Date: 11/7/26 12:57 pm From: Peter Yaukey <peter.yaukey...> Subject: [NFLbirds] morning flight this morning on Escambia Bay Pensacola
Hello Birders:
In my quest to figure out where concentrated morning flight might occur in the Pensacola area, I wondered whether birds might move northward along the western shore of Escambia Bay. The main mechanism that seemed capable to produce that would be corrective morning flight in which bird movement is oriented directly into the wind to (apparently) correct for displacement by nocturnal wind drift, the mechanism that is understood to drive the flights at South Pt in New Orleans. It would require NE wind so that birds flying correctively upwind (NE) would run into the bayshore and deflect northward, accumulating into a concentrated flow.
Although yesterday's cold front appeared promising to bring lots of birds down from the north, wind direction did not appear ideal for concentrated morning flight on the bayshore (N instead of NE). Nevertheless, I went to a spot that I had picked out at the University of West Florida water tower, where one can look down from the edge of a parking lot on the bayside bluff over the treetops of the bayside swamp forest below, not far from the bay(marsh) edge.
In 30 min of timed observation (c 700-730), a total of 308 passerines passed northbound, including 269 warblers (presumably heavily YRWA dominated), and smaller numbers of robins and waxwings. Several flocks' structures looked like they could be siskins, possibly dozens, but were too far to be confident. In general, the birds were distant and silhouetted; nevertheless, this is an encouraging result as it supports the conjecture that concentrated morning flight northward occurs on the western Escambia bayshore after cold fronts.
Unfortunately, it does not neatly fit my proposed mechanism of upwind orientation, because the due N winds would not have drawn upwind-flying birds into the bayshore (which requires some eastward component to their movement)!
Now to work out the best viewing place and weather conditions! And a viable hypothesis for a mechanism!
Based on what happens in New Orleans, flights of robins, yellowrumps, and waxwings (in waxwing years) will continue through the end of November, and even a bit beyond (esp. for YRWA). First day after a cold front passes is usually best. There is talk of siskin movement in the northern states, and if they get down this far they can also mix in. If anyone feels inclined to watch for morning flight by the water tower, please please email me (or post here) and let me know what you saw.
Next Friday (11/13) is the next morning for which the forecast for morning flight looks good.
