The cold front that followed the passage of Tropical Depression Ivan was very
productive in southern Northampton County this morning, bringing large
numbers of Common Yellowthroats, Scarlet Tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks,
Northern
Flickers, Gray Catbirds, Magnolia Warblers, Black-and-white Warblers,
Northern Waterthrushes, American Redstarts, and Red-eyed Vireos to Kiptopeke
and the
Sunset Beach area. Yellow, Cape May, and Black-throated Blue Warblers were
recorded in smaller numbers. Earlier migrants such as Eastern Kingbird, Green
Heron, and Bobolink were seen as singles or small flocks (22 Bobolinks all day,
for instance).
Sam Stuart, Brian Taber, and others had several flyover Cave Swallows this
morning at Kiptopeke State Park, possibly as many as 5-6 but certainly 3. Also
seen were at least singles of Northern Rough-winged, Bank, and Cliff Swallows,
with a single Purple Martin and many Tree and Barn Swallows through the day.
It was a good day for hawk migration as well. The Cave Swallows, which beat
the East Coast early fall date by over a month, were almost certainly waifs
driven northward by the 'tail' of Ivan; I believe interior Pennsylvania had
several reports of the species after Isabel last year around the same time.
Allan Hale contacted me this morning to report that he salvaged a dead
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel (first specimen for Virginia) near the Nelson Co. High
School yesterday. This would surely be another bird displaced by Ivan;
Band-rumped is the most common species of tubenose in the deep waters of the
Gulf in the
warmer months.
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA
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