The Scouting Party of American White Pelicans have arrived on time

The weather has been slow to move toward Fall even hitting the first couple of days of October. Our first real fall cold front is due this weekend with temps falling into the 70s. A welcomed relief from the 55 days of record breaking heat from August 16th. It was an early Sunday morning when I arrived at the lake. The trip was to confirm that the scouting party for the pelicans had arrived. They had. Numbering a few more than in years past, at 22-24 birds. I was talking to Northern Illinois this morning and it is still warm there. Once that cold front hits, no doubt, the birds will be on wing for sure.                                       

Migration This Year Had Highs and Lows

The major concern was for the pelicans arrival this season with the massive storm kill-off of waterfowl in Mold, Montana. As it turned out, eventually, we got our regular number of birds to take up residency until late March.

The other major migration was that of the Monarch Butterflies. California got a large number to pass trough this year, but in North Texas, we only had a fractional number of flies. I did some in my neighborhood and always saw a hand full at the lake, but the butterfly garden had a hand full of the royal flies.




 Weather played a part, most likely with the jet stream not shifting south like it normally does. Also, while this is the central flyway for birds and Monarchs, again, weather to the west was more favorable than what we were having here. The most worrisome of all is, of course, the declining number of Monarchs.

For those that like to track Monarch Migration, Monarch Watch. The info source is from the Entomology Program at the University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Ave.,Lawrence, KS 66045-7534.

Good News and Bad News In Pelican Land

With the October 12th arrival date of the pelicans getting close, the number of arrivals is already weighing heavy on this years visit by the big birds that winter here. To compound that was the National Weather Services issue of major storm warnings for heavy snow and temperatures  up to 50 degrees below normal for the north and central Rockies and the northern plains. The pelicans should be on the way with their ability to sense things like that. And, since the scout has been here for the past ten days, the indication is that the main flock is getting ready to travel.

When I made the check today, I was somewhat relieved that the initial arrival of the big birds had arrived 4 days ahead of schedule. That is always a chance of luck but knowing that the weather systems were getting ready to hit the Montana plains, it was hoped that the birds were indeed, on the move.

However, as first feared when the National Wildlife reported that 13,000 had been killed in the sudden hail storm a few weeks back, my heart sank into deep concern for our birds. Keeping in mind that the rehab bird that stayed over this breeding season and the arrival of the scout ten days back gave a base line of 2 birds to begin with to any total that actually arrived initially.  Usually, that count is in the mid 30's to 40's  with about as many to follow a couple of days later. The count today was a total of 19 birds less the 2 gives us 17 birds plus what ever comes later---if any. So, already, the earlier fears of a major loss came to be true today. I will need to check out a couple of other places were the birds have been known to visit--- they are social birds. But that within itself is also an indication that most likely, we will see fewer birds this year because of the tragic storm in Molt, Montana.

Here are the first arrivals this year from the Molt, Montana nesting grounds where the 13,000 birds were killed earlier this year when the birds were caught by surprise in a massive hail storm. This first arrival is about half of what normally comes in the first main flock arrival.

Monarch's Arrive in North Texas

To me, it was getting a bit late in the season for Monarch butterflies to arrive. They leave the Great Lakes and Canada in early June. By August , usually they are enjoying the wildflowers here, stocking up on strength to make it on to Mexico  for the winter. Until today, I had not seen any! Then, like a thunderstorm arriving, they were showing up here and there more frequently and have made it here for the 2015 migration.

While watching for monarchs I ran across two senior citizens that I stop to  chat with  for a while. One is an elderly Chinese man.  We communicate with hand signals. I speak no Chinese and he speak very limited English. The second usually is sitting on a bench overlooking the lake with his wife. But, today, I got pictures of my Chinese friend fishing--as he always does. I let him know that I am going to take a picture or two and he generally agrees.

I spent about two hours shooting goldenrod and butterflies and getting my annual shot of a falling leaf onto the docks,. It's usually is one of the first trees I have found each year that drops its leaves before Halloween. Over the years, I have several file shots of that dock. Each with that trees leaves on the dock. Strangely enough, the always land in about the same place.

Here's a couple shots from this afternoon. I changed the settings on my camera today and was testing out the settings. If you haven't  figured it out by now, I don't put the ones that technically are within range to post and list with my agent on line. Funny how that works. If I could watermark the good ones, I would, but of course, they can't be sold if they are watermarked. It's a catch 22 anyway you go. Quality control in the twenty-seven cent stock marked is tuff!

A friend at the lake.

The arrival of the monarchs

Hay fever but it's still pretty.

23 September 2015: edited for clarity and to add a comment.