First Day Fallout!

Our research team from Delaware State University arrived in Apalachicola, Florida on April 19th. To the average person, the weather was rotten, with howling winds and intermittent downpours. To bird researchers like us, however, the weather was perfect.

After dropping off our gear at the trailer we'd be staying in, we took the car and crossed the bridge onto St. George Island to check out our field sites. As we scanned the pine forests and suburban streets, we could immediately tell that birds were everywhere. Mixed-species flocks of warblers, vireos, tanagers, orioles and grosbeaks were streaming through the island, filling peoples front yards and the surrounding shrubs.

What was going on??

During Spring migration, many songbirds that have wintered in the tropics must cross the Gulf of Mexico to return to their summer breeding grounds. Being a Gulf Coast barrier island, St. George is positioned as one of the first safe havens for these arriving trans-Gulf migranst.

The island experiences the highest volume of migrants when southwest winds push them east of their principal flight paths further to the west. If these conditions are followed by strong north winds (a head wind), then many of the recently arrived birds will be forced to stay on the island, creating a bird fanatic's dream: a fallout. As luck would have it, today was one of those days.

As we explored the island, we tallied over 90 species of birds, including 20 species of warbler. We saw birds in outlandish places: Dickcissels in pine trees, Gray-cheeked Thrushes on the roadside. We saw dozens upon dozens of Black-throated Green, Hooded, and Yellow Warblers, while flocks of Indigo Buntings rained down from the sky. Scrub oaks were packed with glimmering birds of all sorts, foraging feverishly on the arthropods that they could find. All the while, we could hear the soft chip notes of arriving migrants high the sky, slowly getting closer.

As dusk descended we reluctantly pulled ourselves away and drove the short commute back to Apalachicola. Arriving at our trailer, we feverishly ate some food and got ready for bed. Like the birds we had just observed, we too had traveled over 1,000 miles and were tired. Tired and excited about our next three weeks of work.