Phyllis Yochem

Special to the Caller-Times

I’m sure there are a few exceptions, but interest in birds and denial of global warming are usually mutually exclusive intellectual positions. Whatever you think about climate issues, there can be no arguing against the effect of weather patterns on bird migration.

BirdCast is a cleverly named migration site maintained by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Weekly forecasts by region predict migratory activity. There are also lists of species separated by dates of expected peak movement.

The site accurately called for “a reasonably quiet start” in the Gulf Coast and Southeast region to the period beginning March 10 and ending March 17. This was because “a cool airmass pushing through the region will generally stall most movements.” When conditions change mid-week, the potential for locally heavy movements of migrants will improve.

Good news for area birders: “Precipitation forecast for the end of the week may create another potential for fallout and concentrations, particularly in coastal Texas on Friday.”

New to the site this spring are images from the Radar Agroecology Lab at Oklahoma University depicting bird migration in the Gulf of Mexico. I have to confess these are a little over my head, but with some remedial education, I could see Corpus Christi showed moderate weekly and seasonal migrant activity. See for yourself at www.birdcast.info/

Data submitted to eBird, also hosted by Cornell, is used to prepare the forecasts on BirdCast. The ruby-crowned kinglet present in my yard all winter has recently started to sing, rivaling much larger birds in volume and bravado. This cue to its imminent departure might be a helpful note to add to my next submission to the exhaustive online bird list.

A flock of about 30 birds observed flying in “V” formation in fading light on a recent evening had such prominent bills I identified them as long-billed curlews. After the heavy rains Friday, I was delighted by the sight of a slightly larger flock of another species with a down-curved bill. The American white ibis wading and feeding in puddles at the edge of the Corpus Christi Country Club golf course were accompanied by several mottled brown youngsters.

Congratulations to Dr. Joan Holt, who will be recognized as the Professional Conservationist of the Year at the Corpus Christi Rotary Club’s Harvey Weil Dinner on March 18. Holt’s claim to fame is her research in fostering healthy fish populations; I know her in her spare time guise as an enthusiastic birder and traveler. At work and play, she is a passionate defender of the environment and a deserving recipient of this award.

The Audubon Outdoor Club meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, at the South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center. Judith Reader, club treasurer, will present the program, “Birding the Amazon River.”

Phyllis Yochem, a Corpus Christi resident, has studied birds in Texas since 1960.