This morning, 9/23, I walked the dog at about 5:20 a.m. Every morning
this fall I have been hearing an occasional migrant call overhead, but
usually only a small number have been heard each day. This morning the
sky was alive with calls. Between 5:20 and 5:35 a.m. I counted 235
calls. Most were unidentified, but those I could ID included Swainson's
Thrush and Indigo Bunting. It is raining here now and I have not been
able to get out to investigate. 

On Monday, 9/21, I found about 6 White-rumped Sandpipers along with a
Gull-billed Tern, 2 Stilt Sandpipers, an American Avocet, 4 Black-necked
Stilts, lots of Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, and both Yellowlegs
on Biolab Road in Brevard County. In addition, I found a Merlin.
Yesterday, 9/22, large numbers of gulls and terns continue to congregate
on the north side of Ponce Inlet. Inlet dredging continues and the spoil
is being dumped on the beach north of the Inlet. This has raised the
level of the beach somewhat and during our recent very high tides, when
Disappearing Island and other favored roosts have been flooded, this
beach has been covered in a couple thousand gulls and terns. Although
mostly Laughing Gulls, there are also a few Ring-billed Gulls, growing
numbers of Herring Gulls, 6+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 5+ Great
Black-backed Gulls.  Large numbers of Royals Terns with smaller numbers
of Sandwich Terns, with a few Caspian and Forster's Terns and Black
Skimmers were present. Significant numbers of Common Terns are still
present — yesterday about 28. 

Michael

Michael Brothers
Marine Science Center
Ponce Inlet

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