Exciting migration season starts – Point Loma

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2014] – Bird numbers and diversity changes from one day to the next at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma, San Diego County, California. After spending the final days of August not seeing many birds I thought September would have to be a change for the better! In my head the 1st of September marks the start of passerine migration season. So I truly intended to find something of note today! Things actually took a bigger turn for the better than I expected, and I seemed to be running into good finds everywhere today at the cemetery.

Exciting migrant discoveries topped out with a lightning quick look at a nice first fall Prairie Warbler Setophaga discolor in the southeast section of the cemetery in the late afternoon. It would not keep still for a second working the tops of Lemonadeberry bushes behind the fence. So I played some wren scolding chatter calls and out it zipped stopping for just a couple of seconds on the perimeter fence top in front of me! A split second later it took off flying northwards and I lost sight of it.