Friday, August 9, 2013

Cerulean Warbler


Fall migration is truly underway here in Honduras also, not only with a good variety of shorebirds present (Roselvy and I had good shorebirds last Monday), but with the first warblers also showing up now.


This afternoon, on a brief outing on the slope of Cerro de Hula, right behind our house, we found a first fall male Cerulean Warbler feeding in a free-standing oak surrounded by farm land. Cerro de Hula has some notable residents, including Ocellated Quail and a sizable population of Sedge Wren, but things really get interesting in migration. Last year in spring migration I had a Cerulean on the same dirt road going up to the top of Cerro de Hula; that was my first in Honduras. Today, number two.


Cerulean Warbler is an early migrant, with the first individuals reaching the South American wintering ground in August. The eBird map shows birds just starting to arrive on the Gulf coast; our record is the first in Central America this fall.