Another great night for migrating! Light northwest winds and clearing skies allowed for migrants to proceed, and amassed them along the coast. I heard 12 calls in 10 minutes last night, most of which seemed to be Dark-eyed Juncos.

Dawn at Sandy Point seemed to confirm this, as a steady flight of Dark-eyed Juncos were passing over than through. I tallied 95 between 7:05 and 8:00. 92 American Robins, 50+ American Goldfinches, and 37 Yellow-rumped Warblers passed by as well. Meanwhile, I tallied a respectable 10 Hermit Thrushes in the bushes, mostly feasting on the sumac near the edge of the parking lot. Two “Yellow” Palm Warblers were getting late, and one Fox Sparrow dropped in as well.

My next stop was Dragon Field where I MAY have picked up my 148th Dragon Field Bird. However, I need to consult my checklist when I get home, but I think the lone Lapland Longspur that passed over may have filled a whole on my Patch List. I certainly can’t remember having one here, but I would be surprised is this is indeed a new bird for me – the habitat is decent for them, and I am certainly here often enough when they are on the move. To the checklist!

Meanwhile, there were LOTS of Song Sparrows in the field, along with smaller numbers of Savannah, Swamp, White-throated, and Dark-eyed Juncos (plus one flock of about 20 that flew overhead). I point-blank view of an immature White-crowned Sparrow was a treat, and a lingering Gray Catbird was nice to see.

My final stop of the morning was Cumberland’s Twin Brook Recreation Area, where I saw more of the same sparrows, plus a tardy Killdeer, and handfuls of Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds heading south overhead.

Furthermore, all of my stops this morning also produced a few Golden- and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and Purple Finches - which was nice to see as"PUFIs" have been in short supply so far this fall.