Appropriately, if disconcertingly, on the day after almost 200 nations endorsed a new agreement to address climate change, 60 degree weather drew us onto Long Island Sound for a last (?) Sound cruise of the season. December in Connecticut usually has us shoveling and shivering, not birding and fishing on the open water.
But there we were, Captain Jeff and myself, chasing ducks and gulls and loons along the shore over water smooth as glass.
Over 450 Long-tailed Ducks along a 6 mile reach of the coast
While we did not find anything exceptional from a birding perspective, the numbers of Common Loons (35+), Long-tailed Ducks (450+), and Brant (500+) were impressive. And gulls continue to feast on teeming schools of bunker and smaller baitfish.
Over 35 Common Loons along the same reach
The large numbers of Double-crested Cormorant seen migrating through recently appear to have continued south, although several have lingered along with a few Great Cormorant, including this first year bird.
Great Cormorant
Good numbers of Bufflehead Ducks, too.
We weren't the only ones enjoying the warm and calm conditions.
Kayaks off Cockonoe Island
Of course, we are not supposed to attribute short term weather conditions to any long term climate trend, but really, this is inauspicious even if welcomed. ("Auspicious," by the way, comes from the Latin auspicium "divination by observing the flight of birds.") Makes you wonder what to expect in the way of bird distribution going forward, since we've already seen over the last 50 years or so that formerly more southern birds like Northern Mockingbird, Carolina Wren, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Black Vulture are now common here in the Northeast. And clearly, unusual weather patterns contribute to vagrancy by many species that show up as rarities outside their normal range, as noted in a previous post.
This is actually being studied and has a name: "phenology: the science dealing with the influence of climate on the recurrence of such annual phenomena of animal and plant life such as budding and bird migrations." Recent studies by Peter Dunn at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee have noted shifts in the breeding schedules of some birds, apparently in reaction to warmer early Springs. It will be interesting to see if data from eBird, CBC, and other citizen research projects show any correlations between bird distribution and climate change.
But there we were, Captain Jeff and myself, chasing ducks and gulls and loons along the shore over water smooth as glass.
Over 450 Long-tailed Ducks along a 6 mile reach of the coast
While we did not find anything exceptional from a birding perspective, the numbers of Common Loons (35+), Long-tailed Ducks (450+), and Brant (500+) were impressive. And gulls continue to feast on teeming schools of bunker and smaller baitfish.
Over 35 Common Loons along the same reach
The large numbers of Double-crested Cormorant seen migrating through recently appear to have continued south, although several have lingered along with a few Great Cormorant, including this first year bird.
Great Cormorant
Good numbers of Bufflehead Ducks, too.
We weren't the only ones enjoying the warm and calm conditions.
Kayaks off Cockonoe Island
Of course, we are not supposed to attribute short term weather conditions to any long term climate trend, but really, this is inauspicious even if welcomed. ("Auspicious," by the way, comes from the Latin auspicium "divination by observing the flight of birds.") Makes you wonder what to expect in the way of bird distribution going forward, since we've already seen over the last 50 years or so that formerly more southern birds like Northern Mockingbird, Carolina Wren, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Black Vulture are now common here in the Northeast. And clearly, unusual weather patterns contribute to vagrancy by many species that show up as rarities outside their normal range, as noted in a previous post.
This is actually being studied and has a name: "phenology: the science dealing with the influence of climate on the recurrence of such annual phenomena of animal and plant life such as budding and bird migrations." Recent studies by Peter Dunn at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee have noted shifts in the breeding schedules of some birds, apparently in reaction to warmer early Springs. It will be interesting to see if data from eBird, CBC, and other citizen research projects show any correlations between bird distribution and climate change.
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