical migrant traps, such as East Rock Park in New Haven, should be productive. Yes, it's early for a great variety of warblers, but prime time to see some of the rarer species mentioned above. Hey, one of these years a Swainson's Warbler will grace Connecticut with its presence. Why not this year?

 - NB

Comments

  1. And today Janet Mehmel found a a White-faced Ibis in Guilford Harbor.

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  2. I had reason to look back in my records and found the timing of spring White-faced Ibis reports interesting. As you say, in recent years White-faced Ibis has become almost annual (2007, 2009, 2011, 2012) in CT at this season - not just this month, but this week - all 4/18 through 4/23.

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  3. If this trend keeps up, WFIB will be a bird that year listers in CT can expect to tick annually. Neighboring states have had multiple WFIB together in recent springs. We might not be far behind. We should also be on high alert for possible hybrids as a result of all this intermingling.

    PS - The post-storm forecast for next week is now showing temps in the upper 50s, so we may not warm up immediately after all.

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  4. In the post above I stated that nothing really unusual was forecast for the next 10 days. I was wrong. This coastal storm is very intriguing (and rare for this time of year). Could be fun.

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