Date: 4/11/26 12:50 pm From: Yaukey, Peter via groups.io <pyaukey...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Swallow-tailed Kite corrective migration (?)
Thanks Kathryn-
That is important intel, I had assumed that because it was already an eBird hotspot, it was a place birders visited regularly. If anyone has recommendations of a different location along the western bayshore with a good sky view in all directions, please let me know.
I see your list from yesterday, thanks. Negative data are valuable, as part of the process is figuring out when (under what weather conditions) to expect flights.
Peter H. Yaukey, Ph.D.
Departmental Chair and Professor of Biology
Department of Biological and Physical Sciences
University of Holy Cross
4123 Woodland Drive
New Orleans, LA 70131
504-398-2312 Direct
504-394-7744 Main
[cid:91D4B89B-2D58-4695-9437-0B7014880A72]
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From: <ALbirds...> <ALbirds...> on behalf of Kathryn Firsching via groups.io <firschingk...>
Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2026 2:27 PM
To: <ALbirds...> <ALbirds...>
Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Swallow-tailed Kite corrective migration (?)
You don't often get email from <firschingk...> Learn why this is important<https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification> I stopped by and didn’t see a single kite or raptor. Just royal terns and one snowy. Seemed kind of a dicey spot in terms of safety.
Kathryn
On Apr 11, 2026, at 1:55 PM, Yaukey, Peter via groups.io <pyaukey...> wrote:
Drew and ALBirders:
Thanks for the input.
Drew makes the excellent point that correction from Gulf wind drift is not the only possible explanation for why most kites moving along the northern Gulf Coast are eastbound. He rightly points out that it is possible they have simply chosen to go west around the Gulf enroute to eastern nesting grounds (e.g., in the panhandle, Georgia).
The main factor that caused the drift-from-east hypothesis to germ in my mind are tracks of birds (by satellite), which show a heavy movement of birds from a South Carolina nesting population using the eastern corridor (see below). But, other SE USA nesters (from panhandle FL, etc) might not do what SC nesters do.
To me, a STKI concentration point would be well worth finding along the Gulf Coast regardless of the mechanism that generates the eastward movement. For the fun of watching them, and for the potential benefit of adding a tool to monitoring of their populations.
Another problem I recognize is that my perceptions of the dominance of eastbound movement are based on migrants through New Orleans, where birds could be eastbound simply because they are heading east until they are clear of Lake Pontchartrain and free to turn more northward. I would benefit from any notations any of you could make in your Mar-Apr eBird sightings in the Alabama coastal zone, indicating direction of movement (especially of birds moving forward, not just drifting while circling). Distinguishing migrating birds from nesters will be harder in AL than in New Orleans, so groups of 3 or more in particular (more likely to be migratory, I hope) would be of interest.
Thanks everyone!
Peter
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From: <ALbirds...> <ALbirds...> on behalf of Drew Haffenden via groups.io <andrew...>
Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2026 3:41 AM
To: <ALbirds...> <ALbirds...>
Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Swallow-tailed Kite corrective migration (?)
You don't often get email from <andrew...> Learn why this is important<https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification> These kites have two routes, one (smaller) is island hopping via Caribbean islands to FL peninsula and the majority circum-gulf. Neither routes are trans-gulf and as an eastern breeding circum-gulf migrant spring migrants would be expected to be traveling east.
Cheers,
Drew Haffenden
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From: <ALbirds...> <ALbirds...> on behalf of John P Valentik via groups.io <jpatvalentik...>
Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2026 6:52:09 AM
To: <ALbirds...> <ALbirds...>
Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Swallow-tailed Kite corrective migration (?)
This is my first time posting to this chat group. I am a New Orleans birder of many years, but recently have been commuting twice a week from there to Pensacola, and have been doing some birding during my transits of southern AL.
One pattern I have noticed in Louisiana over the years is that migrant Swallow-tailed Kites in spring there are generally eastbound. They do not nest south of Lake Pontchartrain, so birds in the New Orleans area are all passage migrants. I am of the opinion that these eastbound birds are Florida nesters that have been wind displaced westward during their Gulf crossings from the Yucatan or Cuba to peninsular Florida, which end up not making landfall until they reach the northern Gulf Coast, and then correct for the error by moving east along the coast to get back to peninsular FL. Their densities are much higher in peninsular FL as nesters than elsewhere.
Because the species is of conservation concern, I am interested in seeing if there is anywhere that this eastward corrective movement gets concentrated enough that it might result in decent day counts if someone were to skywatch. Because Mobile Bay could block their eastward progress and deflect them north before they cross it, I have made a couple stops lately at Helen Wood park south of Mobile. The first stop prodcued 5 STKI in 30 min, and then yesterday my second visit produced 6 STKI in 45 min.
If anyone is at all interested in this, I could use the help gathering data from skywatching at Helen Wood park or elsewhere on the western bayshore. Please let me know, and I will of course be checking eBird.
There was also a hirundid/swift movement up the bayshore yesterday while I was scanning for kites, with 45 Barn, 10 swifts, and 20 swallow sp, in the 45 minute watch. Sharpy and Broadwing added a little accent to the skywatch as well.
