Migration stalled? (1 Viewer)

Does anyone else in the Northeastern States/Eastern Canada find that migration has stalled? The weather has been horrible since April began - cold, cloudy, and snow on the ground almost every morning (though it doesn't accumulate, thank goodness!).

I've seen lots of red-winged blackbirds, grackles, juncos and Golden-crowned Kinglets, and today I saw my third Eastern Phoebe, but I haven't seen any Northern Flickers, sapsuckers, swallows, or kingfishers. Today I saw my second Great Blue Heron. It just seems to me that new birds are just trickling through in small numbers, like the herons.

Am i just being impatient? Or am I just so sick of this weather that I'm trying to blame it for not seeing the birds I've been looking for?

I agree. Not much action here. My Merlin hasn't left yet, nor have the Juncos or WT Saprrows. RW Blackbirds are the only ones here in droves, phoebes have arrived, tree swallows are here as of this week, and kinglets are starting to show. I've seen a lot of GB Herons, guess they haven't got up by you yet. First Osprey yesterday. Yeah, most new birds are trickling, I'm waiting for Warblers, Ducks, and Sapsuckers (especially that last one).

OwlTalon said:

I agree. Not much action here. My Merlin hasn't left yet, nor have the Juncos or WT Saprrows. RW Blackbirds are the only ones here in droves, phoebes have arrived, tree swallows are here as of this week, and kinglets are starting to show. I've seen a lot of GB Herons, guess they haven't got up by you yet. First Osprey yesterday. Yeah, most new birds are trickling, I'm waiting for Warblers, Ducks, and Sapsuckers (especially that last one).

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That's another bird I haven't seen yet - Osprey. The waterfowl migration hasn't been too bad - I've seen Common and Hooded Mergansers around, Wood Ducks (though a female overwintered here!), and today I saw my first Ring-necked ducks and Bufflehead ducks. There's lots of open water now - I'm just missing all the other migrants!

Oh, and I agree with you on the sapsuckers - they're on my wish list of birds I need better photos of! Warblers won't get here for a few more weeks, assuming they will be back on schedule by then. Who knows with this year?

Certainly has been unusual. Not much happening down at the beaches all winter, escepting the Smith's Longspur which I dipped on a few times. || The Lincoln's Sparrow is even stranger. I'd blame global warming or something, but it's colder .