The Biggest Week In American Birding
Morning Flight Count!
6:30 - 9:30 a.m. every morning of the festival!
What is the morning flight count?
Spanning March 1 to May 31, this project is designed to capture a full season of standardized data documenting active, visible migration over a designated site on the Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area. This data will be used primarily for BSBO research projects, and the count itself will serve as an avenue for public outreach and communications work.
The focus of the count is driven by specific research questions and a priority for building a standardized dataset that could be easily referenced and integrated with existing protocols and methods (i.e. the Midwest Migration Network). The count design also aims to create and publish accessible protocols and materials to encourage collaboration with other similar efforts in the region.
The morning flight is a survey of active migration – birds that are traveling over the site as they migrate from one location to another. As birds pass over, they are identified, counted, and their flight direction is recorded into our dataset. As birds move overhead, counters will be identifying them using flight calls, plumage patterns, and flight behaviors. This allows for even birds such as warblers to often be identified as they quickly fly over. During the count, totals are updated live via the Trektellen migration count website.
Our friends at Kowa are generously providing scopes to use while visiting the count site to enjoy the variety of birds on Lake Erie and in the marsh.
Spanning March 1 to May 31, this project is designed to capture a full season of standardized data documenting active, visible migration over a designated site on the Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area. This data will be used primarily for BSBO research projects, and the count itself will serve as an avenue for public outreach and communications work.
The focus of the count is driven by specific research questions and a priority for building a standardized dataset that could be easily referenced and integrated with existing protocols and methods (i.e. the Midwest Migration Network). The count design also aims to create and publish accessible protocols and materials to encourage collaboration with other similar efforts in the region.
The morning flight is a survey of active migration – birds that are traveling over the site as they migrate from one location to another. As birds pass over, they are identified, counted, and their flight direction is recorded into our dataset. As birds move overhead, counters will be identifying them using flight calls, plumage patterns, and flight behaviors. This allows for even birds such as warblers to often be identified as they quickly fly over. During the count, totals are updated live via the Trektellen migration count website.
Our friends at Kowa are generously providing scopes to use while visiting the count site to enjoy the variety of birds on Lake Erie and in the marsh.
What causes morning flight?
Many species of birds migrate primarily at night and may often continue their migration into the early hours of the morning. This continued migration is often redirected as birds travel along coastlines seeking ideal habitats to stop over in for the rest of the day. Morning flight is likely caused by a combination of factors including navigational correction for wind displacement, return from the open water of Lake Erie, and search for stopover habitat.
Many species of birds migrate primarily at night and may often continue their migration into the early hours of the morning. This continued migration is often redirected as birds travel along coastlines seeking ideal habitats to stop over in for the rest of the day. Morning flight is likely caused by a combination of factors including navigational correction for wind displacement, return from the open water of Lake Erie, and search for stopover habitat.
What species engage in morning flight?
Redirected morning flight consists primarily of small nocturnally-migrating songbirds such as warblers, vireos, and orioles. Many other birds often migrate during the day – like Blue Jays, which form spectacular flocks numbering into the hundreds or thousands. Our survey is a count of all migrating birds, and the best mornings can yield nearly a hundred different species all traveling past the count site!
Redirected morning flight consists primarily of small nocturnally-migrating songbirds such as warblers, vireos, and orioles. Many other birds often migrate during the day – like Blue Jays, which form spectacular flocks numbering into the hundreds or thousands. Our survey is a count of all migrating birds, and the best mornings can yield nearly a hundred different species all traveling past the count site!
Why Metzger Marsh?
Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area is ideally situated along the southern shore of Laker Erie, in a perfect location to catch birds heading back east to reorient after their nocturnal migration. Small songbirds tend to follow the treeline of the woodlot before launching out to the southeast over the marsh, which means the dike is a perfect vantage point to see reorienting songbirds traveling over at close range. The site also offers excellent visibility over the lake and marsh to see a huge variety of other species passing by both close and far.
Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area is ideally situated along the southern shore of Laker Erie, in a perfect location to catch birds heading back east to reorient after their nocturnal migration. Small songbirds tend to follow the treeline of the woodlot before launching out to the southeast over the marsh, which means the dike is a perfect vantage point to see reorienting songbirds traveling over at close range. The site also offers excellent visibility over the lake and marsh to see a huge variety of other species passing by both close and far.
Morning flight provides the opportunity to see many species in ways you may have never seen them before! Our counters will share ID tips for identification in flight. The gallery below contains images of some of the species that have been photographed during morning flight at Metzger Marsh.
American Pipit and Eastern Meadowlark provided by Tyler Ficker
All other images provided by Gautam Apte
American Pipit and Eastern Meadowlark provided by Tyler Ficker
All other images provided by Gautam Apte
