This was a neat observation as I usually think of my son's birthday on March 3rd as when I should start to see Red-winged Blackbirds. All this makes me wonder about migratory fits and starts. If it snows too much for those birds to forage effectively, can they / will they move back south just far enough to find sufficiently OK foraging opportunities? Of course, some of that would depend on how widespread a snow event was or maybe whether it came from the NW or up from the south (as in a 'noreaster). I am sure they wouldn't just sit in the marsh and get buried under snow, but how far south would they be "willing" to go given that they'd be "giving up" whatever possible genetic advantage they might have gained by coming this far north this early. I am sure there are migration aficionados who can answer that question easily, but I am not one of them!
Jody Enck -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of John Confer Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2015 4:33 PM To: CAYUGABIRDS-L Subject: [cayugabirds-l] 50+ red-wings So we do have global climate change and the photoperiod is getting longer.. Still, I wonder if the 50+ male red-wings, all of them quiet, at Montezuma last night are going to pass on any genes for arriving this early. Surely we'll get at least one big snow storm that would be potentially lethal. Still, red-wings mean spring is thinking about coming our way. Cheers, John -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
