A busy week of migration

The last seven days has had a steady stream of migrants passing through.

A Tennessee Warbler looking for insects

A Lincoln’s Sparrow, which mostly hides in brushy areas, pops up briefly to be photographed.

It is shaping up to be the warmest and driest September on record in the Twin Cities. Most of the wind has come from the south which has allowed the migrating birds to linger longer here. Hummingbirds have finally left just a few days ago.

The male hummingbirds migrate first at the end of August leaving the females and the fledglings like this one to migrate last.

Last weekend, a front shifted the winds from the northwest which created a mini migration of monarch butterflies. For a couple of hours before sunset, there was a steady stream of solo or pairs of monarchs riding the stiff wind up high in the sky. One had to stare up and just wait to see them as they were just specks to the naked eye.

A pair of monarchs using the strong NW wind to migrate.

Bald Eagles were also using the winds to their advantage.

……..and tonight’s migration forecast is projecting another big surge of birds traveling south on the Mississippi Flyway……

528 million birds are predicted to migrate overnight tonight with a strong push in Central US along the Mississippi with helping winds caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene. (BirdCast)